pivot assembly and foldable device

Abstract

This application relates to the field of electronic devices and aims to solve the problem of low usability of known foldable devices by providing a hinge assembly and a foldable device. The hinge assembly includes a central beam and multiple support mechanisms. First arc-shaped grooves are respectively formed on both sides of the central beam. The support mechanisms include a connecting block, a sliding tongue, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, and a movable support member. The sliding tongue is slidably fitted into the first arc-shaped groove. The sliding tongue has a second arc-shaped groove. One end of the first swing arm is slidably fitted into the second arc-shaped groove. The other end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the connecting block. One end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the central beam, and the other end is slidably connected to the connecting block. The movable support member is movably connected to the first and second swing arms. The beneficial effect of this application is that the foldable device using this hinge assembly can be used outwardly, unfolded, or inwardly, resulting in high usability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electronic devices, and more specifically, to hinge assemblies and foldable devices. Background Technology

[0002] Known foldable devices (such as foldable phones) typically only support one folding form. For example, outward-folding phones can only fold outwards and cannot fold inwards, while inward-folding phones can only fold inwards and cannot fold outwards. This limits the availability of foldable devices. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This application provides a hinge assembly and a foldable device to address the known problem of low availability of foldable devices.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a pivot assembly, which includes a central beam and multiple support mechanisms. First arc-shaped grooves are respectively formed on both sides of the central beam. Multiple support mechanisms are distributed on both sides of the central beam. Each support mechanism includes a connecting block, a sliding tongue, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, and a movable support member. The sliding tongue is slidably fitted into the first arc-shaped groove and is rotatable about the central axis of the first arc-shaped groove; the sliding tongue also has a second arc-shaped groove. One end of the first swing arm is slidably fitted into the second arc-shaped groove and is rotatable about the central axis of the second arc-shaped groove; the other end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the connecting block. One end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the central beam, and the other end is slidably connected to the connecting block. The movable support member is movably connected to the first swing arm and / or the second swing arm, and the movable support member includes a support plate located between the central beam and the connecting block.

[0005] In this embodiment, the pivot assembly allows the first swing arm to rotate inward or outward relative to the center beam through two stages of rotation: the rotation of the sliding tongue relative to the center beam and the rotation of the first swing arm relative to the sliding tongue. In addition, the movable support is movably connected to the first swing arm and / or the second swing arm, so that the support plate of the connecting block and the movable support can flip inward or outward with the first and second swing arms. This enables the folding screen of the foldable device to be supported in an inward folded state, an outward folded state, or an unfolded state.

[0006] Therefore, the hinge assembly in this embodiment has two folding forms: inward folding and outward folding. This allows the foldable device using the hinge assembly to be used in outward folding, unfolded, or inward folding, resulting in high usability.

[0007] In one possible implementation, the center beam has a front and a back facing away from each other, with the front of the center beam being arc-shaped. The arc-shaped ends of a first arc-shaped groove penetrate the front of the center beam. The center beam has a clearance notch that extends along the thickness direction of the center beam and connects the first arc-shaped groove and the back of the center beam. In the outward-folded state of the pivot assembly, the first swing arm passes through the clearance notch.

[0008] In this embodiment, the clearance notch can avoid obstructing the swing of the first swing arm when it folds outward.

[0009] In one possible implementation, the first arc-shaped groove has an inner groove surface and an outer groove surface facing each other radially, with a clearance notch extending through to the outer groove surface of the first arc-shaped groove to divide the outer groove surface of the first arc-shaped groove into two sub-groove surfaces spaced apart axially. The sliding tongue component includes an arc-shaped connecting plate and two sub-sliding tongues, the two sub-sliding tongues being spaced apart axially, and the arc-shaped connecting plate connecting the two sub-sliding tongues. One sub-sliding tongue is slidably fitted between the inner groove surface and one of the sub-groove surfaces, and the other sub-sliding tongue is slidably fitted between the inner groove surface and the other sub-groove surface. The arc-shaped connecting plate is slidably fitted against the inner groove surface.

[0010] In this embodiment, the sliding tongue has a reasonable structure and can reliably and stably form a rotational fit with the first arc-shaped groove of the middle beam around the virtual axis.

[0011] In one possible implementation, the axial section of the inner groove surface and / or the outer groove surface is stepped. The sub-slip tongue includes multiple slip tongue segments connected axially in a stepped shape.

[0012] In this embodiment, the sub-slip tongue and the first arc-shaped groove are stepped, which helps to improve the stability of the sub-slip tongue sliding within the first arc-shaped groove.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the central beam is further provided with a lateral arc-shaped groove, which is recessed from the axial end face of the first arc-shaped groove; the central beam has a first limiting boss located at one arc-shaped end of the lateral arc-shaped groove. The axial end face of the sliding tongue is convex outward along the axial direction to form a second limiting boss, which extends into the lateral arc-shaped groove, and the second limiting boss corresponds to the first limiting boss along the arc direction of the lateral arc-shaped groove.

[0014] In this embodiment, the first limiting boss and the second limiting boss can limit the rotation angle of the sliding tongue relative to the middle beam, and can prevent the sliding tongue from rotating out of the first arc-shaped groove of the middle beam.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the surfaces of two opposing sub-slips are respectively recessed with sub-grooves, and the two sub-grooves respectively form the axial ends of the second arc-shaped groove; the sub-slips have a third limiting boss located at one arc-shaped end of the second arc-shaped groove. The first swing arm has a slip portion near the center beam, and the axial ends of the slip portion are respectively provided with fourth limiting bosses. The slip portion is located between the two sub-slips, and the two fourth limiting bosses are slidably fitted into the sub-grooves on the two sub-slips, with the fourth limiting bosses corresponding to the third limiting bosses along the arc of the sub-grooves.

[0016] In this embodiment, the third limiting boss and the fourth limiting boss can limit the rotation angle of the first swing arm relative to the sliding tongue, and can prevent the first swing arm from rotating out of the second arc-shaped groove of the sliding tongue.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first limiting boss is located along the arc of the lateral arc-shaped slide groove near one end of the first swing arm. The third limiting boss is located along the arc of the lateral arc-shaped slide groove near one end of the first swing arm.

[0018] In this embodiment, the rotation of the first swing arm relative to the sliding tongue and the rotation of the sliding tongue relative to the middle beam can be connected in series, so that the rotation angle of the first swing arm relative to the middle beam can vary within a larger range, thereby providing the large-angle rotation required from inward folding to unfolding and then to outward folding.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the arc-shaped connecting plate is located radially inside the second arc-shaped slide groove, and two sub-slips are disconnected radially outside the second arc-shaped slide groove to define the clearance space. In the outward-folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the slips engage with the first arc-shaped slide groove, the clearance space communicates with the clearance notch, and the first swing arm passes through the clearance notch and the clearance space.

[0020] In this embodiment, the clearance space and clearance notch can be used to avoid the movement of the first swing arm when folding or unfolding.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the support mechanism further includes a first shaft. A first sleeve is provided at one end of the first swing arm near the connecting block. The connecting block has a first rotating seat portion. The first sleeve and the first rotating seat portion are coaxially hinged via the first shaft.

[0022] In this embodiment, the first shaft and the first rotating seat can achieve rotational engagement between the first swing arm and the connecting block.

[0023] In one possible implementation, the center beam has recessed holes on both sides, extending through the front and back sides of the center beam along its thickness. The center beam has second rotating seats located at both axial ends of the recessed holes. A second sleeve is provided at one end of the second swing arm near the center beam, fitting into the recessed holes, and the second sleeve and the two second rotating seats are coaxially hinged via second shaft members. In the outward-folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the second swing arm passes through the portion of the recessed hole near the back side of the center beam. In the inward-folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the second swing arm passes through the portion of the recessed hole near the front side of the center beam.

[0024] In this embodiment, the second shaft and the second rotating seat can realize the rotational engagement between the second swing arm and the middle beam, and by providing a recessed hole that penetrates the middle beam along the thickness direction, the activity space requirements of the second swing arm during inward folding, outward folding or unfolding can be ensured.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the connecting block is provided with a sliding groove, the extension direction of which is perpendicular to the length direction of the center beam. The second swing arm has a sliding plate at one end near the connecting block, the sliding plate being slidably engaged with the sliding groove.

[0026] In this embodiment, the sliding fit plate and the sliding fit groove can achieve a sliding fit between the second swing arm and the connecting block.

[0027] In one possible implementation, the movable support includes a first connecting portion, a second connecting portion, and a support plate, the length direction of which is parallel to the length direction of the center beam. One end of the first connecting portion is connected to the support plate, and the other end is rotatably connected to the first swing arm. One end of the second connecting portion is connected to the support plate, and the other end forms a planar high-pair fit with the second swing arm.

[0028] In this embodiment, the movable support is connected to the first swing arm and the second swing arm, and can move deterministically under the drive of the first swing arm and the second swing arm to ensure that the support plate reliably supports the folding screen in different states.

[0029] In one possible implementation, the first connecting part includes a connecting arm and an arc-shaped sliding tongue; one end of the connecting arm is fixedly connected to a support plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to the arc-shaped sliding tongue. The first arm has a third arc-shaped groove, and the arc-shaped sliding tongue can slidably engage with the third arc-shaped groove and can rotate relative to the first arm around the central axis of the third arc-shaped groove.

[0030] In this embodiment, the movable support can move during folding or unfolding, so that the support plate can maintain support for the folding screen in different states.

[0031] In one possible implementation, a connecting swing arm is connected to one end of a support plate, and a first swing arm and a second swing arm are respectively located on one side of the back of the support plate. A first recess is formed on the back of the connecting block. The first swing arm and the connecting swing arm are offset along the length of the connecting block and at least partially engage with the first recess. A second recess is formed on the bottom surface of the first recess near the connecting swing arm, and the connecting swing arm at least partially engages with the second recess. The first swing arm has a mating seat extending towards the connecting swing arm, and a third arc-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the mating seat facing the connecting swing arm. An arc-shaped tongue extends towards the first swing arm and slides into the third arc-shaped groove on the mating seat.

[0032] In this embodiment, the first swing arm and the connecting swing arm can make full use of the space in the thickness direction of the connecting block, which is beneficial for the thinning design of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0033] In one possible implementation, the bottom surface of the second groove, away from the side of the central beam, is recessed through the front surface of the connecting block to form a through hole. The mating seat block and the arc-shaped sliding tongue at least partially engage within the through hole.

[0034] This implementation can further utilize the thickness direction space of the connecting block to accommodate the mating seat block and the arc-shaped sliding tongue, which is beneficial for the thinning design of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0035] In one possible implementation, the first swing arm includes a sliding tongue, a first swing plate, a first sleeve, and a mating seat block. The sliding tongue and the first sleeve are respectively connected to both ends of the first swing plate. The first swing plate includes a transverse extension located at the end of the first swing plate near the first sleeve. The transverse extension extends and protrudes towards the side connecting the swing arm, and the mating seat block is connected to the protruding end of the transverse extension. The sliding tongue slidably engages with a second arc-shaped groove and is capable of rotating about the central axis of the second arc-shaped groove. The first sleeve is hinged to the connecting block via a first shaft member.

[0036] In this embodiment, each part of the first swing arm can easily cooperate with the sliding tongue, connecting block and movable support.

[0037] In one possible implementation, the second swing arm includes a second sleeve, a second swing plate, a sliding mating plate, and a third sleeve. The second sleeve and the sliding mating plate are respectively connected to both ends of the second swing plate, and the third sleeve is connected to the junction of the second swing plate and the sliding mating plate. The second sleeve is hinged to the central beam via a second shaft member. A sliding mating groove is provided in the connecting block, and the sliding mating plate is slidably inserted into the sliding mating groove. The second swing arm has a dividing groove that extends from one end of the sliding mating plate to one end of the second sleeve and to the second swing plate. The dividing groove cuts the sliding mating plate into two sub-sliding mating plates, cuts the third sleeve into two sub-sleeves, and cuts the portion of the second swing plate near the sliding mating plate into two sub-swing plates. A strip-shaped hole is provided in the second connecting portion, extending along an arc. A third shaft member is connected between the two sub-sleeves, and the third shaft member can movably pass through the strip-shaped hole. The third shaft member can move along the extension direction of the strip-shaped hole and can rotate relative to the second connecting portion. The second connecting part is connected to the support plate at one end, and can be movably fitted into the dividing groove at the other end.

[0038] In this embodiment, the second swing arm, connecting block and movable support are connected in a compact and reasonable manner, which is conducive to realizing the folding and unfolding function of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0039] In one possible implementation, the sliding groove is located at the middle position in the thickness direction of the connecting block, and the connecting block has a through cut that connects the back side of the connecting block and the sliding groove; in the length direction of the connecting block, the through cut is located at the middle position of the sliding groove. The bottom surface of the sliding groove away from the through cut is recessed to form a first clearance groove, and the bottom surface of the first clearance groove is recessed to form a second clearance groove; in the length direction of the connecting block, the sliding groove, the first clearance groove, and the second clearance groove form a three-stage stepped groove that gradually narrows. The support plate has a concave notch on the side near the connecting block, one end of the second connecting part is connected to the bottom surface of the concave notch, and the other end extends toward the connecting block and at least partially engages with the second clearance groove. The sliding plate is slidably engaged with the sliding groove, and the second swing plate protrudes relative to the sliding plate toward the back side of the connecting block and can move in and out of the through cut. The sub-sleeve includes a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section connected axially. The two first cylindrical sections are respectively sandwiched between the two sides of the second connecting portion. At least a portion of the first cylindrical section protrudes from the front of the sub-sliding plate and can movably enter and exit the first clearance groove. The portion of the second cylindrical section protruding from the front of the sub-sliding plate is cut off so that the second sleeve can movably enter and exit the sliding groove with the sliding plate. In the inward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the movable support member moves relative to the first swing arm until the third shaft member engages with the end of the strip hole near the support plate, and the two sub-sleeves respectively engage with the portions of the concave notch located on both sides of the second connecting portion. In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the movable support member moves relative to the first swing arm until the third shaft member engages with the end of the strip hole away from the support plate, and the first cylindrical section engages into the first clearance groove, while the second cylindrical section engages into the sliding groove.

[0040] In this embodiment, the second swing arm, connecting block and movable support are connected in a compact and reasonable manner, which is conducive to realizing the folding and unfolding function of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0041] In one possible implementation, the pivot assembly further includes a third shaft. The second connecting portion has a slotted hole that extends along an arc. The third shaft is connected to the second swing arm and is movably pass through the slotted hole, and is capable of moving along the extension direction of the slotted hole or rotating relative to the second connecting portion.

[0042] In this embodiment, the third shaft can reliably achieve a high-pair fit between the second swing arm and the second connecting part of the movable support.

[0043] In one possible implementation, as the pivot assembly changes from an unfolded state to an inwardly folded state, the support plate moves along the thickness direction from the front side near the connecting block to the back side near the connecting block.

[0044] In this embodiment, the support plate shifts along the thickness direction of the support block during rotation, which is beneficial for adapting to different states of support for the folding screen.

[0045] In one possible implementation, the length directions of the central beam, the connecting block, the support plate, the rotation axis of the second swing arm relative to the central beam, the central axis of the first arc-shaped slide, the rotation axis of the first swing arm relative to the connecting block, and the central axis of the movable support relative to the first swing arm are all parallel to each other. The central axis of the second arc-shaped slide coincides with the central axis of the first arc-shaped slide. The second swing arm and the first swing arm are spaced apart along the length direction of the central beam.

[0046] The hinge assembly of this embodiment has better folding and unfolding performance.

[0047] In one possible implementation, the central axis of the first arc-shaped slide groove coincides with the central axis of the second arc-shaped slide groove. The sum of the extension angles of the first and second arc-shaped slide grooves is greater than or equal to 180°, and the extension angle of the second arc-shaped slide groove is greater than or equal to 90°. The first arc-shaped slide groove is open at the end away from the connecting block along the arc, and a first limiting boss is provided at the end of the first arc-shaped slide groove that is close to the connecting block along the arc; the sliding tongue is provided with a second limiting boss; the second arc-shaped slide groove is open at the end away from the connecting block along the arc, and a third limiting boss is provided at the end of the second arc-shaped slide groove that is close to the connecting block along the arc; the first swing arm is provided with a fourth limiting boss. The rotating shaft assembly has an inward folded state, an unfolded state, and an outward folded state. In the inward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the sliding tongue slides in the first arc-shaped slide groove until the second limiting boss abuts against the first limiting boss along the arc, and the fourth limiting boss of the first swing arm slides in the second arc-shaped slide groove until the fourth limiting boss abuts against the third limiting boss along the arc. In the unfolded state of the pivot assembly, the sliding tongue is housed within the first arc-shaped groove, and the fourth limiting boss of the first swing arm slides within the second arc-shaped groove until it abuts against the third limiting boss along the arc direction. In the folded state of the pivot assembly, the sliding tongue is housed within the first arc-shaped groove, and the fourth limiting boss of the first swing arm is located at the end of the second arc-shaped groove that is away from the third limiting boss along the arc direction.

[0048] In this embodiment, the limitation of the extension angle of the first arc-shaped slide and the limitation of the extension angle of the second arc-shaped slide, as well as the position limitation of each limiting boss, can ensure that the rotating shaft assembly can be stably maintained in each state.

[0049] In one possible implementation, the center beam has opposing front and back sides, with the front side of the center beam being arc-shaped; the support plate has opposing front and back sides, with the front side of the support plate being arc-shaped; the connecting block has opposing front and back sides, with the front side of the connecting block being flat. The pivot assembly has an inward folded state, an unfolded state, and an outward folded state. In the unfolded state, the front sides of the center beam and the support plate are tangent to the plane containing the front side of the support plate, supporting the folding screen of the foldable device in the unfolded state. In the outward folded state, the front side of the support plate transitions between the front side of the support plate and the front side of the center beam, supporting the folding screen of the foldable device in the outward folded state. In the inward folded state, the connecting block is located on one side of the front side of the center beam, and the front sides of the two connecting blocks are close to each other, while the front side of the support plate is offset to a position close to the back side of the connecting block. The middle portion of the front side of the center beam, the front side of the support plate, and the front side of the connecting block together support the folding screen of the foldable device in a teardrop-shaped inward folded state.

[0050] In this embodiment, the connecting block and the support plate move to the appropriate position when folded or unfolded, which can achieve reliable support for the folding screen in different states.

[0051] In one possible implementation, the cross-section of the middle beam is a minor arc shape, the front of the middle beam is an arc surface, and the back of the middle beam is a flat surface; chamfers are provided at the intersection of the two sides of the front and back of the middle beam. In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, one side of the support plate fits into the chamfer; the front of the support plate is an arc surface, and the back of the support plate transitions between the front of the middle beam and the front of the connecting block.

[0052] In this embodiment, the chamfer of the middle beam is conducive to accommodating the support plate, and facilitates the arc transition between the front of the support plate and the front of the middle beam, resulting in a compact and reasonable structure.

[0053] In one possible implementation, there are at least two support mechanisms, located on opposite sides of the width of the central beam. The second swing arms of the two support mechanisms face each other along the width of the central beam. The sliding tongues of the two support mechanisms are offset along the length of the central beam, and the first swing arms of the two support mechanisms are also offset along the length of the central beam.

[0054] In this embodiment, the second swing arms on both sides facing each other can improve the structural rigidity of the rotating shaft assembly. The first swing arms on both sides being staggered can inevitably cause the first arc-shaped sliding grooves on both sides of the middle beam to face each other, thus excessively damaging the structural strength of the middle beam where the first arc-shaped sliding grooves are set.

[0055] In one possible implementation, the central beam, connecting block, and support plate are all continuous structures. Multiple sets of swing arm assemblies, consisting of first and second swing arms, are spaced apart along the length of the central beam and connected to the central beam and connecting block, respectively. The movable support includes a support plate, multiple first connecting parts, and multiple second connecting parts, each connected to the support plate. The multiple first connecting parts are respectively connected to multiple first swing arms, and the multiple second connecting parts are respectively connected to multiple second swing arms.

[0056] In this embodiment, the full-length central beam, connecting block, and support plate can provide better support for the foldable screen.

[0057] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a foldable device, which includes a first housing, a second housing, a folding screen, and the aforementioned pivot assembly. The first housing and the second housing are respectively connected to connecting blocks of support mechanisms on both sides of a central beam. The folding screen is stacked on top of the first housing, the pivot assembly, and the second housing.

[0058] The foldable device in this embodiment uses the aforementioned hinge assembly, which enables inward folding, outward folding, and unfolding use, resulting in high usability. Attached Figure Description

[0059] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings in the embodiments will be briefly described below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0060] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable device according to an embodiment of this application when it is in the unfolded state;

[0061] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the foldable device in its outward-folded state;

[0062] Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the foldable device in its inward-folded state;

[0063] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Exploded view of a foldable device;

[0064] Figure 5 This is a plan view of the pivot assembly in the unfolded state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0065] Figure 6 for Figure 5A magnified 3D view of point A of the rotating shaft assembly, with the front of the rotating shaft assembly facing upwards;

[0066] Figure 7 for Figure 5 A magnified 3D view of point A of the pivot assembly, with the back of the pivot assembly facing upwards;

[0067] Figure 8 for Figure 7 A plan view of the rear of the pivot assembly;

[0068] Figure 9 for Figure 7 An exploded view of the pivot assembly, with the support mechanism on one side of the central beam exploded out;

[0069] Figure 10 for Figure 6 A 3D view of the pivot assembly when it is folded inwards;

[0070] Figure 11 for Figure 10 A plan view of the pivot assembly;

[0071] Figure 12 for Figure 6 A 3D view of the pivot assembly folded outwards;

[0072] Figure 13 for Figure 12 A plan view of the pivot assembly;

[0073] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram illustrating how the hinge assembly of this application supports the foldable screen in different states.

[0074] Figure 15 A perspective view of some components of the rotating shaft assembly in its unfolded state;

[0075] Figure 16 for Figure 15 Expanded view;

[0076] Figure 17 for Figure 16 Another perspective view;

[0077] Figure 18 for Figure 17 Enlarged view of part of the image;

[0078] Figure 19 for Figure 11 Sectional view along line DD;

[0079] Figure 20 for Figure 8 Sectional view along line CC;

[0080] Figure 21 for Figure 13 Sectional view along line EE;

[0081] Figure 22 An exploded view of some components of the rotating shaft assembly in its unfolded state;

[0082] Figure 23 for Figure 11 Cross-sectional view along line GG;

[0083] Figure 24 for Figure 8 Sectional view along line FF;

[0084] Figure 25 for Figure 13 A cross-sectional view along line HH;

[0085] Figure 26 An exploded view of the rotating shaft assembly in its unfolded state;

[0086] Figure 27 This is an exploded view of the movable support member in an embodiment of this application;

[0087] Figure 28 This is a perspective view of the first swing arm in an embodiment of this application;

[0088] Figure 29 This is a perspective view of the second swing arm in an embodiment of this application;

[0089] Figure 30 This is an exploded view of the second swing arm and connecting block in an embodiment of this application;

[0090] Figure 31 This is an enlarged view of a portion of the rotating shaft assembly in its inward-folded state;

[0091] Figure 32 This is a plan view of a hinge assembly according to another embodiment of this application, with the hinge assembly in an unfolded state;

[0092] Figure 33 This is a plan view of a hinge assembly according to another embodiment of this application, with the hinge assembly in an unfolded state;

[0093] Figure 34 for Figure 33 Exploded view;

[0094] Figure 35 This is a cross-sectional view of a rotating shaft assembly according to another embodiment of this application;

[0095] Figure 36 This is a cross-sectional view of a rotating shaft assembly according to another embodiment of this application.

[0096] Explanation of key component symbols:

[0097] Foldable device 100 First rotating seat 51

[0098] Housing assembly 1 movable support 60

[0099] First housing 1a, first connecting part 61

[0100] The second housing 1b is connected to the swing arm 61a.

[0101] Rotary shaft assembly 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b

[0102] Foldable screen 2 combined with column 61c

[0103] Part 1 2a Second Connecting Part 62

[0104] Part 2b Support Plate 63

[0105] Foldable part 2c First shaft 71

[0106] Support mechanism 110 second shaft component 72

[0107] First swing arm 10, third shaft 73

[0108] Tongue 11 Synchronization Component 80

[0109] First swing plate 12 gear component 81

[0110] First sleeve 13, first arc-shaped groove C1

[0111] Matching the second arc-shaped slide groove C2 of seat block 14

[0112] Fourth limiting boss 15 sub-slide C21

[0113] Transverse extension section 16, third arc-shaped groove C3

[0114] Second swing arm 20 Lateral arc-shaped slide groove C4

[0115] Second sleeve 21 sliding groove C5

[0116] Second swing plate 22 first groove C61

[0117] Sub-swing plate 22a second groove C62

[0118] First plate segment 221 dividing groove C7

[0119] Second section 222, first clearance groove C81

[0120] Sliding plate 23 second clearance groove C82

[0121] Sub-sliding plate 23a chamfer C9

[0122] Third sleeve 24 groove C10

[0123] Sub-sleeve 24a avoids notch K1

[0124] First section 241, avoidance space K2

[0125] Second section, 242 recessed hole K3

[0126] Gear section 25 through hole K4

[0127] 30-slot hole K6 in the middle beam

[0128] First limiting boss 31 penetrates through cut K7

[0129] The second rotating seat 32 has a recessed notch K8

[0130] Adhesive material 33 joint hole K9

[0131] Inner groove surface P1 of slide tongue 40

[0132] Arc-shaped connecting plate 41 outer groove surface P2

[0133] Sub-sliding tongue 42 Sub-groove surface P21

[0134] Slippery tongue segment 43 width direction X

[0135] The length direction of the first sliding tongue segment 43a is Y.

[0136] The second sliding tongue segment 43b has a thickness direction Z.

[0137] Second limiting boss 44 First arrow A1

[0138] Third limiting boss 45 Second arrow A2

[0139] Connector block 50 Detailed Implementation

[0140] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0141] It should be noted that when a component is said to be "fixed to" another component, it can be directly on the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "connected to" another component, it can be directly connected to the other component or there may be an intervening component. When a component is said to be "set on" another component, it can be directly set on the other component or there may be an intervening component. The terms "vertical," "horizontal," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this document are for illustrative purposes only.

[0142] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. The term "or / and" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0143] Some embodiments of this application are described in detail. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0144] Example

[0145] This application provides a foldable device, which includes, but is not limited to, foldable electronic products such as mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, laptops, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal computers, multimedia players, smart screens, e-book readers, in-vehicle devices, or wearable devices. Wearable devices include, but are not limited to, smart bracelets, smartwatches, smart head-mounted displays, and smart glasses.

[0146] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable device 100 provided in the embodiment of this application when it is in the unfolded state; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the foldable device 100 in its outward-folded state. Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the structure of the foldable device 100 in its inward-folded state. Inward folding means that the foldable screen 2 of the foldable device 100 is folded inward in the folded state; outward folding means that the foldable screen 2 of the foldable device 100 is folded outward in the folded state. (Refer to...) Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, this embodiment uses a foldable mobile phone as an example to illustrate the foldable device 100.

[0147] For the foldable device 100, it can have different usage states in different usage scenarios. Figure 1 The foldable device 100 is shown in its unfolded state, at which time the foldable device 100 can realize a large screen display; Figure 2 The foldable device 100 is shown in the outward folding state. At this time, the area occupied by the foldable device 100 (referring to the area perpendicular to the thickness direction of the foldable device 100) is small, making it easy to carry. The folding screen 2 is located on the outside and can still be used to display information. Figure 3 The foldable device 100 is shown in the inward folded state. At this time, the area occupied by the foldable device 100 (referring to the area perpendicular to the thickness direction of the foldable device 100) is small, making it easy to carry, and the folding screen 2 is located on the inside and is well protected.

[0148] in addition, Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 3 The foldable device 100 shown is an electronic device capable of folding 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 (e.g., 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 The outward folding state shown or Figure 3 (The inward folding state is shown). In other embodiments, the foldable device 100 may also be an electronic device capable of folding more times (three or more times). In this case, the foldable device 100 may include a plurality of parts that are rotatably connected in sequence. Two adjacent parts may be relatively far apart to unfold to an unfolded state, and two adjacent parts may also be relatively close to each other to fold to a folded state.

[0149] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Exploded view of the foldable device 100. (Refer to...) Figure 4 As shown, the foldable device 100 includes a housing assembly 1 and a foldable screen 2. The foldable screen 2 is supported and connected to one side surface of the housing assembly 1. The side surface of the foldable screen 2 opposite to the housing assembly 1 is used to display information and / or provide an interactive interface for the user.

[0150] In this embodiment, the surface of the housing assembly 1 facing the folding screen 2 is defined as the front side 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 side of the housing assembly 1. For the sake of simplicity, the front and back sides of the various components of the housing assembly 1 described later will also adopt this definition.

[0151] In this embodiment, the foldable screen 2 may be, but is not limited to, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, a mini organic light-emitting diode (MLED) display, a micro organic light-emitting diode (MOLED) display, a micro organic light-emitting diode (MOLED) display, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display, etc.

[0152] The foldable screen 2 may include a first part 2a, a second part 2b, and a foldable part 2c, with the foldable part 2c connected between the first part 2a and the second part 2b. During use, the first part 2a and the second part 2b can remain stacked on the housing assembly 1, while the foldable part 2c can be bent and deformed to change the angle between the first part 2a and the second part 2b, so that the foldable screen 2 folds or unfolds with the movement of the housing assembly 1, thereby enabling the foldable device 100 to switch between a folded state and an unfolded state.

[0153] For example, in the foldable screen 2, at least the foldable portion 2c is made of a flexible material so that the foldable portion 2c can be bent. The first portion 2a and the second portion 2b can be made of flexible materials, or they can be made of rigid materials, or they can be made of a combination of rigid and flexible materials. This embodiment does not impose any limitations on this. In some embodiments, the foldable screen 2 is a single component made of the same material, and the first portion 2a, the foldable portion 2c, and the second portion 2b are components of this single component.

[0154] Driven by the housing assembly 1, the foldable screen 2 can switch between an unfolded state and a folded state (including an inward folding state or an outward folding state). Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, when the foldable screen 2 is in the unfolded state, the first part 2a and the second part 2b are unfolded in a relatively far apart manner, while the foldable part 2c is unfolded without being bent. The first part 2a, the second part 2b, and the foldable part 2c all face the same direction and are coplanar. At this time, the angle between the first part 2a and the second part 2b of the foldable screen 2 is 180°. The foldable screen 2 can achieve a large-screen display, providing users with richer information and a better user experience.

[0155] It should be noted that the angles illustrated in this embodiment are allowed to have slight deviations. For example, Figure 1 The included angle shown is 180°, which can be 180° or approximately 180°, such as 170°, 175°, 185°, or 190°. The angles illustrated in the following text can be understood in the same way.

[0156] See also Figure 2 and Figure 4 When the foldable screen 2 is in the outward folded state, the housing assembly 1 is located between the first part 2a and the second part 2b. The first part 2a and the second part 2b are stacked relative to each other and exposed on the outer surface of the housing assembly 1, while the foldable part 2c is in a bent state. At this time, the included angle between the first part 2a and the second part 2b of the foldable screen 2 is 360°, and the foldable device 100 occupies a small area, making it easy to carry and store. Furthermore, the foldable screen 2 is visible to the user and can display information on both sides. For example, the first part 2a can display information facing the holder of the foldable device 100, while the second part 2b can display information facing another viewer.

[0157] See also Figure 3 and Figure 4 When the foldable screen 2 is in the inward folding state, the first part 2a and the second part 2b are stacked relative to each other and sandwiched inside by the housing assembly 1, while the foldable part 2c is in another bending state (such as a teardrop-shaped bend, a U-shaped bend, etc.). At this time, the included angle between the first part 2a and the second part 2b of the foldable screen 2 is 0°, the foldable device 100 occupies a small area, making it easy to carry and store, and the foldable screen 2 is protected by the housing assembly 1 and is not easily damaged.

[0158] In some embodiments, the foldable device 100 can hover at an angle between an unfolded state and a folded state (including an inward folded state or an outward folded state). For example, the hovering angle of the foldable device 100 can be 90°, 120°, 135°, 150°, 210°, 225°, 240°, 270°, 300°, 315°, 330°, etc. The housing assembly 1 can be suspended in a state between the folded and unfolded states by relying on the damping force provided by the housing assembly 1, and the foldable screen 2 remains in that state along with the housing assembly 1. At this time, the foldable portion 2c of the foldable screen 2 is also in a bent state, and the degree of bending of the foldable portion 2c is less than the degree of bending when it is in the folded state.

[0159] The housing assembly 1 supports and mounts the foldable screen 2, and drives the foldable screen 2 to switch between a folded state and an unfolded state. (See reference...) Figure 4 As shown, the housing assembly 1 includes a first housing 1a, a second housing 1b, and a rotating shaft assembly 1c. The rotating shaft assembly 1c is connected between the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b. The first housing 1a and the second housing 1b are rotatably connected through the rotating shaft assembly 1c, thereby realizing relative rotation between the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b.

[0160] The first housing 1a supports and connects to the first part 2a of the foldable screen 2, the second housing 1b supports and connects to the second part 2b of the foldable screen 2, and the pivot assembly 1c corresponds to the foldable part 2c of the foldable screen 2. When the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b rotate relative to each other via the pivot assembly 1c, the first part 2a and the second part 2b of the foldable screen 2 change their orientation accordingly, and the foldable part 2c of the foldable screen 2 bends or flattens as the orientation of the first part 2a and the second part 2b changes.

[0161] For example, the first housing 1a may have a support surface facing the first portion 2a of the folding screen 2, the first portion 2a of the folding screen 2 being attached (e.g., bonded) to the support surface of the first housing 1a. Similarly, the second housing 1b may have a support surface facing the second portion 2b of the folding screen 2, the second portion 2b of the folding screen 2 being attached (e.g., bonded) to the support surface of the second housing 1b.

[0162] In addition, both the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b can have a receiving space for installing some functional components (not shown in the figure) of the foldable device 100, such as circuit boards, batteries, camera modules, microphones, speakers, etc. For example, circuit boards can be provided in both the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b, and electrical connections between the functional components in the two housings can be realized through the circuit boards in the two housings; the battery for powering the functional components can be provided only in the first housing 1a or the second housing 1b, or the battery can be provided in both the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b; other components such as camera modules, microphones, speakers, etc. can be centrally located in the first housing 1a or the second housing 1b, or some can be located in the first housing 1a and others in the second housing 1b.

[0163] Both the first housing 1a and the second housing 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 aforementioned support surface. The folding screen 2 can be attached to this side surface of the middle frame. The back cover is connected to the side of the middle frame away from the folding screen 2. The middle frame and the back cover together enclose a receiving space for installing functional devices.

[0164] In some embodiments of this example, the housing assembly 1 of the foldable device 100 can be folded or unfolded synchronously on both sides. That is, when the first housing 1a rotates relative to the pivot assembly 1c under force, this rotation can be transmitted to the second housing 1b, causing the second housing 1b to also rotate relative to the pivot assembly 1c. This synchronization can be complete synchronization, meaning the rotation of the first housing 1a relative to the pivot assembly 1c can be instantaneously transmitted to the second housing 1b, making the movement of the second housing 1b completely synchronized with the first housing 1a. Alternatively, this synchronization can be a synchronization with a certain error, meaning the movement of the second housing 1b can be slightly slower than that of the first housing 1a (e.g., lags by 5-10°). Similarly, the rotation of the second housing 1b can also be transmitted to the first housing 1a, thereby causing the first housing 1a to rotate synchronously.

[0165] It should be noted that, Figures 1-4 The foldable device shown is a schematic diagram with simplified structural and / or appearance details, and does not represent the actual appearance or structure.

[0166] Almost all known foldable devices 100 can only achieve one folding form (such as only inward folding or only outward folding), which limits the availability of foldable devices 100, partly due to the structural limitations of known hinge assembly 1c.

[0167] In view of this, this embodiment provides a pivot assembly 1c, which can realize two folding forms: outward folding and inward folding. This enables the foldable device 100 using the pivot assembly 1c to have usage states such as inward folding state, unfolded state, and outward folding state, and has high usability. The following will describe it by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0168] For ease of description, the front of the hinge assembly 1c is defined as the hinge assembly 1c used to support the foldable screen 2 (which can be seen in...). Figure 4 On one side of the hinge assembly 1c, the back side is the side of the hinge assembly 1c that faces away from the folding screen 2. Correspondingly, the front of each component of the hinge assembly 1c (such as the middle beam 30, connecting block 50, movable support member 60, etc., as described below) is the same side surface as the front of the hinge assembly 1c, and the back of each component of the hinge assembly 1c (such as the middle beam 30, connecting block 50, movable support member 60, etc., as described below) is the same side surface as the back of the hinge assembly 1c.

[0169] Figure 5 A rotating shaft assembly 1c according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 5 In the case of the hinge assembly 1c being in the unfolded state, the hinge assembly 1c is able to support the foldable device 100 in the unfolded state.

[0170] See Figure 5 The pivot assembly 1c includes a central beam 30 and multiple support mechanisms 110, which are distributed on both sides of the central beam 30. For example... Figure 5 As shown in the figure, there are four support mechanisms 110. Two of the support mechanisms 110 are respectively located on both sides of one end of the middle beam 30 in the length direction Y, and the other two support mechanisms 110 are distributed on both sides of the other end of the middle beam 30 in the length direction Y.

[0171] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A perspective view of point A of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, with the rotating shaft assembly 1c in an unfolded state and facing upwards; Figure 7 for Figure 6 Another perspective view shows the back of the pivot assembly 1c facing upwards; Figure 8 for Figure 7 A plan view of the pivot assembly 1c; Figure 9 for Figure 7 Exploded view. Figure 10 A perspective view of the pivot assembly 1c in the inward folded state; Figure 11 for Figure 10 A plan view of the pivot assembly 1c; Figure 12 A perspective view of the rotating shaft assembly 1c in the outward folded state; Figure 13 for Figure 12 A plan view of the pivot assembly 1c.

[0172] Figure 14 This diagram illustrates the interaction between the hinge assembly 1c and the foldable screen 2 in the unfolded, outward-folded, and inward-folded states. The hinge assembly 1c and the foldable screen 2 in the unfolded state are represented by solid lines, while the hinge assembly 1c and the foldable screen 2 in the outward-folded and inward-folded states are represented by dashed lines, respectively.

[0173] See also Figure 9 In this embodiment, the pivot assembly 1c has a generally strip-shaped central beam 30. First arc-shaped grooves C1 are respectively provided on both sides of the central beam 30 in the width direction X, to respectively cooperate with the support mechanisms 110 on both sides. The first arc-shaped grooves C1 on both sides are offset along the length direction Y of the central beam 30.

[0174] When assembled into the foldable device 100, the length direction Y of the center beam 30 is parallel to the length direction of the foldable device 100, wherein the length direction of the foldable device 100 is parallel to the extension direction of the crease of the foldable screen 2. The width direction X of the center beam 30 is parallel to the width direction of the foldable device 100, wherein the width direction of the foldable device 100 refers to the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the crease of the foldable screen 2 and parallel to the surface of the foldable screen 2 in its unfolded state. The thickness direction Z of the center beam 30 is parallel to the thickness direction of the foldable device 100.

[0175] Each of the support mechanisms 110 located on both sides of the width direction X of the central beam 30 includes a first swing arm 10, a second swing arm 20, a sliding tongue 40, a connecting block 50, and a movable support 60.

[0176] The second swing arm 20 has one end rotatably connected to the middle beam 30 and the other end slidably connected to the connecting block 50. A sliding tongue 40 is slidably fitted into the first arc-shaped groove C1 of the middle beam 30 and can rotate around the central axis of the first arc-shaped groove C1. The sliding tongue 40 has a second arc-shaped groove C2. One end of the first swing arm 10 is slidably fitted into the second arc-shaped groove C2 and can rotate around the central axis of the second arc-shaped groove C2; ​​the other end of the first swing arm 10 is rotatably connected to the connecting block 50. A movable support 60 is movably connected to the first swing arm 10 and the second swing arm 20. The movable support 60 includes a support plate 63 located between the middle beam 30 and the connecting block 50.

[0177] In this embodiment, the central axis of the first arc-shaped slide C1 and the central axis of the second arc-shaped slide C2 coincide. The movable support 60 and the second swing arm 20 form a planar high pair with a degree of freedom of 2, and the movable support 60 and the first swing arm 10 form a low pair (such as a revolute pair) with a degree of freedom of 1. According to the formula for calculating the degree of freedom of a motion mechanism, the pivot assembly 1c has a degree of freedom of 1, and the movable block, movable support 60, and other movable components all have a single degree of freedom. Thus, in the inward folded state, the unfolded state, and the outward folded state, the movable support 60 and the connecting block 50 can be supported in a certain position of the folded screen 2, ensuring that the folded screen 2 is supported to the corresponding shape (such as the teardrop shape when folded inward).

[0178] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft assembly 1c, through two stages of rotation—the rotation of the sliding tongue 40 relative to the central beam 30 and the rotation of the first swing arm 10 relative to the sliding tongue 40—allows the first swing arm 10 to rotate inward or outward relative to the central beam 30. Furthermore, the movable support member 60 is movably connected to the first swing arm 10 and the second swing arm 20, allowing the connecting block 50 and the support plate 63 of the movable support member 60 to flip inward or outward with the first swing arm 10 and the second swing arm 20. Depending on the flip angle, the foldable screen 2 of the foldable device 100 can be supported in an unfolded state (as can be seen in…). Figure 14 and Figure 7 ), inward fold (see) Figure 14 and Figure 10 ) or outward fold (see Figure 14 and Figure 12 ).

[0179] Therefore, the pivot assembly 1c in this embodiment has two folding forms: inward folding and outward folding. This allows the foldable device 100 using the pivot assembly 1c to be used in outward folding, unfolded, or inward folding, resulting in high usability.

[0180] To ensure that the sliding tongue 40 can be positioned in the first arc-shaped groove C1 according to... Figure 14 The illustrated form of movement, exemplarily, allows for a tighter fit between the first arcuate groove C1 of the sliding tongue 40, such that the static friction between the sliding tongue 40 and the first arcuate groove C1 is greater than the static friction between the first swing arm 10 and the second arcuate groove C2. Thus, during folding or unfolding, the sliding of the sliding tongue 40 along the first arcuate groove C1 follows the sliding of the first swing arm 10 along the second arcuate groove C2. In other embodiments, the same function can also be achieved by providing an additional locking structure.

[0181] Optionally, in this embodiment, the first swing arms 10 of the support mechanisms 110 on both sides of the middle beam 30 are offset along the length direction Y of the middle beam 30 and respectively fit into the first arc-shaped sliding grooves C1 on both sides of the width direction X of the middle beam 30. The second swing arms 20 of the support mechanisms 110 on both sides of the middle beam 30 are aligned along the width direction X of the middle beam 30 to ensure the structural rigidity of the rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0182] See Figure 9 In this embodiment, optionally, the support mechanism 110 further includes a first shaft 71. A first sleeve 13 is provided at one end of the first swing arm 10 near the connecting block 50, and the connecting block 50 is provided with a first rotating seat 51. The first sleeve 13 and the first rotating seat 51 are coaxially hinged through the first shaft 71, thus achieving a relative rotational connection between the first swing arm 10 and the connecting block 50. Optionally, the first shaft 71 is a cylindrical shaft.

[0183] Of course, in other embodiments, the first swing arm 10 and the connecting block 50 can also be rotatably connected in other ways, such as by swapping the positions of the first sleeve 13 and the first rotating seat 51, or by canceling the individual component first shaft 71 and replacing one of the first sleeve 13 and the first rotating seat 51 with a shaft-shaped protrusion that rotatably engages with the other of the first sleeve 13 and the first rotating seat 51.

[0184] See you again Figure 14 When assembled into the foldable device 100, the connecting blocks 50 on both sides of the pivot assembly 1c are respectively connected to the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b, so that the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b can move together with the connecting blocks 50. The first housing 1a can be fastened to the corresponding connecting block 50 on the same side by screws through its inner frame (not shown in the figure), and the second housing 1b can be fastened to the corresponding connecting block 50 on the same side by screws through its inner frame (not shown in the figure).

[0185] The front surfaces of the first housing 1a, the second housing 1b, and the connecting block 50 are planar or substantially planar. The cross-section of the middle beam 30 (referring to the section perpendicular to its length direction Y) is a minor arc shape. The front surface of the middle beam 30 is an arc surface, and the back surface of the middle beam 30 is a planar surface. Chamfers C9 are provided at the intersection of the front and back surfaces of the middle beam 30 (also visible in...). Figure 21 The front of the support plate 63 is curved (e.g., circular or elliptical). The folding screen 2 is attached and fixed to the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b (e.g., glued). The folding screen 2 and the connecting block 50 can also be attached and fixed to each other (e.g., glued). The folding screen 2 and the support plate 63 are not fixed to each other to allow for relative movement. The tangential points of the folding screen 2 and the central beam 30 in the unfolded state do not need to be glued together.

[0186] In the unfolded state, the connecting blocks 50 on both sides are relatively flattened, and the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b unfold to 180°. The central beam 30, the support plate 63, the connecting blocks 50, the first shell 1a, and the second shell 1b all support the folding screen 2 with their front sides to support the folding screen 2 in the flattened state. Among them, the front sides of the support plate 63 and the central beam 30 are tangent to the folding screen 2 and in line contact.

[0187] When the pivot assembly 1c is folded 180° from its unfolded state in the direction of the first arrow A1, the foldable device 100 changes to an inward folded state.

[0188] In the inward-folded state, the connecting blocks 50 on both sides are folded to a 0° angle, and the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b are also folded to a 0° angle. The central beam 30, support plate 63, connecting blocks 50, first shell 1a, and second shell 1b all support the folding screen 2 with their front sides to support the folding screen 2 in the inward-folded state. The front sides of the support plate 63 and the central beam 30 are tangent to the folding screen 2 and in line contact. The front side of the support plate 63 is offset relative to the front side of the connecting block 50 towards the back side of the connecting block 50, thus supporting the foldable portion 2c of the folding screen 2 in a teardrop shape. Of course, in other embodiments, the foldable portion 2c can also be adjusted to other shapes (such as U-shape or baseball bat shape) by increasing the distance between the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b and the distance between the connecting blocks 50 on both sides.

[0189] By folding the pivot assembly 1c 180° from its unfolded state in the direction of the second arrow A2, the foldable device 100 changes to an outward-folded state.

[0190] In the outward-folded state, the connecting blocks 50 on both sides fold to a 360° angle, and the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b also fold to a 360° angle. The central beam 30, support plate 63, connecting block 50, first shell 1a, and second shell 1b all support the folding screen 2 with their front sides to support the folding screen 2 in the outward-folded state. The front sides of the central beam 30 and the two support plates 63 are in contact with the foldable portion 2c of the folding screen 2. One side of the support plate 63 fits into the chamfer C9 of the central beam 30, and the arc transition of the front side of the support plate 63 is between the front side of the central beam 30 and the front side of the connecting block 50, thus supporting the foldable portion 2c of the folding screen 2 in a semi-circular shape. The chamfer C9 of the central beam 30 facilitates the placement of the support plate 63 and the arc transition between the front side of the support plate 63 and the front side of the central beam 30, resulting in a compact and reasonable structure.

[0191] The specific connection relationships of the components of the rotating shaft assembly 1c are illustrated below.

[0192] Figure 15 This is a perspective view of the center beam 30, sliding tongue 40, and first swing arm 10 of the rotating shaft assembly 1c in its unfolded state. Figure 16 for Figure 15 Expanded view, Figure 17 for Figure 16 Another perspective view; Figure 18 for Figure 17 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0193] The connection relationship between the middle beam 30 and the sliding tongue 40 is illustrated below.

[0194] See Figures 15 to 17 The sliding tongue 40 is slidably fitted in the first arc-shaped groove C1 of the middle beam 30 and can rotate about the central axis of the first arc-shaped groove C1. The first arc-shaped groove C1 extends along an arc, and its central axis is the central axis of the circle in which the arc is located. In this embodiment, the central axis of the first arc-shaped groove C1 is a virtual axis located on the outer side of the front of the middle beam 30, that is, the sliding tongue 40 and the first arc-shaped groove C1 of the middle beam 30 form a rotational fit pair about the virtual axis.

[0195] In this embodiment, the two ends of the arc-shaped groove C1 respectively penetrate the front of the middle beam 30 (mainly seen in...). Figure 17 Specifically, the first arc-shaped groove C1 has one end located near the side of the middle beam 30 in the width direction X, and the other end located in the middle of the front side of the middle beam 30 in the width direction X. The middle beam 30 has a clearance notch K1, which extends along the thickness direction Z of the middle beam 30 and connects the first arc-shaped groove C1 and the back side of the middle beam 30. The clearance notch K1 prevents obstruction of the swinging motion of the first swing arm 10 when it folds outward.

[0196] The first arc-shaped groove C1 has inner groove surfaces P1 facing each other radially (referring to the direction along the diameter of the circle containing the first arc-shaped groove C1). Figure 20 ) and outer groove surface P2 (also visible in Figure 20 The notch K1 extends to the outer groove surface P2 of the first arc-shaped groove C1, so as to divide the outer groove surface P2 of the first arc-shaped groove C1 into two sub-groove surfaces P21 spaced apart along the axial direction.

[0197] See also Figure 18The sliding tongue component 40 includes an arc-shaped connecting plate 41 and two sub-sliding tongues 42. The two sub-sliding tongues 42 are spaced apart along the axial direction (parallel to the length direction Y of the middle beam 30), and the arc-shaped connecting plate 41 connects the two sub-sliding tongues 42. One sub-sliding tongue 42 is slidably fitted between the inner groove surface P1 and one of the sub-groove surfaces P21, and the other sub-sliding tongue 42 is slidably fitted between the inner groove surface P1 and the other sub-groove surface P21. The arc-shaped connecting plate 41 is slidably attached to the inner groove surface P1, and the arc-shaped connecting plate 41 is located radially inside the second arc-shaped slide groove C2. The two sub-sliding tongues 42 are disconnected at the radially outside of the second arc-shaped slide groove C2 to define a clearance space K2. The clearance space K2 connects to the clearance notch K1 and is used to avoid the first swing arm 10 in the outward folded state.

[0198] Optionally, the axial section (referring to the section passing through the rotation axis of the sliding tongue 40) of the inner groove surface P1 and / or the outer groove surface P2 is stepped, that is, the inner groove surface P1 and / or the outer groove surface P2 have two or more parts connected axially, and these parts have different radial dimensions. Correspondingly, the sub-sliding tongue 42 includes multiple sliding tongue segments 43 connected axially in a stepped shape to adapt to the inner groove surface P1 and the outer groove surface P2. Figure 18 As shown, each sub-slipper 42 includes two slipper segments 43 (defined as the first slipper segment 43a and the second slipper segment 43b, respectively). The outer diameter of the second slipper segment 43b is smaller than the outer diameter of the first slipper segment 43a, and the inner diameter of the second slipper segment 43b is larger than the inner diameter of the first slipper segment 43a. That is, the radial width of the second slipper segment 43b relative to the first slipper segment 43a is narrower, so that the second slipper segment 43b and the first slipper segment 43a are connected to form a stepped sub-slipper 42. The inner groove surface P1 and the outer groove surface P2 of the first arc-shaped groove C1 are stepped to fit the sub-slipper 42. In this way, the sub-slipper 42 and the first arc-shaped groove C1 are stepped, which helps to improve the stability of the sub-slipper 42 sliding within the first arc-shaped groove C1.

[0199] See also Figure 17 and Figure 18 In this embodiment, the middle beam 30 is also provided with a lateral arc-shaped groove C4. The lateral arc-shaped groove C4 is formed concavely from the axial end face of the first arc-shaped groove C1. That is, the lateral arc-shaped groove C4 can be obtained by extending the groove segment of the first arc-shaped groove C1 that is used to cooperate with the second sliding tongue segment 43b in an axial concave direction. The radial width of the lateral arc-shaped groove C4 can be set as shown in the figure, which is equal to the radial width of the groove segment of the first arc-shaped groove C1 that is used to cooperate with the second sliding tongue segment 43b. The middle beam 30 has a first limiting boss 31 located at one arc-shaped end of the lateral arc-shaped groove C4. The axial end face of the sliding tongue 40 is formed with a second limiting boss 44 that protrudes outward in an axial direction. The second limiting boss 44 extends into the lateral arc-shaped groove C4, and the second limiting boss 44 corresponds to the first limiting boss 31 in the arc direction of the lateral arc-shaped groove C4.

[0200] The first limiting boss 31 provides a lateral arc-shaped groove C4 that is closed at one end and open at the other. This facilitates the second limiting boss 44 of the sliding tongue 40 to be fitted into the lateral arc-shaped groove C4 from the open end. Furthermore, the arc-shaped limiting of the first limiting boss 31 and the second limiting boss 44 helps to limit the rotation angle of the sliding tongue 40 relative to the middle beam 30 and prevents the sliding tongue 40 from rotating out of the first arc-shaped groove C1 of the middle beam 30, thus ensuring the reliability of the connection.

[0201] The connection relationship between the first swing arm 10 and the sliding tongue 40 is illustrated below.

[0202] See also Figure 17 and Figure 18 Two sub-slips 42 have facing surfaces with recessed sub-grooves C21, which respectively form the axial ends of the second arc-shaped groove C2. Each sub-slip 42 has a third limiting boss 45 located at one arc-shaped end of the second arc-shaped groove C2. The first swing arm 10 has a slip portion 11 near the center beam 30, with fourth limiting bosses 15 protruding from both axial ends of the slip portion 11. The slip portion 11 can be an arc-shaped plate structure adapted to the second arc-shaped groove C2, and its radial width can be equal to or slightly smaller than the radial width of the second arc-shaped groove C2. The slip portion 11 is located between the two sub-slips 42 (also visible in...). Figure 10 The two fourth limiting protrusions 15 are slidably fitted into the sub-slide grooves C21 on the two sub-slide tongues 42, and the fourth limiting protrusions 15 and the third limiting protrusions 45 correspond to each other along the arc of the sub-slide grooves C21.

[0203] With the third limiting boss 45, the sub-slide C21 of the second arc-shaped slide C2 is closed at one end and open at the other end. This facilitates the fourth limiting boss 15 of the first swing arm 10 to be assembled into the sub-slide C21 from the open end. It also facilitates the limiting of the rotation angle of the first swing arm 10 relative to the sliding tongue 40 by the arc-shaped limiting of the third limiting boss 45 and the fourth limiting boss 15, and prevents the first swing arm 10 from rotating out of the second arc-shaped slide C2 and disengaging from the sliding tongue 40, thus ensuring the reliability of the connection.

[0204] In this embodiment, the central axis of the first arc-shaped slide groove C1 coincides with the central axis of the second arc-shaped slide groove C2. The first limiting boss 31 is located along the arc direction of the lateral arc-shaped slide groove C4 near one end of the first swing arm 10, and the third limiting boss 45 is located along the arc direction of the lateral arc-shaped slide groove C4 near one end of the first swing arm 10. This allows the rotation of the first swing arm 10 relative to the sliding tongue 40 and the rotation of the sliding tongue 40 relative to the central beam 30 to be connected in series, enabling the rotation angle of the first swing arm 10 relative to the central beam 30 to vary within a wider range, thereby providing the large-angle rotation required from inward folding to unfolding and then outward folding.

[0205] In some embodiments, the sum of the extension angles of the first arc-shaped groove C1 and the second arc-shaped groove C2 is greater than or equal to 180°, and the extension angle of the second arc-shaped groove C2 is greater than or equal to 90°. For example, the extension angles of both the first arc-shaped groove C1 and the second arc-shaped groove C2 are 90°.

[0206] Of course, the extension angle of the first arc-shaped slide C1 or the extension angle of the second arc-shaped slide C2 can also be set to less than 90°, as long as the rotation angle of the connecting block 50 can meet the support of the folding screen 2 in different folding states.

[0207] Figure 19 for Figure 11 Sectional view along line DD, Figure 20 for Figure 8 Sectional view along line CC, Figure 21 for Figure 13 A cross-sectional view along line EE.

[0208] See Figure 19 (combination) Figure 18 In the inward-folded state of the pivot assembly 1c, one end of the sliding tongue 40 slides out from the first arc-shaped slide groove C1, and the sliding tongue 40 slides relative to the first arc-shaped slide groove C1 to the position where the second limiting boss abuts against the first limiting boss 31 along the arc direction. The fourth limiting boss 15 of the first swing arm 10 slides in the second arc-shaped slide groove C2 to the position where the fourth limiting boss 15 abuts against the third limiting boss 45 along the arc direction. The first swing arm 10 and the connecting block 50 connected to it are located on one side of the front of the central beam 30 to support the folding screen 2 in the inward-folded state.

[0209] See Figure 20 (combination) Figure 18 In the unfolded state of the pivot assembly 1c, the sliding tongue 40 is housed within the first arc-shaped slide groove C1 without sliding out of it. The fourth limiting boss 15 of the first swing arm 10 slides in the second arc-shaped slide groove C2 until it abuts against the third limiting boss 45 along the arc direction. The first swing arm 10, the connecting block 50, and the middle beam 30 are flattened along the width direction X of the middle beam 30 to support the folding screen 2 in the unfolded state.

[0210] See Figure 21 (combination) Figure 18 In the outward-folded state of the pivot assembly 1c, the sliding tongue 40 is housed within the first arc-shaped groove C1 without sliding out of it. The fourth limiting boss 15 of the first swing arm 10 is located in the second arc-shaped groove C2 at one end away from the third limiting boss 45 (i.e., the open end). The first swing arm 10 and the connecting block 50 connected to it are located on the back side of the central beam 30 to support the folding screen 2 in the outward-folded state.

[0211] In the outward folded state of the pivot assembly 1c (see...) Figure 21 and Figure 16 The sliding tongue 40 is fitted into the first arc-shaped groove C1. The clearance space K2 of the sliding tongue 40 and the clearance notch K1 of the middle beam 30 correspond to and connect along the thickness direction Z of the middle beam 30. The portion of the first swing arm 10 away from its sliding tongue 11 passes through the clearance space K2 and the clearance notch K1 and connects to the connecting block 50. "Passing through" here means that the first swing arm 10 passes through the clearance space K2 and the clearance notch K1 along the thickness direction Z of the middle beam 30. That is, by opening the clearance notch K1 and the clearance space K2, it can be used to accommodate the portion between the two ends of the first swing arm 10 in the outward-folded state of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, avoiding restriction of the rotation of the first swing arm 10.

[0212] See Figure 22 In this embodiment, recessed holes K3 are respectively provided on both sides of the width direction X of the middle beam 30. The recessed holes K3 penetrate the front and back of the middle beam 30 along the thickness direction Z. The middle beam 30 has second rotating seat portions 32 located at both axial ends of the recessed holes K3. A second sleeve 21 is provided at one end of the second swing arm 20 near the middle beam 30. The second sleeve 21 fits into the recessed holes K3, and the second sleeve 21 and the two second rotating seat portions 32 are coaxially hinged through a second shaft member 72. This achieves the rotational connection between the second swing arm 20 and the middle beam 30. Of course, in other embodiments, the rotational connection between the second swing arm 20 and the middle beam 30 can also adopt other suitable structures, which are not limited here.

[0213] See also Figure 22 In this embodiment, the connecting block 50 is provided with a sliding fit groove C5, and the extension direction of the sliding fit groove C5 is perpendicular to the length direction Y of the middle beam 30. The second swing arm 20 is provided with a sliding fit plate 23 at one end near the connecting block 50, and the sliding fit plate 23 is slidably fitted into the sliding fit groove C5.

[0214] Figure 23 for Figure 11 A cross-sectional view along line GG. Figure 24 for Figure 8 Sectional view along line FF, Figure 25 for Figure 13 A cross-sectional view along line HH.

[0215] See Figure 23With the rotating shaft assembly 1c in its inward-folded state, the second swing arm 20 and the connecting block 50 rotate relative to the center beam 30 to the front side of the center beam 30, and the second swing arm 20 passes through the portion of the recessed hole K3 near the front of the center beam 30. The sliding mating plate 23 of the second swing arm 20 slides relative to the connecting block 50 to one end of the sliding mating groove C5 near the center beam 30, and the connecting block 50 is in a position relatively far away from the center beam 30.

[0216] See Figure 24 With the rotating shaft assembly 1c in its unfolded state, the second swing arm 20 and the connecting block 50 rotate relative to the center beam 30 to the side of the center beam 30 in the width direction X. The sliding fit plate 23 of the second swing arm 20 is located in the middle position of the sliding fit groove C5.

[0217] See Figure 25 With the rotating shaft assembly 1c in its outward-folded state, the second swing arm 20 and the connecting block 50 rotate relative to the center beam 30 to the back side of the center beam 30, and the second swing arm 20 passes through the portion of the recessed hole K3 near the back side of the center beam 30. The sliding mating plate 23 of the second swing arm 20 slides relative to the connecting block 50 to the end of the sliding mating groove C5 away from the center beam 30, and the connecting block 50 is positioned closer to the center beam 30.

[0218] By sliding the connecting block 50 relative to the sliding mating plate 23 of the second swing arm 20, the folding screen 2 can maintain a constant length in the inward folding, unfolded, and outward folding states, avoiding damage from stretching or bulging during folding. The sliding distance of the connecting block 50 relative to the sliding mating plate 23 of the second swing arm 20 can be determined and designed according to the shape and bending dimensions (such as bending radius) requirements of the folding screen 2 in the inward folding, flattened, and outward folding states.

[0219] The following is an exemplary description of the movable support 60 in this embodiment and its cooperation with other components of the rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0220] See Figure 26 and Figure 27 In this embodiment, the movable support 60 includes a first connecting portion 61, a second connecting portion 62, and the aforementioned support plate 63. The length direction of the support plate 63 is parallel to the length direction Y of the central beam 30.

[0221] The first connecting part 61 is connected at one end to the support plate 63 and rotatably connected to the first swing arm 10 at the other end. The second connecting part 62 is connected at one end to the support plate 63 and forms a planar high pair with the second swing arm 20 at the other end.

[0222] The first connecting part 61 includes a connecting arm 61a and an arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b. One end of the connecting arm 61a is fixedly connected to the support plate 63, and the other end is fixedly connected to the arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b.

[0223] See also Figure 26 and Figure 27 In this embodiment, the second connecting part 62 and the support plate 63 are integrally formed. The first connecting part 61 is formed separately and then formed onto the support plate 63 by means of metal powder injection molding (MIM) to form an integral movable support 60. For example, the support plate 63 is provided with two connecting holes K9, and the first connecting part 61 is provided with two connecting posts 61c. In the connected state of the movable support 60, the connecting posts 61c are connected to the connecting holes K9.

[0224] The second swing arm 20 has a dividing groove C7. One end of the second connecting part 62 is connected to the support plate 63, and the other end can be movably fitted into the dividing groove C7. The second connecting part 62 has a strip-shaped hole K6 that extends along an arc. A third shaft 73 is connected between the two sub-sleeves 24a, and the third shaft 73 can movably pass through the strip-shaped hole K6. The third shaft 73 can move along the extension direction of the strip-shaped hole K6 and can rotate relative to the second connecting part 62.

[0225] See also Figure 26 The first swing arm 10 has a third arc-shaped groove C3. The arc-shaped tongue 61b is slidably fitted into the third arc-shaped groove C3 and can rotate relative to the first swing arm 10 around the central axis of the third arc-shaped groove C3. Thus, during the folding or unfolding of the pivot assembly 1c, the arc-shaped tongue 61b drives the support plate 63 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 10 by a certain angle through the connection of the swing arm 61a. This allows the support plate 63 to always maintain contact and support for the folding screen 2 in different states. For details, please refer to the previous text. Figure 14 The description is omitted here.

[0226] In this embodiment, the length direction Y of the middle beam 30, the length direction of the connecting block 50, the length direction of the support plate 63, the rotation axis of the second swing arm 20 relative to the middle beam 30, the central axis of the first arc-shaped slide C1 / second arc-shaped slide C2, the rotation axis of the first swing arm 10 relative to the connecting block 50, and the central axis of the rotation of the movable support 60 relative to the first swing arm 10 are all parallel to each other.

[0227] In this embodiment, the connecting arm 61a is connected to one end of the support plate 63, and the first arm 10 and the second arm 20 are located on one side of the back of the support plate 63. The back of the connecting block 50 is provided with a recessed first groove C61. The first arm 10 and the connecting arm 61a are offset along the length of the connecting block 50 and at least partially fit into the first groove C61. The bottom surface of the first groove C61 near the connecting arm 61a is recessed to form a second groove C62, and the connecting arm 61a is at least partially fitted into the second groove C62. The first arm 10 is provided with a mating seat block 14 extending toward the side of the connecting arm 61a. A third arc-shaped sliding groove C3 is opened on the surface of the mating seat block 14 toward the side of the connecting arm 61a. An arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b extends toward the side of the first arm 10 and slides into the third arc-shaped sliding groove C3 on the mating seat block 14. Thus, the first swing arm 10 and the connecting swing arm 61a can fully utilize the space in the thickness direction of the connecting block 50, which is beneficial for the thinning design of the shaft assembly 1c. Optionally, the bottom surface of the second groove C62, on the side away from the center beam 30, is recessed through the front surface of the connecting block 50 to form a through hole K4, and the mating seat block 14 and the arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b are at least partially mated within the through hole K4. In this way, the space in the thickness direction of the connecting block 50 can be further utilized to accommodate the mating seat block 14 and the arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b, which is beneficial for the thinning design of the shaft assembly 1c.

[0228] See Figure 28 In this embodiment, the first swing arm 10 can be an integrally formed part, which includes a sliding tongue 11, a first swing plate 12, a first sleeve 13, and a mating seat block 14. As described above, the sliding tongue 11, the first sleeve 13, and the mating seat block 14 are respectively used to mate and connect with the arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b of the sliding tongue 40, the connecting block 50, and the movable support 60.

[0229] The first swing plate 12 has a plate-like structure. The sliding tongue 11 and the first sleeve 13 are respectively connected to both ends of the first swing plate 12. The first swing plate 12 includes a transverse extension 16, which is located at the end of the first swing plate 12 near the first sleeve 13. The transverse extension 16 extends and protrudes towards the side connecting the swing arm 61a, and the mating block 14 is connected to the protruding end of the transverse extension 16. The extension and protrusion of the transverse extension 16 facilitates the engagement of the mating block 14 and the arc-shaped sliding tongue 61b of the movable support member 60.

[0230] See Figure 29 The second swing arm 20 includes a second sleeve 21, a second swing plate 22, a sliding mating plate 23, and a third sleeve 24. As described above, the second sleeve 21 and the sliding mating plate 23 are used to connect with the middle beam 30 and the connecting block 50, respectively.

[0231] The second swing plate 22 is a plate-shaped structure. The second sleeve 21 and the sliding mating plate 23 are respectively connected to the two ends of the second swing plate 22, and the third sleeve 24 is connected to the junction of the second swing plate 22 and the sliding mating plate 23. Optionally, the second swing plate 22 includes two connected plate segments (the first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222, respectively). The second sleeve 21 is connected to the first plate segment 221, and the sliding mating plate 23 is connected to the second plate segment 222. The first plate segment 221 and the second plate segment 222 are connected at an angle. The second plate segment 222 and the connecting block 50 are approximately parallel. The end of the first plate segment 221 away from the second plate segment 222 is inclined towards the side closer to the front of the central beam 30. This allows for a larger distance between the second plate segments 222 of the second swing arms 20 on both sides when the rotating shaft assembly 1c is in the inward folded state, which is suitable for avoiding the teardrop-shaped bending of the folding screen 2 (see [reference]). Figure 23 or Figure 14 In the outward-folded state of the pivot assembly 1c, the spacing between the second plate segments 222 of the second swing arms 20 on both sides is smaller, in order to limit the thickness of the pivot assembly 1c in the outward-folded state (see [reference]). Figure 25 or Figure 14 ).

[0232] In this embodiment, the dividing groove C7 of the second swing arm 20 extends from one end of the sliding mating plate 23 to one end of the second sleeve 21 and to the second swing plate 22. The dividing groove C7 cuts the sliding mating plate 23 into two sub-sliding mating plates 23a, the dividing groove C7 cuts the third sleeve 24 into two sub-sleeves 24a, and the dividing groove C7 cuts the portion of the second swing plate 22 near the sliding mating plate 23 into two sub-swing plates 22a. The dividing groove can be used to accommodate the second connecting portion 62 of the movable support member 60, so that the third shaft member 73 can pass through the strip hole K6 of the second connecting portion 62 and the two sub-sleeves 24a at the same time, to form a planar high-pair fit between the second swing arm 20 and the second connecting portion 62 (see in...). Figure 26 ).

[0233] See Figure 30 In this embodiment, optionally, the sliding groove C5 is located at the middle position in the thickness direction of the connecting block 50, and does not penetrate the front or back of the connecting block 50. The connecting block 50 has a through cut K7, which connects the back of the connecting block 50 and the sliding groove C5; in the length direction of the connecting block 50, the through cut K7 is located at the middle position of the sliding groove C5, so that the two sub-sliding plates 23a can respectively fit into the portions of the sliding groove C5 located on both sides of the through cut K7.

[0234] The bottom surface of the sliding groove C5 on the side away from the through cut K7 is recessed to form the first clearance groove C81, and the bottom surface of the first clearance groove C81 is recessed to form the second clearance groove C82. Along the length of the connecting block 50, the sliding groove C5, the first clearance groove C81, and the second clearance groove C82 form a three-stage stepped groove that gradually narrows (see also...). Figure 26 ).

[0235] See Figure 31 The support plate 63 has a recessed notch K8 on the side near the connecting block 50. One end of the second connecting part 62 is connected to the bottom surface of the recessed notch K8, and the other end extends toward the connecting block 50 and at least partially engages with the second clearance groove C82. The second swing plate 22 protrudes relative to the sliding mating plate 23 toward the back side near the connecting block 50 and can move in and out of the through cut K7.

[0236] See also Figure 30 and Figure 31 The sub-sleeve 24a includes a first cylindrical section 241 and a second cylindrical section 242 connected axially. The two first cylindrical sections 241 are respectively sandwiched on both sides of the second connecting part 62. At least a portion of the first cylindrical section 241 protrudes from the front of the sub-sliding plate 23a and can movably enter and exit the first clearance groove C81. The portion of the second cylindrical section 242 protruding from the front of the sub-sliding plate 23a is cut off so that the second cylindrical section 242 can movably enter and exit the sliding groove C5 with the sliding plate 23a.

[0237] In the inward folded state of the pivot assembly 1c (see...) Figure 31 The movable support 60 moves relative to the first swing arm 10 to the third shaft 73 to engage with the strip hole K6 near the end of the support plate 63, and the two sub-sleeves 24a respectively engage with the concave notch K8 in the space on both sides of the second connecting part 62.

[0238] In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, the movable support 60 moves relative to the first swing arm 10 to the third shaft 73, which engages with the end of the strip hole K6 away from the support plate 63, and the first cylindrical section 241 engages into the first clearance groove C81, and the second cylindrical section 242 engages into the sliding engagement groove C5.

[0239] Figure 32 Another embodiment of the pivot assembly 1d is shown. This pivot assembly 1d... Figure 5 Based on the pivot assembly 1c shown, a support mechanism 110 can be arranged on both sides of the middle position of the middle beam 30 in the length direction Y, thus forming a pivot assembly 1d consisting of the middle beam 30 and six sets of support mechanisms 110, which can provide better support for the folding screen 2.

[0240] Figure 33 and Figure 34Another embodiment of the hinge assembly 1e is shown. In this hinge assembly 1e, the center beam 30, the connecting block 50 and the support plate 63 are all continuous structures, that is, the center beam 30, the connecting block 50 and the support plate 63 all extend continuously in the length direction to both ends or near both ends in the height direction of the foldable device 100, so as to provide full-length or near-full-length support for the foldable screen 2, and the support reliability is higher.

[0241] In the rotating shaft assembly 1e of this embodiment, there are multiple sets of swing arm groups consisting of the first swing arm 10 and the second swing arm 20. The multiple sets of swing arm groups are spaced apart along the length direction Y of the middle beam 30 and are respectively connected between the middle beam 30 and the connecting block 50.

[0242] The support plate 63 of the movable support member 60 is connected to a plurality of first connecting parts 61 and a plurality of second connecting parts 62. The plurality of first connecting parts 61 are respectively connected to a plurality of first swing arms 10, and the plurality of second connecting parts 62 are respectively connected to a plurality of second swing arms 20.

[0243] In this embodiment, the central beam 30, connecting block 50, and support plate 63 of the continuous structure can all be single components formed in one step (such as machining, MIM molding, 3D printing, etc.), or they can be formed into one piece by a secondary molding process (MIM molding, 3D printing, etc.) after being formed in sections (such as machining, MIM molding, 3D printing, etc.), or they can be connected together by screws or other connectors after being formed in sections. The specific molding method is not limited here.

[0244] The pivot assembly provided in this embodiment can also have a synchronization function, that is, the two sides of the pivot assembly can be folded or unfolded synchronously, so that the two sides of the foldable device using the pivot assembly can be folded or unfolded synchronously.

[0245] The synchronization components can take various forms, such as gear sets, parallel four-bar linkages, helical sliders, and slider push rods.

[0246] like Figure 35 As shown, the rotating shaft assembly 1f has a synchronization component 80, which includes two gear components 81, which are rotatably mounted on the central beam 30 and mesh with each other.

[0247] Gear sections 25 are respectively provided on the outer periphery of the second sleeves 24 of the second swing arms 20 of the support mechanisms 110 on both sides of the central beam 30. Two gear components 81 are connected in series between the gear sections 25 of the second swing arms 20 on both sides. In this way, the two gear sections 25 and the two gear components 81 form a gear set with four gears connected in series and meshing. This allows the rotation of the second swing arm 20 on one side of the central beam 30 to be transmitted to the second swing arm 20 on the other side through the meshing of this gear set, so that the second swing arm 20 on the other side rotates synchronously, thereby realizing the synchronous function of the support mechanisms 110 on both sides of the central beam 30.

[0248] See also Figure 36 In another type of hinge assembly 1g, the folding screen 2 and the central beam 30 are bonded and fixed together at their tangential points in the unfolded state to ensure that the relative position of the folding screen 2 and the central beam 30 remains unchanged at that point. For example Figure 36 As shown, a portion of material is cut away at the midpoint of the width direction X of the front side of the center beam 30 to form a groove C10. Adhesive material 33 is applied within the groove C10 to bond the folding screen 2. The dimension (thickness d) of the adhesive material 33 along the thickness direction Z of the center beam can be set to approximately 0.15 mm as needed. Optionally, low-modulus adhesive can be used for the adhesive material 33.

[0249] In summary, the hinge assemblies 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g provided in this application embodiment can achieve inward folding, outward folding, and flattening, enabling the foldable device 100 using the hinge assemblies 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g to be used in inward folding, outward folding, and flattening modes, thus having high usability.

[0250] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application and are not intended to limit it. Although this application has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of this application should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application.

Claims

1. A rotating shaft assembly, characterized in that, include: The central beam has first arc-shaped grooves on both sides. as well as, Multiple support mechanisms are distributed on both sides of the central beam; The supporting mechanism includes: Connector block; A sliding tongue is slidably fitted into the first arc-shaped groove and is capable of rotating around the central axis of the first arc-shaped groove; the sliding tongue is provided with a second arc-shaped groove. A first swing arm, one end of which is slidably fitted into the second arc-shaped groove and is rotatable about the central axis of the second arc-shaped groove; the other end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the connecting block; A second swing arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the central beam and the other end of which is slidably connected to the connecting block; and, A movable support member is movably connected to the first swing arm and / or the second swing arm, the movable support member including a support plate located between the middle beam and the connecting block.

2. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The central beam has a front and a back facing away from each other, and the front of the central beam is arc-shaped. The first arc-shaped groove extends through the front of the middle beam at both ends. The middle beam has an avoidance notch, which extends along the thickness direction of the middle beam and connects the first arc-shaped groove and the back of the middle beam; In the outward-folded state of the pivot assembly, the first swing arm passes through the clearance notch.

3. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first arc-shaped groove has an inner groove surface and an outer groove surface facing each other in the radial direction. The clearance notch extends through to the outer groove surface of the first arc-shaped groove to divide the outer groove surface of the first arc-shaped groove into two sub-groove surfaces spaced apart in the axial direction. The sliding tongue component includes an arc-shaped connecting plate and two sub-sliding tongues, the two sub-sliding tongues being spaced apart axially, and the arc-shaped connecting plate being connected between the two sub-sliding tongues; One of the sub-tongues is slidably engaged between the inner groove surface and one of the sub-groove surfaces, and the other sub-tongue is slidably engaged between the inner groove surface and the other sub-groove surface; The arc-shaped connecting plate can be slidably attached to the inner groove surface.

4. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 3, characterized in that: The axial cross-section of the inner groove surface and / or the outer groove surface is stepped; The sub-slip tongue comprises multiple slip tongue segments connected axially in a stepped shape.

5. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that: The middle beam is also provided with a lateral arc-shaped sliding groove, which is formed by recessing from the axial end face of the first arc-shaped sliding groove; the middle beam has a first limiting boss located at one arc end of the lateral arc-shaped sliding groove. The axial end face of the sliding tongue is formed with a second limiting boss that protrudes outward along the axial direction. The second limiting boss extends into the lateral arc-shaped sliding groove, and the second limiting boss corresponds to the first limiting boss along the arc direction of the lateral arc-shaped sliding groove.

6. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The two opposing surfaces of the sub-slip tongues are respectively provided with sub-slip grooves, and the two sub-slip grooves respectively constitute the axial ends of the second arc-shaped slide groove; the sub-slip tongues have a third limiting boss located at one arc end of the second arc-shaped slide groove; The first swing arm has a sliding tongue at one end near the middle beam, and the sliding tongue has a fourth limiting boss protruding at both ends of its axial direction. The sliding tongue is located between the two sub-sliding tongues, and the two fourth limiting protrusions are slidably engaged in the sub-sliding grooves on the two sub-sliding tongues, and the fourth limiting protrusions and the third limiting protrusions correspond to each other along the arc direction of the sub-sliding grooves.

7. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first limiting boss is located along the arc of the lateral arc-shaped groove near one end of the first swing arm; The third limiting boss is located along the arc direction of the lateral arc-shaped slide groove near one end of the first swing arm.

8. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that: The arc-shaped connecting plate is located radially inside the second arc-shaped slide groove, and the two sub-slide tongues are disconnected radially outside the second arc-shaped slide groove to limit the clearance space; In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the sliding tongue engages with the first arc-shaped sliding groove, the clearance space connects to the clearance notch, and the first swing arm passes through the clearance notch and the clearance space.

9. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The support mechanism also includes a first shaft member; The first sleeve is provided at one end of the first swing arm near the connecting block; The connecting block is provided with a first rotating seat; The first sleeve and the first rotating seat are coaxially hinged through the first shaft.

10. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The middle beam has recessed holes on both sides, which extend through the front and back sides of the middle beam along its thickness direction; the middle beam has second rotating seats located at both ends of the recessed holes in the axial direction. The second swing arm is provided with a second sleeve at one end near the middle beam. The second sleeve fits into the recessed hole, and the second sleeve and the two second rotating seats are coaxially hinged through a second shaft. In the outward-folded state of the pivot assembly, the second swing arm passes through the portion of the recessed hole near the back of the center beam; In the inward folded state of the pivot assembly, the second swing arm passes through the portion of the recessed hole near the front of the center beam.

11. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting block is provided with a sliding groove, and the extension direction of the sliding groove is perpendicular to the length direction of the middle beam; The second swing arm has a sliding mating plate at one end near the connecting block, and the sliding mating plate is slidably mated to the sliding mating groove.

12. The rotating shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that: The movable support includes a first connecting part, a second connecting part, and a support plate, wherein the length direction of the support plate is parallel to the length direction of the middle beam; One end of the first connecting part is connected to the support plate, and the other end is rotatably connected to the first swing arm; One end of the second connecting part is connected to the support plate, and the other end forms a planar high pair with the second swing arm.

13. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first connecting part includes a connecting swing arm and an arc-shaped sliding tongue; one end of the connecting swing arm is fixedly connected to the support plate, and the other end is fixedly connected to the arc-shaped sliding tongue; The first swing arm has a third arc-shaped groove, and the arc-shaped tongue can slidably engage with the third arc-shaped groove and can rotate relative to the first swing arm around the central axis of the third arc-shaped groove.

14. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 13, characterized in that: The connecting swing arm is connected to one end of the support plate, and the first swing arm and the second swing arm are respectively located on one side of the back of the support plate; The back of the connecting block is provided with a first recessed groove, the first swing arm and the connecting swing arm are offset along the length direction of the connecting block and at least partially fit into the first groove; The bottom surface of the first groove is recessed near the connecting arm to form a second groove, and the connecting arm is at least partially fitted into the second groove; The first swing arm is provided with a mating seat block extending toward the side of the connecting swing arm, and the third arc-shaped groove is formed on the surface of the mating seat block facing the side of the connecting swing arm; The arc-shaped sliding tongue extends toward the first swing arm and slides into the third arc-shaped groove on the mating seat block.

15. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that: The bottom surface of the second groove, away from the side of the middle beam, is recessed and penetrates the front surface of the connecting block to form a through hole; The mating block and the arc-shaped sliding tongue are at least partially mated within the through hole.

16. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first swing arm includes a sliding tongue, a first swing plate, a first sleeve, and a mating seat block; the sliding tongue and the first sleeve are respectively connected to both ends of the first swing plate, the first swing plate includes a transverse extension, the transverse extension is located at one end of the first swing plate near the first sleeve, the transverse extension extends and protrudes toward the side of the connecting swing arm, and the mating seat block is connected to the protruding end of the transverse extension. The tongue portion slides into the second arc-shaped groove and can rotate around the central axis of the second arc-shaped groove; The first sleeve is hinged to the connecting block via a first shaft member.

17. The shaft assembly according to any one of claims 12-16, characterized in that: The second swing arm includes a second sleeve, a second swing plate, a sliding fit plate, and a third sleeve; The second sleeve and the sliding mating plate are respectively connected to the two ends of the second swing plate, and the third sleeve is connected to the junction of the second swing plate and the sliding mating plate; The second sleeve is hinged to the middle beam via a second shaft member; The connecting block is provided with a sliding fit groove, and the sliding fit plate can be slidably inserted into the sliding fit groove; The second swing arm is provided with a dividing groove. The dividing groove extends from one end of the sliding mating plate to one end of the second sleeve and to the second swing plate. The dividing groove cuts the sliding mating plate into two sub-sliding mating plates. The dividing groove cuts the third sleeve into two sub-sleeves. The dividing groove cuts the part of the second swing plate near the sliding mating plate into two sub-swing plates. The second connecting part has a strip-shaped hole that extends along an arc; a third shaft is connected between the two sub-sleeves, and the third shaft can movably pass through the strip-shaped hole; the third shaft can move along the extension direction of the strip-shaped hole and can rotate relative to the second connecting part; One end of the second connecting part is connected to the support plate, and the other end can be movably fitted into the dividing groove.

18. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 17, characterized in that: The sliding groove is located at the middle position in the thickness direction of the connecting block, and the connecting block has a through cut that connects the back of the connecting block and the sliding groove; in the length direction of the connecting block, the through cut is located at the middle position of the sliding groove. The bottom surface of the sliding groove on the side away from the through cut is recessed to form a first clearance groove, and the bottom surface of the first clearance groove is recessed to form a second clearance groove; in the length direction of the connecting block, the sliding groove, the first clearance groove and the second clearance groove are three-stage stepped grooves that become narrower in sequence. The support plate has a recessed notch on the side near the connecting block. One end of the second connecting part is connected to the bottom surface of the recessed notch, and the other end extends to one side of the connecting block and at least partially fits into the second clearance groove. The sliding mating plate is slidably fitted into the sliding mating groove, and the second swing plate protrudes relative to the sliding mating plate toward the back side of the connecting block and can move in and out of the through cut. The sub-sleeve includes a first cylindrical section and a second cylindrical section connected axially; the two first cylindrical sections are respectively sandwiched between the two sides of the second connecting part, at least a portion of the first cylindrical section protrudes from the front of the sub-sliding plate and can move in and out of the first clearance groove; the portion of the second cylindrical section protruding from the front of the sub-sliding plate is cut off so that the second sleeve can move in and out of the sliding groove with the sliding plate. In the inward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the movable support member moves relative to the first swing arm until the third shaft member engages with the end of the strip hole near the support plate, and the two sub-sleeves respectively engage with the portions of the concave notch located on both sides of the second connecting portion; In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the movable support moves relative to the first swing arm until the third shaft engages with the end of the strip hole away from the support plate, and the first cylindrical section engages into the first clearance groove, and the second cylindrical section engages into the sliding engagement groove.

19. The shaft assembly according to any one of claims 12-18, characterized in that: The rotating shaft assembly also includes a third shaft component; The second connecting portion has a strip-shaped hole that extends along an arc. The third shaft is connected to the second swing arm, and the third shaft can movably pass through the strip hole and can move along the extension direction of the strip hole or rotate relative to the second connecting part.

20. The shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-19, characterized in that: During the process of the rotating shaft assembly changing from the unfolded state to the inward folded state, the support plate moves along the thickness direction from the front side near the connecting block to the back side near the connecting block.

21. The rotating shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-20, characterized in that: The length directions of the central beam, the connecting block, the support plate, the rotation axis of the second swing arm relative to the central beam, the central axis of the first arc-shaped slide groove, the rotation axis of the first swing arm relative to the connecting block, and the central axis of the rotation of the movable support relative to the first swing arm are all parallel to each other. The central axis of the second arc-shaped groove coincides with the central axis of the first arc-shaped groove; The second swing arm and the first swing arm are spaced apart along the length of the middle beam.

22. The rotating shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-21, characterized in that: The central axis of the first arc-shaped slide groove coincides with the central axis of the second arc-shaped slide groove; The sum of the extension angle of the first arc-shaped slide and the extension angle of the second arc-shaped slide is greater than or equal to 180°, and the extension angle of the second arc-shaped slide is greater than or equal to 90°. The first arc-shaped slide groove opens at the end away from the connecting block along the arc, and the first arc-shaped slide groove is provided with a first limiting boss at the end closer to the connecting block along the arc; the sliding tongue is provided with a second limiting boss; the second arc-shaped slide groove opens at the end away from the connecting block along the arc, and the second arc-shaped slide groove is provided with a third limiting boss at the end closer to the connecting block along the arc; the first swing arm is provided with a fourth limiting boss; The rotating shaft assembly has an inward folded state, an unfolded state, and an outward folded state; In the inward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the sliding tongue slides in the first arc-shaped groove to the position where the second limiting boss abuts against the first limiting boss along the arc direction, and the fourth limiting boss of the first swing arm slides in the second arc-shaped groove to the position where the fourth limiting boss abuts against the third limiting boss along the arc direction. In the unfolded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the sliding tongue is housed in the first arc-shaped sliding groove, and the fourth limiting boss of the first swing arm slides in the second arc-shaped sliding groove until the fourth limiting boss abuts against the third limiting boss along the arc direction. In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, the sliding tongue is accommodated in the first arc-shaped sliding groove, and the fourth limiting boss of the first swing arm is located in the second arc-shaped sliding groove at one end away from the third limiting boss along the arc direction.

23. The rotating shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-22, characterized in that: The central beam has a front and a back facing away from each other, and the front of the central beam is arc-shaped; the support plate has a front and a back facing away from each other, and the front of the support plate is arc-shaped; the connecting block has a front and a back facing away from each other, and the front of the connecting block is flat. The rotating shaft assembly has an inward folded state, an unfolded state, and an outward folded state; In the unfolded state, the front of the central beam and the front of the support plate are respectively tangent to the plane containing the front of the support plate, which is used to support the folding screen of the foldable device in the unfolded state. In the outward folded state, the front of the support plate is transitionally connected between the front of the support plate and the front of the middle beam, which is used to support the folding screen of the foldable device in the outward folded state. In the inward folded state, the connecting block is located on one side of the front of the central beam, and the front sides of the two connecting blocks are close to each other. The front side of the support plate is offset to a position close to the back side of the connecting block. The middle part of the front of the central beam, the front of the support plate, and the front of the connecting block together support the folding screen of the foldable device in a teardrop-shaped inward folded state.

24. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 23, characterized in that: The cross-section of the middle beam is a minor arc shape, the front of the middle beam is a circular arc surface, and the back of the middle beam is a flat surface; chamfers are provided at the intersection of the front and back sides of the middle beam. In the outward folded state of the rotating shaft assembly, one side of the support plate mates with the chamfered corner; the front of the support plate is an arc surface, and the back of the support plate transitions between the front of the middle beam and the front of the connecting block.

25. The shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-24, characterized in that: There are at least two support mechanisms, and the two support mechanisms are respectively located on both sides of the width direction of the middle beam; The second swing arms of the two support mechanisms face each other along the width direction of the middle beam; The sliding tongues of the two support mechanisms are offset along the length of the middle beam, and the first swing arms of the two support mechanisms are offset along the length of the middle beam.

26. The shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-25, characterized in that: The central beam, the connecting block, and the support plate are all continuous structures; There are multiple sets of swing arm groups consisting of the first swing arm and the second swing arm. The multiple sets of swing arm groups are spaced apart along the length direction of the middle beam and are respectively connected between the middle beam and the connecting block. The movable support includes the support plate, a plurality of first connecting parts and a plurality of second connecting parts, wherein the plurality of first connecting parts and the plurality of second connecting parts are respectively connected to the support plate; Multiple first connecting parts are respectively connected to multiple first swing arms, and multiple second connecting parts are respectively connected to multiple second swing arms.

27. A foldable device, characterized in that, include: The shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-26; A first housing and a second housing, the first housing and the second housing respectively connected to the connecting blocks of the support mechanism on both sides of the central beam; A foldable screen, which is stacked on the first housing, the hinge assembly and the second housing.

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