Supporting structure, supporting rotating shaft and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of electronic equipment, aims to solve the problem that a bending area of a known folding screen is easy to damage, and provides a supporting structure, a supporting rotating shaft and foldable electronic equipment. The supporting structure is used for supporting a bending area of a folding screen of the foldable electronic equipment. The supporting structure comprises a supporting piece and a buffering body. And the supporting sheet is made of a memory alloy material. The buffering body is made of flexible materials, and the buffering body wraps the periphery of the supporting piece on the section perpendicular to the length direction of the supporting piece. The folding screen has the beneficial effects that the supporting effect on the bending area of the folding screen is good, the bending area of the folding screen can be reliably protected, and the impact resistance and the extrusion resistance of the folding screen are improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The bending area of ​​the folding screen of some known folding devices is relatively weak, and the bending area is easily damaged when the entire device falls or the screen is squeezed / impacted. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present application provide a support structure, a support hinge, and a foldable electronic device to improve the problem that the bending area of ​​the foldable screen is easily damaged.

[0004] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a support structure for supporting the bending region of a foldable screen of a foldable electronic device. The support structure comprises a support sheet and a buffer body. The support sheet is constructed of a memory alloy. The buffer body is made of a flexible material and, in a cross-section perpendicular to the length of the support sheet, wraps around the outer periphery of the support sheet.

[0005] The support structure in this embodiment, through the combination of the support sheet and the buffer body, the flexibility of the buffer body is conducive to buffering the stress acting on the bending area of ​​the folding screen when an external force impacts, thereby improving the impact resistance of the bending area of ​​the folding screen. The support sheet of the memory alloy can play a stress dispersion role, improve the anti-extrusion ability of the bending area of ​​the folding screen, thereby reducing the chance of damage to the folding screen; the shape memory characteristics provided by the support sheet enable the support structure to remain unchanged after long-term extrusion or multiple small external force impacts or extrusions, and have a long service life.

[0006] In a possible embodiment, the buffer body includes a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer, and two side buffer portions, wherein the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer, and the two side buffer portions enclose an internal space, and the support sheet is disposed in the internal space.

[0007] In this embodiment, the support sheet is arranged in the internal space surrounded by the buffer body, which can isolate the support sheet from direct contact with the folding screen and improve the protection effect of the folding screen.

[0008] In a possible embodiment, the support sheet has a first surface and a second surface that are opposite to each other in a thickness direction. The first buffer layer is bonded to the first surface, and / or the second buffer layer is bonded to the second surface.

[0009] In this embodiment, the support sheet and the buffer body have better integrity, which is beneficial for supporting the overall force of the structure.

[0010] In a possible implementation manner, the side buffer portion is separated from the side surface of the supporting piece.

[0011] In this embodiment, when bending, the length of the support sheet remains unchanged, and the side surfaces of the side buffer portion are not bonded to the support sheet, which facilitates the buffer body to be adaptively widened, avoiding warping and deformation of the buffer body during bending and affecting the support for the folding screen.

[0012] In one possible embodiment, the support sheet is provided with a cut hole extending in the thickness direction, the cut hole is a through hole or a blind hole, and the buffer body fills the cut hole; and / or, one side or both sides in the width direction of the support sheet are provided with a concave groove, and the buffer body fills the groove.

[0013] In this embodiment, holes and grooves are provided in the support sheet, and the buffer body fills the holes and / or grooves. In addition to making the combination of the support sheet and the buffer body stronger and ensuring better integrity of the force applied to both, the stiffness of some areas of the support sheet can also be adjusted, which is beneficial for the support structure to bend to the desired shape (such as a teardrop shape) as the shaft assembly is folded or unfolded, so that the bending area of ​​the folding screen is supported into the desired shape (such as a teardrop shape). In addition, the holes can also play a role in unloading bending stress. The provision of the grooves can also prevent the support sheet and the buffer body from being repeatedly squeezed during the bending process, thereby reducing their lifespan.

[0014] In a possible implementation manner, the memory alloy material is NiTi alloy.

[0015] In this embodiment, the NiTi alloy support sheet can play a role in stress dispersion, improve the extrusion resistance of the bending area of ​​the folding screen, and thus reduce the chance of damage to the folding screen.

[0016] In a possible implementation manner, in the NiTi alloy, the mass ratio of Ni is 50%-60%, and the balance is Ti and other elements.

[0017] In this embodiment, the NiTi alloy with this mass ratio has superelasticity, which is beneficial to improving the fatigue resistance of the support structure.

[0018] In one possible embodiment, the thickness of the support sheet is 0.005-0.050 mm, and the overall thickness of the support structure is 0.01-0.20 mm.

[0019] In this embodiment, the supporting sheet and the supporting structure are set to a suitable thickness, which is conducive to taking into account both support and protection capabilities, as well as the thinning design of the foldable device.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the buffer body is made of TPU material, or the buffer body is made of superelastic plastic material.

[0021] In this embodiment, the buffer body adopts super elastic flexible materials such as TPU, which is conducive to providing better buffering effect for the folding screen and ensuring the fatigue resistance of the supporting structure.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the support sheet is adhesively connected to the buffer body; or, the buffer body is secondarily formed by injection molding on the outer periphery of the support sheet.

[0023] In this implementation, the support sheet and the buffer body have better integrity, which is beneficial to the deformation of the support structure as a whole.

[0024] In the second aspect, the embodiments of the present application provide a support hinge for an inner folding foldable electronic device, which comprises a hinge assembly and the support structure described above. The hinge assembly comprises a middle beam and two door plates, which are respectively rotatably connected to two sides of the middle beam. The side surface of the buffer body close to the hinge assembly comprises two surface areas; the two surface areas are spaced apart along the width direction of the support hinge, and the two surface areas are respectively adhesively connected to the two door plates.

[0025] The support hinge of the inner folding foldable electronic device in this embodiment adopts the support structure described above, which can provide better support effect for the folding screen.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the two sides of the support sheet in the width direction respectively overlap the two door plates in the thickness direction.

[0027] In this implementation, the support sheet can be supported by the two door plates, avoiding the effect that the support structure is directly supported by the buffer body on the door plate, which affects the deformation of the support structure as a whole when the door plate rotates.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the buffer body comprises a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer and two side buffer portions, the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer and the two side buffer portions enclose an internal space; the support sheet is arranged in the internal space. The support sheet has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in the thickness direction; the first buffer layer is adhesively connected to the first surface and / or the second buffer layer is adhesively connected to the second surface; the side buffer portions are separated from the side surfaces of the support sheet. When the hinge assembly is in the folded state, the buffer body is elongated, so that the two sides of the support sheet in the width direction and the two side buffer portions on the two sides respectively form a spacing space.

[0029] In this implementation, the side buffer portions are separated from the side surfaces of the support sheet, which can reduce the restriction of the support sheet on the bending and stretching deformation of the buffer body.

[0030] In a third aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a support shaft for an outward-folding foldable electronic device, the support shaft comprising a shaft assembly and the aforementioned support structure. The shaft assembly comprises a center beam, two inner door panels, and two outer door panels, the two inner door panels being rotatably connected to either side of the center beam, and the two outer door panels being rotatably connected to the sides of the two inner door panels away from the center beam. The surface of the buffer body on one side proximal to the shaft assembly comprises two first surface areas, the two first surface areas being located on either side of the width direction of the support structure, and the two first surface areas being bonded to the two outer door panels, respectively.

[0031] The support shaft of the outward-folding foldable electronic device in this embodiment adopts the aforementioned support structure, which can provide better support effect for the folding screen.

[0032] In a possible embodiment, a surface of one side of the buffer body close to the rotating shaft assembly further includes two second surface areas; the two second surface areas are respectively located between the two first surface areas, and the two second surface areas are respectively bonded to the two inner door panels.

[0033] In this embodiment, the buffer body can be reliably combined with the inner door panel, and is conducive to bending as the inner door panel rotates, so as to be suitable for supporting the folding screen.

[0034] In a fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, comprising a folding screen and a shell assembly. The folding screen comprises a bending area, a first large surface area, and a second large surface area, wherein the first large surface area and the second large surface area are respectively connected to both sides of the bending area. The shell assembly comprises a first shell, a second shell, and the aforementioned support shaft, wherein the first shell and the second shell are respectively connected to both sides of the support shaft and can be folded or unfolded relative to each other. The first large surface area is supported by the first shell, and the second large surface area is supported by the second shell. The support structure is supported between the bending area and the shaft assembly.

[0035] The foldable electronic device in this embodiment adopts the aforementioned support shaft, and its folding screen can obtain a better support effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present application and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other relevant drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0037] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 2 for Figure 1A schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device shown in a folded state;

[0039] Figure 3 An exploded view of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device shown in a partially unfolded state;

[0041] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device of this embodiment in an unfolded state;

[0042] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device in a folded state;

[0043] Figure 7 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the support shaft and folding screen;

[0044] Figure 8 for Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the support shaft and folding screen;

[0045] Figure 9 is a three-dimensional diagram of the support structure of this embodiment;

[0046] Figure 10 is an exploded view of the support structure of this embodiment;

[0047] Figure 11 for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the support structure in;

[0048] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of another supporting sheet in this embodiment;

[0049] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another supporting sheet in this embodiment;

[0050] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram of another supporting sheet in this embodiment;

[0051] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of another supporting shaft in the expanded state according to this embodiment;

[0052] Figure 16 for Figure 15 Exploded diagram;

[0053] Figure 17 for Figure 15 Schematic diagram of the support shaft in a folded state.

[0054] Description of main component symbols:

[0055] Foldable electronic device 100

[0056] Housing assembly 1

[0057] Folding screen 2

[0058] First large area 2a

[0059] Second large area 2b

[0060] Bending area 2c

[0061] First housing 1a

[0062] Second housing 1b

[0063] Supporting pivot 1c, 1d

[0064] Pivot assembly 10, 10d

[0065] Middle beam 11, 11d

[0066] Door panel 12

[0067] Swing arm assembly 13

[0068] Inner door panel 12d

[0069] Outer door panel 13d

[0070] Supporting structure 20

[0071] Supporting sheet 21, 21a, 21b, 21c

[0072] Buffer body 22

[0073] First buffer layer 22a

[0074] Second buffer layer 22b

[0075] Side buffer portion 22c

[0076] Internal space Q1

[0077] Spacing space Q2

[0078] Adhesive layer 30

[0079] First adhesive 31

[0080] Second adhesive 32

[0081] Cut hole K1

[0082] Cut groove C1

[0083] Width direction X

[0084] Length direction Y

[0085] Thickness direction Z

[0086] First surface P1

[0087] Second surface P2

[0088] Side P3

[0089] First surface area P4

[0090] Second surface area P5

[0091] Middle Area P6

[0092] Partition P7

[0093] Gap f1 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0094] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments.

[0095] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" another element, it may be directly on the other element or there may also be an element centered therein. When an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it may be directly connected to the other element or there may also be an element centered therein. When an element is considered to be "set on" another element, it may be directly set on the other element or there may also be an element centered therein. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right" and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0096] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which this application belongs. The terms used herein in the specification of this application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit this application. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0097] Some embodiments of the present application are described in detail. In the absence of conflict, the following embodiments and features of the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0098] Example

[0099] The present application provides a foldable electronic device, including but not limited to a mobile phone, tablet personal computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), personal computer, multimedia player, smart screen, e-book reader, vehicle-mounted device, or wearable device. The wearable device includes but is not limited to a smart bracelet, smart watch, smart head-mounted display, smart glasses, etc.

[0100] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the foldable electronic device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state; Figure 2 for Figure 1 The structure diagram of the foldable electronic device 100 shown in FIG. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, this embodiment is described by taking the foldable electronic device 100 as a foldable mobile phone as an example.

[0101] For the foldable electronic device 100, in different usage scenarios, the foldable electronic device 100 may have different usage states. Figure 1 The foldable electronic device 100 is shown in an unfolded state. The unfolding angle of the foldable electronic device 100 is, for example, 180°. In this case, the foldable electronic device 100 can achieve a large-screen display. Figure 2 The foldable electronic device 100 is shown in a folded state. At this time, the board area occupied by the foldable electronic device 100 (referring to the area perpendicular to the thickness direction of the foldable electronic device 100) is small, which is convenient for carrying.

[0102] It should be noted that the angles described in this embodiment are all allowed to have slight deviations. For example, Figure 1 The unfolding angle of the foldable electronic device 100 shown as 180° means that the unfolding angle can be 180°, or approximately 180°, such as 170°, 175°, 185°, or 190°. The angles described below as examples can be understood in the same way.

[0103] in addition, Figure 1 and Figure 2 The foldable electronic device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an electronic device that can be folded once. The electronic device includes two parts that can rotate relative to each other. When the two parts rotate to be coplanar, the foldable electronic device 100 is in an unfolded state (eg, Figure 1 As shown), when the two parts are rotated to overlap each other, the foldable electronic device 100 is in a folded state (as shown Figure 2In other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 may be an electronic device that can be folded more times (three or more times). In this case, the foldable electronic device 100 may include multiple parts that are sequentially connected and rotated. Two adjacent parts can be relatively separated to be unfolded to the unfolded state, and two adjacent parts can be relatively close to each other to be folded to the folded state.

[0104] Figure 3 This is an exploded view of the foldable electronic device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, the foldable electronic device 100 includes a shell assembly 1 and a folding screen 2. The folding screen 2 is supported and connected to a side surface of the shell assembly 1. The side surface of the folding screen 2 facing away from the shell assembly 1 is used to display information and / or provide an interactive interface for the user.

[0105] In this embodiment, the surface of the housing assembly 1 facing the folding screen 2 is defined as the front surface of the housing assembly 1, and the surface of the housing assembly 1 facing away from the folding screen 2 is defined as the back surface of the housing assembly 1. To simplify the description, the front and back surfaces of the various components of the housing assembly 1 that appear later also use this definition.

[0106] In this embodiment, the folding screen 2 can be, but is not limited to, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode or an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display, a mini organic light-emitting diode (MID) display, a micro organic light-emitting diode (MID) display, a micro organic light-emitting diode (MID) display, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display, etc.

[0107] The foldable screen 2 may include a first large area 2a, a second large area 2b, and a bending area 2c, with the bending area 2c connected between the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b. During use of the foldable electronic device 100, the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b can remain superimposed on the housing assembly 1, while the bending area 2c can bend and deform to change the angle between the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b, allowing the foldable screen 2 to fold or unfold with the movement of the housing assembly 1, thereby enabling the foldable electronic device 100 to switch between a folded state and an unfolded state.

[0108] For example, in the foldable screen 2, at least the bending area 2c is made of a flexible material to enable bending. The first large area 2a and the second large area 2b can be made of a flexible material, a rigid material, or partially rigid and partially flexible, without limitation in this embodiment.

[0109] Driven by the housing assembly 1, the folding screen 2 can switch between the unfolded state and the folded state. Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, when the foldable screen 2 is in the unfolded state, the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b are relatively far apart, the bending area 2c is in an unbent, flattened state, and the first large area 2a, the second large area 2b, and the bending area 2c are oriented in the same direction and are coplanar. At this point, the angle between the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b is 180°, allowing the foldable screen 2 to achieve a large-screen display, providing users with richer information and a better user experience.

[0110] Combine Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the foldable screen 2 is in the folded state, the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b are stacked relative to each other, and the bending area 2c is bent. The bending angle of the bending area 2c is, for example, 180°. In this state, the foldable electronic device 100 occupies a small area, making it easy to carry and store.

[0111] It should be noted that the foldable electronic device 100 shown in the figure is an inward-folding foldable electronic device. When it is in the folded state, the first large surface area 2a and the second large surface area 2b of the foldable screen 2 are relatively stacked and sandwiched inside by the housing assembly 1. The bending area 2c of the foldable screen 2 is in an inward-folded state (teardrop-shaped bend, U-shaped bend, etc.). At this time, the foldable screen 2 is protected by the housing assembly 1 and is not easily damaged. When the inward-folding foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, the foldable screen 2 is not visible. An additional display screen can be added to the back of the housing assembly 1 to facilitate use of the foldable electronic device 100 in the folded state.

[0112] In some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 can hover at an angle between the unfolded state and the folded state (see Figure 4), exemplarily, the hovering angle of the foldable electronic device 100 can be 90°, 120°, 135°, 150°, etc. Among them, the shell assembly 1 can rely on the damping force provided by the shell assembly 1 to make the shell assembly 1 hover in a partially unfolded state between the folded state and the unfolded state, and the folding screen 2 stays in the partially unfolded state along with the shell assembly 1. At this time, the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2 is also in a bent state, and the bending degree of the bending area 2c is less than the bending degree when it is in the folded state. The first large surface area 2a and the second large surface area 2b of the folding screen 2 are relatively inclined, and the angle between the first large surface area 2a and the second large surface area 2b is, for example, 90°, 120°, 135°, 150°, etc.

[0113] The housing assembly 1 is used to support and install the folding screen 2, and drive the folding screen 2 to switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. Figure 3 As shown, the shell assembly 1 includes a first shell 1a, a second shell 1b and a supporting shaft 1c. The supporting shaft 1c is connected between the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b. The first shell 1a and the second shell 1b are rotatably connected through the supporting shaft 1c, thereby realizing relative rotation between the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b.

[0114] The first housing 1a supports and connects to the first large surface area 2a of the folding screen 2, the second housing 1b supports and connects to the second large surface area 2b of the folding screen 2, and the support shaft 1c corresponds to the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2. When the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b rotate relative to each other via the support shaft 1c, the first large surface area 2a and the second large surface area 2b of the folding screen 2 change their orientation accordingly, and the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2 bends or flattens as the orientation of the first large surface area 2a and the second large surface area 2b changes.

[0115] For example, the first housing 1a may have a connection surface facing the first large surface area 2a of the folding screen 2, and the first large surface area 2a of the folding screen 2 is attached to the connection surface of the first housing 1a, for example, the first large surface area 2a of the folding screen 2 is bonded to the connection surface of the first housing 1a. Similarly, the second housing 1b may have a connection surface facing the second large surface area 2b of the folding screen 2, and the second large surface area 2b of the folding screen 2 is attached to the connection surface of the second housing 1b, for example, the second large surface area 2b of the folding screen 2 is bonded to the connection surface of the second housing 1b.

[0116] In addition, both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b may have a storage space for installing some functional components of the foldable electronic device 100 (not shown in the figure), such as a circuit board, a battery, a camera module, a microphone, a speaker, etc. For example, a circuit board may be provided in both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b, and the electrical connection between the components in the two shells is achieved through the circuit boards in the two shells; the battery for powering the components may be provided only in the first shell 1a or the second shell 1b, or the battery may be provided in both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b; as for other components such as the camera module, the microphone, and the speaker, they may be centrally provided in the first shell 1a or the second shell 1b, or some components may be provided in the first shell 1a and some components may be provided in the second shell 1b.

[0117] Both the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b may include a middle frame (not shown in the figure) and a back cover (not shown in the figure). The middle frame is connected between the folding screen 2 and the back cover. The side surface of the middle frame facing the folding screen 2 forms the above-mentioned connecting surface. The folding screen 2 can be mounted on this side surface of the middle frame. The back cover is connected to the side of the middle frame facing away from the folding screen 2. The middle frame and the back cover together enclose a storage space for installing functional devices.

[0118] It should be noted that Figures 1-4 The foldable electronic device 100 shown is a schematic diagram with simplified structural and / or appearance details and does not represent the actual appearance or structure.

[0119] In some foldable electronic devices with known technologies, the bending area of ​​the folding screen is designed for flexibility, and the mechanical properties of the bending area are worse than those of the first and second largest areas of the folding screen. In addition, some known support shafts that support the folding screen have unevenness on one side where screws are set and where the flexible circuit board is passed through the shaft. These will cause the support shaft of the known folding device to have poor support for the bending area of ​​the folding screen, resulting in a higher proportion of failures related to the bending area of ​​the folding screen in the overall failure rate. For example, failures caused by the whole machine falling, front squeezing of the folding screen, and impact-related failures often occur in the bending area of ​​the folding screen.

[0120] In view of this, this embodiment provides a support shaft 1c, which can provide better support for the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2 and reduce the failure rate of the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2. The following will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0121] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device 100 of this embodiment in an unfolded state. Figure 6 for Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device 100 in a folded state. Figure 7 for Figure 5Schematic diagram of the support shaft 1c and the folding screen 2; Figure 8 for Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the supporting shaft 1c and folding screen 2.

[0122] See also Figure 5 and Figure 6 The support shaft 1c in this embodiment includes a shaft assembly 10 and a support structure 20. The shaft assembly 10 is connected between the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b to achieve a rotatable connection between the first shell 1a and the second shell 1b.

[0123] The specific structure of the rotating shaft assembly 10 can be selected from known structures as needed. For example, the rotating shaft assembly 10 can adopt a known double-rotating water drop rotating shaft, which can support the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2 to be folded inward into a water drop shape (see Figure 6 ).

[0124] See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 The hinge assembly 10 primarily includes a center beam 11 and two door panels 12, each rotatably connected to either side of the center beam 11. For example, the two door panels 12 are connected to either side of the center beam 11 via swing arm assemblies 13. This allows the two door panels 12 to rotate relative to the center beam 11, maintaining support for the folding screen 2 in various states (e.g., deployed, folded, partially deployed, etc.), and allowing the folding screen 2 to be positioned in a desired shape (e.g., a teardrop shape).

[0125] The support structure 20 is supported between the hinge assembly 10 and the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2. The support structure 20 and the folding screen 2 do not need to be bonded to each other. The support structure 20 and the two door panels 12 of the hinge assembly 10 are bonded to each other via an adhesive layer 30. The area between the two door panels 12 of the support structure 20 is not bonded to the hinge assembly 10.

[0126] In the folded state, see Figure 8 The support structure 20 bends as the door panel 12 rotates, so as to support the folding screen 2 into a teardrop shape.

[0127] See also Figure 9 and Figure 10 In this embodiment, the support structure 20 includes a support sheet 21 and a buffer body 22 .

[0128] The support sheet 21 is in the form of a thin sheet and is made of a shape memory alloy. The shape memory alloy material comprising the support sheet 21 may be, for example, a NiTi alloy, wherein the mass ratio of Ni is 50%-60%, with the remainder being Ti and other elements. Other elements may be unavoidable impurities or added trace elements (such as carbon). The NiTi alloy exhibits shape memory properties and exhibits superelasticity at room temperature. The support sheet 21 constructed using the NiTi alloy exhibits a large shape memory strain and a high recovery stress.

[0129] The buffer body 22 is made of a flexible material. The flexible material comprising the buffer body 22 can be a superelastic plastic material, such as TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) or superelastic silicone rubber. TPU materials offer excellent wear resistance, ozone resistance, high hardness, high strength, good elasticity, low-temperature resistance, and excellent resistance to oil, chemicals, and the environment.

[0130] In a cross section perpendicular to the length direction Y of the support sheet 21 (parallel to the bending axis of the foldable electronic device 100), the buffer body 22 wraps around the outer periphery of the support sheet 21. In this embodiment, the buffer body 22 includes a first buffer layer 22a, a second buffer layer 22b, and two side buffer portions 22c. These first buffer layer 22a, second buffer layer 22b, and two side buffer portions 22c enclose an internal space Q1. The support sheet 21 is disposed within this internal space Q1.

[0131] The support structure 20 in this embodiment, through the combination of the above-mentioned support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22, the flexibility of the buffer body 22 is conducive to buffering the stress acting on the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2 when an external force impacts, thereby improving the impact resistance of the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2. The support sheet 21 of NiTi alloy can play a stress dispersion role, improve the anti-extrusion ability of the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2, and thus reduce the probability of damage to the folding screen 2. At the same time, the support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22 are respectively made of superelastic materials. The support structure 20 of the combination of the two has high fatigue resistance and can achieve more bending without breaking. The shape memory property provided by the support sheet 21 enables the support structure 20 to remain unchanged after long-term extrusion or multiple small external force impacts or extrusions, and has a long service life.

[0132] Testing of a support structure 20 employing this solution has shown that it can withstand 20,000 or more bends (from flattening to fully closing) at room temperature (25°C), improving the foldable screen 2's compression and impact resistance by over 30%. During use, the support structure 20 withstands compression forces up to 20 MPa without causing any dents or deformation in the support sheet 21.

[0133] The following table shows the data of the support structure 20 of this embodiment and several control group protection solutions for the whole machine structure of a certain folding screen stacking solution.

[0134]

[0135] In contrast, some known technologies employ a thin steel sheet on one side of the hinge supporting the folding screen to enhance support for the hinge. This known technique requires only one side of the thin steel sheet to be attached to a door panel supporting the hinge, while the other side remains free and unbonded, to accommodate relative displacement between the thin steel sheet and the hinge assembly during folding or unfolding. However, this solution can cause relative displacement between the thin steel sheet and the housing or hinge assembly of the foldable electronic device during the bending process, resulting in unusual noises and a poor user experience.

[0136] In other embodiments, the buffer body 22 may also include only the first buffer layer 22 a and the second buffer layer 22 b , that is, the buffer body 22 only covers the two side surfaces of the support sheet 21 in the thickness direction Z.

[0137] The support structure 20 in this embodiment can be manufactured using a secondary molding process. For example, the support sheet 21 is first formed in one step through machining, 3D printing, or other methods, and then the buffer body 22 is formed in a secondary process around the outer periphery of the support sheet 21 through injection molding or other methods. In this manner, the buffer body 22 and the support sheet 21 of the support structure 20 are tightly integrated, allowing them to withstand loads as a whole.

[0138] The support structure 20 of this embodiment can also be manufactured in other suitable forms. For example, the support sheet 21 and the buffer body sheet can be separately formed, and then the buffer body sheet can be wrapped around the support sheet 21 to form the buffer body 22. The buffer body 22 and the support sheet 21 can be bonded together using an adhesive material (such as glue).

[0139] In this embodiment, optionally, the thickness of the support sheet 21 can be 0.005-0.050 mm, for example, 0.005 mm, 0.010 mm, 0.020 mm, 0.030 mm, 0.040 mm, 0.050 mm, etc. The overall thickness of the support structure 20 is 0.01-0.20 mm, for example, 0.01 mm, 0.05 mm, 0.10 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.02 mm, etc.

[0140] Continue to see Figure 9 and Figure 10 In this embodiment, the support sheet 21 has a first surface P1 and a second surface P2 that face each other along the thickness direction Z. The first buffer layer 22a is bonded to the first surface P1, and the second buffer layer 22b is bonded to the second surface P2. In this embodiment, both sides of the support sheet 21 are bonded to the buffer body 22, improving the integrity of the support structure 20 and facilitating the joint load-bearing between the support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22.

[0141] For the inward folding form (e.g. Figure 7 and Figure 8 ), the support sheet 21 can be adhered to the first buffer layer 22a near the side surface of the folding screen 2 (the first surface P1 in the figure), while the support sheet 21 is not adhered to the second buffer layer 22b away from the side surface of the folding screen 2 (the second surface P2 in the figure) and remains in a state of relative displacement. In this way, it is beneficial to widen the second buffer layer 22b along with the rotation of the rotating shaft assembly 10 during folding (i.e., increase the size in the width direction X), reducing the resistance of the support sheet 21 to the widening of the second buffer layer 22b during folding. The adhesion of the first surface P1 and the first buffer layer 22a can ensure the relative position of the support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22 to a certain extent and the integrity, and in the inward folding form, the first buffer layer 22a is widened to a lesser extent, and its adhesion to the support sheet 21 has no obvious effect on the bending of the support structure 20.

[0142] Referring to Figure 11 , in this embodiment, the side buffer part 22c is separated from the side surface P3 of the support sheet 21, i.e., the side buffer part 22c is not adhered to the side surface P3 of the support sheet 21. In this way, during bending, the length of the support sheet 21 remains unchanged, the side surface P3 of the side buffer part 22c is not adhered to the support sheet 21, which is beneficial to the adaptive widening of the buffer body 22 and avoids the warping deformation of the buffer body 22 during bending, which affects the support of the folding screen 2. As shown in Figure 11 , when the support structure 20 is in a bent state, the buffer body 22 is widened, and a gap space Q2 appears between the side surface P3 of the support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22. When the support structure 20 is flattened, the buffer body 22 returns to its original state, and the gap space Q2 disappears.

[0143] In this embodiment, the width direction X of the support sheet 21 is overlapped with the two door plates 12 in the thickness direction Z, i.e., the two sides of the support sheet 21 are at least partially overlapped on the two door plates 12 (see Figure 7 and Figure 8 ), so that the support sheet 21 can be supported by the two door plates 12, avoiding the situation that only the buffer body 22 is directly supported on the door plate 12, which affects the deformation effect of the support structure 20 as a whole along with the rotation of the door plate 12.

[0144] Figure 12-14 Some other structures of the support sheet 21 in this embodiment are shown.

[0145] Figure 12In the figure, the support sheet 21 of the support structure 20 is provided with a cut hole K1 extending along the thickness direction Z, and the cut hole K1 can be a through hole. The buffer body 22 of the support structure 20, in addition to being covered on the outer periphery of the support sheet 21, also fills the cut hole K1. The side of the support sheet 21 in the width direction X is provided with a concave cut groove C1, and the buffer body 22, in addition to being covered on the outer periphery of the support sheet 21, also fills the cut groove C1. The cut groove C1 can be set on one side or both sides of the width direction X of the support sheet 21. For example, when the buffer body 22 is molded outside the support sheet 21 of the cut hole K1 and the cut groove C1 by an injection molding process, the injection molding material will fill into the cut hole K1 and the cut groove C1.

[0146] In other embodiments, the support sheet 21 may also have only one of the cut hole K1 and the cut groove C1 , which is not limited here.

[0147] By filling the cut hole K1 and / or the cut groove C1 with the buffer body 22, in addition to making the combination of the support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22 more firmly and ensuring better integrity of the force applied to both, the stiffness of a part of the support sheet 21 can also be adjusted, which is beneficial for the support structure 20 to bend to the desired shape (such as a teardrop shape) as the hinge assembly 10 is folded or unfolded, so that the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2 is supported into the desired shape (such as a teardrop shape). In addition, the cut hole K1 can also play a role in unloading bending stress. The setting of the cut groove C1 can also prevent the support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22 from being repeatedly squeezed during the bending process, which reduces their lifespan.

[0148] Figure 13 and Figure 14 In the embodiment, the support sheet 21 is provided with a cut hole K1 extending in the thickness direction Z. The cut hole K1 is a blind hole, that is, the cut hole K1 does not penetrate the support sheet 21. At this time, the rigidity of the support sheet 21 at the cut hole K1 is weakened, which is conducive to bending deformation.

[0149] Figure 13 In the figure, the cut hole K1 is set on the first surface P1 of the support sheet 21. At this time, the thickness of the first buffer layer 22a there is increased, which is conducive to providing better buffering protection effect for the corresponding position of the folding screen 2 (such as the bending center position).

[0150] Figure 14 In the embodiment, the first surface P1 and the second surface P2 of the support sheet 21 are respectively provided with cutout holes K1 , and the cutout holes K1 on both sides are staggered along the width direction X of the support sheet 21 .

[0151] Figures 15 to 17 Another support hinge 1c of this embodiment is shown, which is a support hinge 1c for an outward-folding foldable electronic device 100 (such as an outward-folding mobile phone). The support hinge 1c includes a hinge assembly 10 and a support structure 20. The support structure 20 is supported between the hinge assembly 10 and the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2.

[0152] See also Figures 15 to 17 The rotating shaft assembly 10 includes a central beam 11, two inner door panels 14 and two outer door panels 15. The two inner door panels 14 are rotatably connected to the two sides of the central beam 11, and the two outer door panels 15 are rotatably connected to the sides of the two inner door panels 14 away from the central beam 11. The inner door panels 14 and the central beam 11 can be rotatably connected via a real axis or a virtual axis, and the outer door panels 15 and the inner door panels 14 can also be rotatably connected via a real axis or a virtual axis. In the unfolded state, the central beam 11, the two inner door panels 14 and the two outer door panels 15 jointly support the bending area 2c of the flattened folding screen 2; in the folded state, the central beam 11, the two inner door panels 14 and the two outer door panels 15 define a roughly semi-cylindrical surface for supporting the bending area 2c of the folding screen 2 into a semicircular shape.

[0153] The side surface of the buffer body 22 near the rotating shaft assembly 10 includes two first surface areas P4; the two first surface areas P4 are respectively located on both sides of the width direction X of the support structure 20, and the two first surface areas P4 are respectively bonded to the two outer door panels 15 by a first adhesive 31. Optionally, the side surface of the buffer body 22 near the rotating shaft assembly 10 also includes two second surface areas P5, the two second surface areas P5 are respectively located between the two first surface areas P4, and the two second surface areas P5 are respectively bonded to the two inner door panels 14 by a second adhesive 32. For clarity, Figure 16 The vertical dotted lines in the figure indicate the boundaries of different face areas.

[0154] Between the two second surface areas P5 lies an intermediate area P6, which corresponds to the center beam 11 and is not bonded to the center beam 11. A separator area P7 is located between the first surface area P4 and the second surface area P5. The non-bonding of intermediate area P6 and separator area P7 facilitates adaptive deformation of the buffer body 22 during outward folding, preventing warping of the buffer body 22.

[0155] When the support shaft 1c is folded, gaps f1 exist between the center beam 11 and the inner door panel 14, and between the inner door panel 14 and the outer door panel 15. The support plate 21 has no cutouts K1 in the area corresponding to the gaps f1 to ensure support stiffness in this area.

[0156] For the outward folding form (such as Figure 15 and Figure 17), the side surface (second surface P2) of the support sheet 21 away from the folding screen 2 can be bonded to the second buffer layer 22b, while the side surface (first surface P1) of the support sheet 21 close to the folding screen 2 is not bonded to the first buffer layer 22a and maintains a state of relative displacement. In this way, the first buffer layer 22a is facilitated to be widened (referring to the increase in size along the width direction X) as the hinge assembly 10 rotates during outward folding, thereby reducing the obstruction of the support sheet 21 to the widening of the first buffer layer 22a during the outward folding process. The bonding of the second surface P2 and the second buffer layer 22b can, to a certain extent, ensure the relative position determination and integrity of the support sheet 21 and the buffer body 22, and in the outward folding form, the second buffer layer 22b is widened to a lesser extent, and its bonding with the support sheet 21 has no obvious effect on the bending of the support structure 20.

[0157] Figures 15 to 17 In the embodiment, the support sheet 21 is in the shape of a sheet extending continuously along the width direction X. In other embodiments, the support sheet 21 may include two or more sheets spaced apart along the width direction X, which is not limited here.

[0158] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit the present application. Although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent replacements of the technical solutions of the present application should not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A support structure for supporting the bending area of ​​a foldable screen of a foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The support structure comprises: a supporting plate, the supporting plate being made of a memory alloy material; and The buffer body is made of a flexible material and is wrapped around the outer periphery of the support sheet in a cross section perpendicular to the length direction of the support sheet.

2. The support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The buffer body includes a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer and two side buffer parts, wherein the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer and the two side buffer parts enclose an internal space; The supporting sheet is arranged in the inner space.

3. The support structure according to claim 2, wherein: The support sheet has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in a thickness direction; The first buffer layer is bonded to the first surface, and / or the second buffer layer is bonded to the second surface.

4. The support structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The side buffer portion is separated from a side surface of the supporting piece.

5. The support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The support sheet is provided with a cut hole extending in a thickness direction, the cut hole is a through hole or a blind hole, and the buffer body fills the cut hole; and / or, One side or both sides of the support sheet in the width direction are provided with an inwardly concave groove, and the buffer body fills the groove.

6. The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The memory alloy material is NiTi alloy.

7. The support structure according to claim 6, characterized in that: In the NiTi alloy, the mass ratio of Ni is 50%-60%, and the balance is Ti and other elements.

8. The support structure according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the support sheet is 0.005-0.050 mm; The overall thickness of the support structure is 0.01-0.20 mm.

9. The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The buffer body is made of TPU material, or the buffer body is made of super elastic plastic material.

10. The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The support sheet is bonded to the buffer body; or, The buffer body is secondary-molded on the outer periphery of the supporting piece by injection molding.

11. A support shaft for an inward-folding foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The supporting shaft comprises: The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10; and A rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly comprising a center beam and two door panels, wherein the two door panels are rotatably connected to two sides of the center beam; Wherein, the areas of the surface of the buffer body close to the rotating shaft assembly corresponding to the two door panels are respectively bonded and connected to the two door panels.

12. The support shaft according to claim 11, characterized in that: Both sides of the support piece in the width direction overlap with the two door panels in the thickness direction respectively.

13. The support shaft according to claim 11, characterized in that: The buffer body includes a first buffer layer, a second buffer layer and two side buffer parts, wherein the first buffer layer, the second buffer layer and the two side buffer parts enclose an internal space; the support sheet is arranged in the internal space; The support sheet has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other in the thickness direction; the first buffer layer is bonded to the first surface and / or the second buffer layer is bonded to the second surface; the side buffer portion is separated from the side surface of the support sheet; When the rotating shaft assembly is in a folded state, the buffer body is stretched so that spacing spaces are respectively formed between the two sides of the support sheet in the width direction and the side buffer portions on both sides.

14. A support shaft for an outward-folding foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The supporting shaft comprises: The support structure according to any one of claims 1 to 10; and A rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly comprising a center beam, two inner door panels, and two outer door panels, the two inner door panels being rotatably connected to both sides of the center beam, and the two outer door panels being rotatably connected to the sides of the two inner door panels away from the center beam; Wherein, a side surface of the buffer body close to the shaft assembly includes two first surface areas; the two first surface areas are respectively located on both sides of the width direction of the support structure, and the two first surface areas are respectively bonded to the two outer door panels.

15. The support shaft according to claim 14, characterized in that: The side surface of the buffer body close to the rotating shaft assembly further includes two second surface areas; the two second surface areas are respectively located between the two first surface areas, and the two second surface areas are respectively bonded to the two inner door panels.

16. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: include: A folding screen, comprising a bending area, a first large area, and a second large area, wherein the first large area and the second large area are respectively connected to two sides of the bending area; as well as, A housing assembly comprising a first housing, a second housing, and the support shaft according to any one of claims 11 to 15, wherein the first housing and the second housing are respectively connected to two sides of the support shaft and can be folded or unfolded relative to each other; Wherein, the first large surface area is supported by the first shell, and the second large surface area is supported by the second shell; The supporting structure is supported between the bending area and the rotating shaft assembly.

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