Hinge assembly and electronic equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a hinge assembly and electronic equipment. The hinge assembly comprises a base (10) and a first damping mechanism (20), the base is provided with a blocking part (11) and a connecting shaft (12). The first damping mechanism comprises a swing arm (21), a sliding frame (22) and a first elastic piece (23). The swing arm is rotationally connected to the connecting shaft, so that the swing arm can rotate relative to the base and can be switched between a folded state and a flattened state; the swing arm is further provided with a containing groove (212), a first elastic piece is arranged between the groove wall, away from the base, of the containing groove and the sliding frame, the groove wall, facing the base, of the containing groove is provided with a notch (216), and the sliding frame is slidably connected into the containing groove and provided with an abutting part (223) extending out of the notch. The sliding frame can rotate along with the swing arm, and when the swing arm rotates between the folded state and the flattened state, the blocking part is located on the rotating track of the abutting part. When the swing arm of the hinge assembly is subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic piece, the folding angle range of the swing arm is larger.

Description

Hinge assembly and electronic device TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of hinge assemblies, and more particularly, to a hinge assembly for a foldable electronic device and an electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0002] A hinge assembly is provided in a foldable electronic device. In order to increase the damping feeling of the foldable electronic device when being folded, and to meet the hovering effect after being folded, the hinge assembly also needs to add a damping mechanism. In the industry, there are mainly two forms of damping mechanisms, one is an external damping mechanism arranged on a swing arm, and the other is an internal damping mechanism arranged in a shaft on a base.

[0003] The current external damping mechanism is often connected with the base by a virtual pivot. The swing arm of the external damping mechanism can only make the user feel the damping feeling when being folded within a certain angle range. If the swing arm is folded beyond the angle range, the user will not feel the damping feeling, thereby affecting the user's experience.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] The present application aims to provide a hinge assembly and an electronic device. The swing arm and the base are rotationally connected by the connecting shaft, so that the rotation track of the swing arm always surrounds the base. The abutting portion of the swing arm is always in contact with the blocking portion on the base during rotation, and can push the sliding frame to extrude the first elastic member, so that the swing arm is subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member. Compared with the related art, the folding angle range of the swing arm is larger when subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member.

[0006] In a first aspect, the present application provides a hinge assembly, comprising a base and a first damping mechanism.

[0007] The base is provided with a blocking portion and a connecting shaft.

[0008] The first damping mechanism comprises a swing arm, a sliding frame and a first elastic member. The swing arm is rotationally connected to the connecting shaft, so that the swing arm can rotate relative to the base and switch between a folded state and an unfolded state. The swing arm also has a receiving groove. The first elastic member is arranged between the groove wall of the receiving groove away from the base and the sliding frame. The groove wall of the receiving groove towards the base has a gap. The sliding frame is slidingly connected in the receiving groove and is provided with an abutting portion protruding out of the gap. The sliding frame can rotate with the swing arm. When the swing arm rotates between the folded state and the unfolded state, the blocking portion is located on the rotation track of the abutting portion.

[0009] The hinged assembly in the present application, since the swing arm and the base are connected by the connecting shaft, compared with the swing arm and the base connected by the virtual rotation shaft in the related art, the rotation track of the swing arm in the present application always surrounds the base, and will not appear the situation that the rotation track moves up and away from the base, and the swing frame followed by the swing arm and the abutting portion on the swing frame also rotate around the base, and the rotation track of the abutting portion also gathers around the base and can be blocked or interfered by the blocking portion on the base. No matter the swing arm is turned from the folded state to the flat state, or is turned from the flat state to the folded state, the abutting portion is always in contact with the blocking portion on the base during the rotation of the swing arm, and can push the swing frame through the abutting portion to extrude the first elastic member, so that the swing arm is subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member. When the hinged assembly in the present application is applied to the foldable electronic device, compared with the related art, the situation that the slider and the convex block are separated and the user cannot feel the damping feeling will not occur. Therefore, the hinged assembly in the present application can make the user feel the damping feeling in a larger folding angle range, and can improve the user experience.

[0010] In addition, since the swing arm is always subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member during the rotation, the first damping mechanism can also enable the shell to stably hover at various folding angles, thereby realizing the hovering effect of the in-shaft damping mechanism in the related art. Therefore, when the first damping mechanism in the present application is adopted, the hinged assembly can reduce the number of in-shaft damping mechanisms, or even can eliminate the in-shaft damping mechanism, so that more space can be provided on the base for mounting other components, facilitating structure optimization, or the eliminated position can be directly occupied by the base material, thereby improving the mechanical strength of the base and being beneficial to improve the drop reliability of the hinged assembly.

[0011] In addition, in the related art, when the swing arm and the base rotate through the virtual rotation shaft, the relative sliding between the arc-shaped plate and the slot wall of the arc-shaped slot is mainly realized, and with the change of the rotation angle of the swing arm, the sliding connection area (or the overlap amount) between the arc-shaped plate and the slot wall of the arc-shaped slot also changes, so that the arc-shaped plate is easily stuck in the arc-shaped slot, thereby affecting the bending feeling of the user. In the present application, the swing arm and the base are connected by the real shaft structure composed of the rotation hole and the connecting shaft, or the real shaft structure composed of the shaft sleeve and the connecting shaft, and there is no overlap amount change problem of the virtual rotation shaft, so that the rotation connection between the swing arm and the base in the present application is more stable, and there is no sticking phenomenon during the rotation of the swing arm, further ensuring the user experience.

[0012] In a possible design, the blocking portion has an outer wall and a first slope, and the top of the first slope is connected with the outer wall; when the swing arm is in the folded state, the abutting portion abuts against the first slope, and when the swing arm rotates from the folded state to the flat state, the abutting portion slides along the first slope to the outer wall.

[0013] The blocking portion has the first slope, so that the hinge assembly has a self-closing force, further improving the user experience. In addition, at the moment when the swing arm is unfolded from the folded state, the blocking portion is difficult to slide from the first slope to the outer wall, and the swing arm is difficult to unfold without external force. When the mobile phone in the folded state is placed in the pocket for storage, it is not easy to be affected by external vibration to cause accidental opening, which can save power and prevent misoperation.

[0014] In a possible design, the blocking portion further has a second slope, the top of the second slope is connected with the outer wall, and the outer wall is located between the top of the first slope and the top of the second slope; when the swing arm is in the unfolded state, the abutting portion abuts against the second slope, and when the swing arm rotates from the unfolded state to the folded state, the abutting portion slides along the second slope to the outer wall.

[0015] The blocking portion has the second slope, so that the hinge assembly has a self-unfolding force, further improving the user experience. In addition, at the moment when the swing arm is folded from the unfolded state, the blocking portion is difficult to slide from the second slope to the outer wall, and the swing arm is difficult to fold without external force. In this way, the anti-vibration effect of the foldable mobile phone can be improved during use, and when the mobile phone is in the unfolded state, it is not easy to be affected by external vibration to cause bending

[0016] In a possible design, the number of first damping mechanisms is at least two, and the at least two first damping mechanisms are arranged opposite to the two sides of the base. The swing arms of the at least two first damping mechanisms are respectively a first swing arm and a second swing arm. The first swing arm is provided with a first spiral groove, and the first spiral groove extends spirally in a first direction. The second swing arm is provided with a second spiral groove, and the second spiral groove extends spirally in the first direction. The first direction is the axial direction of the connecting shaft. The hinge assembly further includes a synchronous sliding block, which is in sliding connection with the base. The synchronous sliding block includes a first protrusion and a second protrusion fixed with the first protrusion. The first protrusion is in sliding connection with the first spiral groove, and the second protrusion is in sliding connection with the second spiral groove.

[0017] The synchronous mechanism is simple and compact in structure, occupies less space, and can meet the design requirement of miniaturization of the hinge assembly. In addition, compared with the two or four sets of synchronous gears used in the traditional scheme to realize the synchronization of the swing arms, the synchronous mechanism does not have the risk of gear tooth breakage, has better synchronization, and has a smoother folding feel.

[0018] In a possible design, the first protrusion has two first side walls arranged opposite to each other in the first direction, and the first side walls are matched with the groove walls of the first spiral groove. The second protrusion has two second side walls arranged opposite to each other in the first direction, and the second side walls are matched with the groove walls of the second spiral groove.

[0019] In this way, the first convex part and the groove wall of the first spiral groove, and the second convex part and the groove wall of the second spiral groove can be in close contact and fully contact with each other, so that the torque of the synchronous mechanism can be accurately transmitted.

[0020] In a possible design, the first swing arm includes a first structural member and a second structural member spliced with each other, the first structural member is provided with a first spiral surface, the second structural member is provided with a second spiral surface, the first structural member and the second structural member are opposite to each other along a first direction, and the first spiral surface and the second spiral surface enclose to form the first spiral groove. The second swing arm includes a third structural member and a fourth structural member spliced with each other, the third structural member is provided with a third spiral surface, the fourth structural member is provided with a fourth spiral surface, the third structural member and the fourth structural member are opposite to each other along the first direction, and the third spiral surface and the fourth spiral surface enclose to form the second spiral groove.

[0021] The first swing arm and the second swing arm are designed in a disassembled form, which is relatively easy and convenient to assemble the first convex part into the first spiral groove and the second convex part into the second spiral groove.

[0022] In a possible design, the hinge assembly further includes a second damping mechanism, the second damping mechanism includes a connecting plate, a second elastic member and a driven wheel set, the connecting plate is fixed with the connecting shaft, the driven wheel set is in sliding connection with the base, and the second elastic member is arranged between the connecting plate and the driven wheel set; the second structural member is provided with a first driving wheel, and the fourth structural member is provided with a second driving wheel, the teeth of the first driving wheel and the second driving wheel protrude in the first direction; the driven wheel set includes a first driven wheel and a second driven wheel fixed with the first driven wheel, the first driven wheel is in meshing connection with the first driving wheel, and the second driven wheel is in meshing connection with the second driving wheel.

[0023] The second damping mechanism is additionally arranged and used in cooperation with the first damping mechanism, and the two damping mechanisms are uniformly distributed on the hinge assembly, so that the tactile force generated by the damping mechanism can be evenly distributed on the periphery of the electronic device when the electronic device is bent, thereby avoiding the situation that the tactile force is strong at a local position of the periphery of the electronic device and weak at other positions, and also to enable the shell to stably hover at a certain folding angle, thereby improving the hovering accuracy. In addition, the second damping mechanism is arranged adjacent to the second structural member and the fourth structural member, so that the overall structure of the hinge assembly is compact.

[0024] In a possible design, the synchronous slider is provided with a sliding hole, and the synchronous slider is in sliding connection with the connecting shaft through the sliding hole.

[0025] The synchronous slider is in sliding connection with the connecting shaft through the sliding hole, so that the sliding connection design of the synchronous slider and the base is realized, and the structure is compact and easy to implement.

[0026] In a possible design, the hinge assembly further includes a shielding assembly, the shielding assembly includes a middle shielding plate, two side shielding plates and shielding plate swing arms; the middle shielding plate is stacked with the base; the two side shielding plates are located at two sides of the middle shielding plate in the length direction of the middle shielding plate; each side shielding plate is fixed with at least one shielding plate swing arm; the shielding plate swing arm is provided with a first arc-shaped plate; the base is provided with a first arc-shaped groove in sliding connection with the first arc-shaped plate; and the shielding plate swing arm is rotationally connected with the base through the first arc-shaped plate and the first arc-shaped groove. The shielding plate swing arm can rotate relative to the base and switch between the folded state and the flattened state; when the shielding plate swing arm is in the folded state, the two side shielding plates are located on the side of the middle shielding plate away from the base.

[0027] In the related art, the side shielding plate usually does not have an independent driving swing arm, but is driven by the swing arm, so that the rotation of the side shielding plate is limited by the swing arm. In this application, the side shielding plate has a separate shielding plate swing arm, so that the rotation design of the side shielding plate is more flexible.

[0028] In a possible design, from the side shielding plate to the middle shielding plate, the side shielding plate gradually tilts away from the base.

[0029] The design that the side shielding plate tilts upward on the side close to the middle shielding plate, that is, the side shielding plate tilts upward on the side close to the base, can provide more space for the abutting part in the first damping mechanism and the blocking part on the base, and also provide more space for the second damping mechanism, so that the structure of the first damping mechanism and the second damping mechanism can be optimized.

[0030] In a possible design, the hinge assembly further includes a support assembly, including a support piece, a connecting block and a connecting piece; the support piece is provided with a second arc-shaped plate; the base is provided with a second arc-shaped groove in sliding connection with the second arc-shaped plate; the support piece is rotationally connected with the base through the second arc-shaped plate and the second arc-shaped groove; the support piece is further provided with a third arc-shaped plate; the extending direction of the third arc-shaped plate is opposite to the extending direction of the second arc-shaped plate; the connecting piece is provided with a third arc-shaped groove in sliding connection with the third arc-shaped plate; the support piece is rotationally connected with the connecting piece through the third arc-shaped plate and the third arc-shaped groove; and the connecting block is fixed with the connecting piece. The shielding plate swing arm is in sliding connection with the connecting piece.

[0031] In a possible design, the connecting piece is provided with a first guide groove; and the shielding plate swing arm is provided with a pin column in sliding connection with the first guide groove.

[0032] The sliding structure of the connecting piece and the shielding plate swing arm can improve the impact resistance of the hinge assembly, so that the drop reliability of the foldable electronic device is higher.

[0033] In a possible design, the third arc-shaped plate and the second arc-shaped plate are staggered in the width direction of the support piece.

[0034] The overall width of the support can be reduced.

[0035] In a possible design, the connecting block is provided with a receiving groove accommodating the swing arm, a groove wall of the receiving groove is provided with a second guide groove, and the swing arm is provided with a guide slider in sliding connection with the second guide groove.

[0036] In a possible design, the blocking portion further has a third slope, a slope bottom of the third slope is connected with a slope bottom of the first slope, and a reinforcing rib is arranged between the third slope and the first slope. In addition, the blocking portion further has a fourth slope, a slope bottom of the fourth slope is connected with a slope bottom of the second slope, and a reinforcing rib is arranged between the fourth slope and the second slope.

[0037] The reinforcing rib improves the mechanical strength of the blocking portion, and further improves the impact resistance of the hinge assembly, so that the drop reliability of the foldable electronic device is higher.

[0038] In a possible design, the first slope is a slanted plane or an arc surface. In addition, the second slope is a slanted plane or an arc surface.

[0039] In a possible design, the surface of the blocking portion is an arc surface, and the outer wall is an arc surface.

[0040] The blocking portion and the abutting portion are prevented from having protruding corners, so that the abutting portion is relatively smooth when sliding on the surface of the blocking portion, and the situation of hinge shaking and jamming is prevented, thereby ensuring the folding feeling of the user.

[0041] In a possible design, the abutting portion and the sliding frame are in an integrated structure.

[0042] The processing and assembling difficulty of the two can be reduced, and the connecting strength of the two is higher.

[0043] In a possible design, the receiving groove of the swing arm is provided with a guide rod arranged along the sliding direction of the sliding frame, and the sliding frame is provided with a guide hole in sliding connection with the guide rod.

[0044] In a second aspect, the present application further provides an electronic device comprising the hinge assembly.

[0045] The electronic device of this application includes the aforementioned hinge assembly. Because the swing arm and base of this hinge assembly are rotatably connected via a pivot hole and a connecting shaft, compared to related technologies where the swing arm and base are connected via a virtual pivot, the rotation trajectory of the swing arm in this application always revolves around the base, preventing the rotation trajectory from shifting upwards and away from the base. Regardless of whether the swing arm is in a folded state to a flattened state or vice versa, the supporting part is always in contact with the blocking part on the base during the swing arm's rotation. This supporting part can push the sliding frame to compress the first elastic element, allowing the user to experience a wider range of folding angles with a damping feel, thus improving the user experience. Furthermore, the number of internal damping mechanisms can be reduced, or even eliminated altogether, allowing more space on the base for mounting other components, facilitating structural optimization. Alternatively, the eliminated space can be occupied directly by the base material, thereby increasing the mechanical strength of the base and improving the drop reliability of the electronic device. In addition, when bending the electronic device described in this application, there is no jamming during the rotation of the swing arm, further ensuring the user experience.

[0046] In one possible design, the electronic device also includes a housing and a display screen, with two housings, a hinge assembly disposed between the two housings, and the display screen disposed on one side of the two housings and the hinge assembly.

[0047] In one possible design, when the swing arm is in the folded state, the display screen is located on the outside of the two housings. That is, the electronic device is an outward-folding folding device. Attached Figure Description

[0048] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a single-sided swing arm in a flattened state in the related technology;

[0049] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a single-sided swing arm in the folding process in the related technology;

[0050] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the single-sided swing arm in Figure 2 after further folding;

[0051] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the foldable mobile phone provided in the embodiment of this application in the flattened state;

[0052] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the foldable mobile phone provided in the embodiment of this application in the folded state;

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly provided in the embodiment of this application in the flattened state;

[0054] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly provided in the embodiment of this application in the folded state;

[0055] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly in Figure 6 behind the concealed middle and side panels;

[0056] Figure 9 is a partial enlarged view of the first damping mechanism and connecting block provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an example of the first damping mechanism and base provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0058] Figure 11 is an exploded view of the single-sided first damping mechanism in Figure 10;

[0059] Figure 12 is a simplified structural diagram of the swing arm and base in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view of AA in Figure 7;

[0061] Figure 14 is a dynamic schematic diagram of the swing arm rotating from a folded state to a flattened state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 15 is a dynamic schematic diagram of the swing arm rotating from a flattened state to a folded state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0063] Figure 16 is a torque curve of the hinge assembly provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0064] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram of another example of the first damping mechanism and base provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0065] Figure 18 is an exploded view of the single-sided first damping mechanism in Figure 17;

[0066] Figure 19 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly in Figure 6;

[0067] Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 19 with the side shielding panel hidden;

[0068] Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the foldable mobile phone provided in the embodiment of this application in its flattened state;

[0069] Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view of the foldable phone in Figure 21 in its folded state;

[0070] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly in Figure 6 from the rear view.

[0071] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of Figure 23 with the support components and connecting blocks hidden;

[0072] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of the support member provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0073] Figure 26 is a cross-sectional view of an example of a support component provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0074] Figure 27 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the support component provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0075] Figure 28 is an enlarged view of point H in Figure 24;

[0076] Figure 29 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0077] Figure 30 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 29 with a connecting block hidden;

[0078] Figure 31 is an exploded view of a base according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0079] Figure 32 is an assembly view of the base of Figure 31.

[0080] Reference signs:

[0081] 01, base; 02, arc-shaped groove; 03, protrusion; 04, arc-shaped plate; 05, sliding block; 06, elastic member; 07, swing arm; 08, door panel;

[0082] 10, base; 10a, upper base; 10b, lower base; 11, blocking portion; 111, first slope; 112, second slope; 113, reinforcing rib; 114, outer wall; 115, third slope; 12, connecting shaft; 13, first arc-shaped groove; 14, second arc-shaped groove;

[0083] 20, first damping mechanism; 21, swing arm; 211, rotating hole; 212, accommodating groove; 214, guide sliding block; 215, guide rod; 216, notch; 21a, first swing arm; 21a1, first structural member; 21a2, second structural member; 21a3, first driving wheel; 21b, second swing arm; 21b1, third structural member; 21b2, fourth structural member; 21b3, second driving wheel; 22, sliding frame; 221, guide hole; 222, limiting column; 223, abutting portion; 23, first elastic member;

[0084] 31, first helical groove; 311, first helical surface; 312, second helical surface; 32, second helical groove; 33, synchronous sliding block; 331, first protrusion; 332, second protrusion; 333, sliding hole; 334, first side wall;

[0085] 40, second damping mechanism; 41, connecting plate; 42, second elastic member; 43, driven wheel set; 431, first driven wheel; 432, second driven wheel;

[0086] 50, shielding assembly; 51, middle shielding plate; 52, side shielding plate; 53, shielding plate swing arm; 531, first arc-shaped plate; 532, pin column;

[0087] 60, supporting assembly; 61, supporting member; 611, third arc-shaped plate; 621, second arc-shaped plate; 63, connecting block; 631, accommodating groove; 632, second guide groove; 64, connecting member; 641, first guide groove; 642, third arc-shaped groove;

[0088] 100, hinge assembly; 200, housing; 201, back cover; 202, middle frame; 300, display screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0089] The following exemplary describes the related content that the embodiments of the present application can involve. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments.

[0090] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "mounting", "connection", "connecting" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, can be fixedly connected, can be detachably connected, or integrally connected; can be mechanically connected, or electrically connected or can communicate with each other; can be directly connected, or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0091] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "side", "inner", "outer", "top", "bottom" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the installation, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0092] It should also be noted that the same reference signs are used to represent the same components or the same parts in the embodiments of the present application. For the same parts in the embodiments of the present application, only one part or component may be labeled with a reference sign in the drawing, and it should be understood that the reference sign is also applicable to other identical parts or components.

[0093] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, which means that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B, which can represent the existence of A alone, the existence of A and B together, and the existence of B alone.

[0094] The flexible screen has the characteristics of being bendable, and has been applied to foldable electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablet computers, wristbands, game consoles, wearable devices, etc. The display screen of such electronic devices can increase the display size without increasing the volume, and also has a high screen ratio and clarity. For example, taking a foldable mobile phone as an example, after folding, it can only have the size of a traditional mobile phone, which can be conveniently carried and stored, and after unfolding, it can have the display size of a tablet computer, so that the mobile phone has a large display area to improve the user's viewing experience and operation experience. These characteristics make foldable electronic devices very popular among consumers.

[0095] A hinge assembly is provided in a foldable electronic device. In order to increase the damping feeling of the foldable electronic device when being folded, and to meet the hovering effect after folding, the hinge assembly also needs to add a damping mechanism. In the industry, the damping mechanism mainly has two forms, one is an external damping mechanism arranged on the swing arm, and the other is an internal damping mechanism arranged in the shaft of the base.

[0096] The current external damping mechanism is often connected with the base by a virtual pivot. The external damping mechanism can only provide damping feeling when the swing arm is rotated to a certain angle range. If the swing arm exceeds the angle range, the damping feeling cannot be provided, which will result in poor bending feeling of the foldable electronic device. The defects in the related art will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0097] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a single-sided swing arm in an unfolded state in the related art. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a single-sided swing arm in a folding process in the related art. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the single-sided swing arm in FIG. 2 after further folding.

[0098] As shown in FIG. 1, in the related art, the external damping mechanism on the foldable electronic device is mainly composed of a door plate 08, a swing arm 07, an elastic element 06, a sliding block 05, and an arc-shaped plate 04 arranged on the swing arm 07, etc. The base 01 is provided with a protrusion 03, an arc-shaped groove 02, etc. The arc-shaped plate 04 and the arc-shaped groove 02 are slidingly connected to form a virtual pivot, so that the swing arm 07 can rotate relative to the base 01.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 2, when the swing arm 07 rotates relative to the base 01, the sliding block 05 is interfered and blocked by the protrusion 03, i.e. the position indicated by T in FIG. 2. Thus, the protrusion 03 pushes the sliding block 05 to move away from the base 01, thereby extruding the elastic element 06 on the swing arm 07, so that the elastic element 06 deforms to generate an elastic restoring force. The elastic restoring force is ultimately transmitted to the user's hand through the swing arm 07 to form a rotating resistance, thereby making the user feel the damping feeling of the damping mechanism.

[0100] However, since the rotation axis of the virtual pivot is located above the base 01, the rotation track of the sliding block 05 on the swing arm 07 is also overall deviated upward from the base 01, i.e. the position indicated by G in the figure. In the case that the overall structure thickness of the hinge assembly is limited, the protrusion 03 cannot protrude too much, which results in that the protrusion 03 cannot completely cover the rotation track of the sliding block 05. As shown in FIG. 3, when the swing arm 07 is rotated to an angle K of 45° with the horizontal plane, the sliding block 05 and the protrusion 03 will be separated, so that the protrusion 03 cannot act on the sliding block 05. At this time, the elastic element 06 will be in a natural open state, so that the user cannot feel the damping feeling.

[0101] It can be seen that in the hinge assembly in the related art, when the above-mentioned external damping mechanism is adopted, the swing arm 07 can only make the user feel the damping feeling when it is folded within a certain angle range. If the swing arm 07 is folded beyond the angle range, the user will not feel the damping feeling, thereby affecting the user's experience.

[0102] Therefore, in order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides a hinge assembly and an electronic device. The swing arm and the base are rotationally connected through the connecting shaft, so that the rotation track of the swing arm always surrounds the base. The abutting portion of the swing arm is always in contact with the blocking portion on the base during rotation, and can push the sliding frame through the abutting portion to extrude the first elastic member, so that the swing arm is subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member. Compared with the related art, the folding angle range of the swing arm is larger when subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member.

[0103] The electronic device provided in the present application is an outer folding electronic device, including but not limited to a foldable mobile phone, a foldable tablet computer, a foldable game console, a foldable e-reader, a foldable wearable device, etc., and can also be other foldable electronic devices with foldable function and the need to improve the folding feeling.

[0104] In order to more conveniently describe the foldable electronic device provided in the present application, as an example but not limitation, the following will take the outer folding foldable mobile phone as an example to describe the technical solutions of the present application in detail.

[0105] The foldable mobile phone provided in the present application will be described in detail in combination with the drawings.

[0106] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the foldable mobile phone provided in the present application in the unfolded state. FIG. 5 is a schematic view of the foldable mobile phone provided in the present application in the folded state.

[0107] As shown in FIGS. 4-5, the foldable mobile phone provided in the present application includes a housing 200, a hinge assembly 100, and a display screen 300.

[0108] The number of the housing 200 is two, and the two housings 200 are arranged side by side. The hinge assembly 100 is connected between the two housings 200 to rotationally connect the two housings 200, so that the two housings 200 can be switched between the folded state and the unfolded state. The display screen 300 is arranged above the housing 200 and the hinge assembly 100.

[0109] The shell 200 includes a rear cover 201 (or a battery cover) and a middle frame 202, and the rear cover 201, the middle frame 202 and the display screen 300 enclose an inner cavity for accommodating a mainboard, a battery, a camera module, an earpiece module, a loudspeaker module and the like. The shell 200 is used for bearing the display screen 300 and protecting the internal components of the foldable mobile phone. The display screen 300 at both ends is fixedly connected with the shell 200, and the shell 200 can be a hard shell, so that the shell 200 can stably support both ends of the display screen 300.

[0110] The hinge assembly 100 can be deformed with the folding or unfolding of the shell 200. Specifically, the opposite sides of the hinge assembly 100 are connected to the shell 200, and the hinge assembly 100 uses its rotatable property to make one shell 200 flip relative to the other shell 200, so that the two shells 200 are in a folded state, or in an unfolded state, or in a state between folding and unfolding, thereby making the foldable mobile phone provided by the embodiment have multiple modes to meet the use requirements of users in different scenarios.

[0111] The two shells 200 can be unfolded relative to each other, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the two shells 200 form an included angle of 180 degrees, so that the foldable mobile phone provided by the embodiment can realize large-screen display, and can provide more abundant information for users and better use experience for users.

[0112] The two shells 200 can also be folded relative to each other, for example, the two shells 200 form an included angle of 60-90 degrees, so that the foldable mobile phone switches to a use mode that can be placed on a desktop. At this time, one shell 200 and the display screen 300 thereon can face the user, and the other shell 200 and the display screen 300 thereon are placed on a placement surface such as a desktop, and the shell 200 has an effect similar to the counterweight base 10, which can ensure stable placement of the foldable mobile phone.

[0113] The two shells 200 can be folded close to each other, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, the two shells 200 can be close to each other, so that the foldable mobile phone switches to a folded state, at this time, the foldable mobile phone has a smaller volume, so that it can be conveniently stored and carried by the user; or half of the display screen 300 displays information and is used by the user.

[0114] It can be understood that when the user holds the foldable mobile phone, the position of the earpiece module of the foldable mobile phone can be defined as the upper edge of the foldable mobile phone, the position of the microphone module of the foldable mobile phone can be defined as the lower edge of the foldable mobile phone, and the two sides held by the left and right hands of the user can be defined as the left and right edges of the foldable mobile phone.

[0115] In some embodiments of the present application, the two housings 200 are arranged in an up-down manner, so that the foldable mobile phone can be folded in an up-down manner.

[0116] In some embodiments of the present application, the two housings 200 are arranged in an up-down manner, so that the foldable mobile phone can be folded in an up-down manner.

[0117] The display screen 300 can be a flexible screen that is foldable as a whole, or the display screen 300 can also be a combination of a flexible screen that is foldable in the middle region and rigid screens at both ends, which is not limited in the present application.

[0118] The hinge assembly 100 is also used to support the display screen 300 to prevent the display screen 300 from collapsing. Specifically, the hinge assembly 100 is provided with a display screen 300 support assembly that can rise to support the display screen 300 as the hinge assembly 100 is unfolded, and can lower to give the display screen 300 a space for accommodation as the hinge assembly 100 is folded.

[0119] The foldable mobile phone can also include a plurality of modules, which can be accommodated in the inner cavity of the housing 200. The plurality of modules of the foldable mobile phone can include, but are not limited to, a processor, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a charging management module, a power management module, a battery, a microphone module, a motor module, a speaker module, a mobile communication module, an antenna module, a memory, a camera module, an earpiece module, a sensor module, etc. The number, type and position of the modules of the foldable mobile phone are not limited in the present application.

[0120] The processor can include one or more processing units, for example, the processor can include an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a memory, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, a neural-network processing unit (NPU), etc. Different processing units can be independent devices or can be integrated in one or more processors.

[0121] The USB interface is an interface conforming to the USB standard specification, and can be a Mini USB interface, a Micro USB interface, a USB Type C interface, etc. The USB interface can be used to connect a charger to charge the outer folding mobile phone, and can also be used to transmit data between the outer folding mobile phone and peripheral devices. It can also be used to connect a headset to play audio through the headset. The interface can also be used to connect other electronic devices, such as projectors, game controllers, etc.

[0122] The charging management module is used to receive charging input from the charger. Optionally, the charging management module can receive charging input from a wired charger through the USB interface. Optionally, the charging management module can receive wireless charging input through the wireless charging coil of the outer folding mobile phone. The charging management module can charge the battery while also providing power to the outer folding mobile phone through the power management module.

[0123] The power management module is used to connect the battery, the charging management module, and the processor. The power management module receives input from the battery and / or the charging management module to power the processor, the internal memory, the external memory, the display screen 300, the camera, and the wireless communication module, etc.

[0124] The battery is used to store externally charged power and provide power to other power-consuming modules to drive them to work (e.g., to drive the display screen 300 to display). The battery can be any of a nickel-cadmium battery, a lithium battery, etc.

[0125] The microphone can also be commonly referred to as a sound pickup, a microphone, a speaker, a microphone, a microphone, a microphone, etc. It is a kind of energy conversion device that converts sound signals into electrical signals, and is a device that is exactly opposite to the function of the loudspeaker. According to the different microphone transduction principles, the microphone can be any one of an electrodynamic microphone, a condenser microphone, a piezoelectric microphone, an electromagnetic microphone, a semiconductor microphone, etc.

[0126] The motor can produce a vibration prompt, which can be used for incoming call vibration prompt, touch vibration feedback, touch operation of different applications (e.g., taking pictures, audio playing, etc.), and different vibration feedback effects. The touch operation acting on different areas of the display screen 300 can also correspond to different vibration feedback effects. Different application scenarios (e.g., time reminders, received information, alarms, etc.) can also correspond to different vibration feedback effects. The touch vibration feedback effect can also support customization.

[0127] The loudspeaker is also known as a loudspeaker or an audio unit, which is a commonly used electro-acoustic transducer. The main working principle of the loudspeaker is to use the energized element to drive the diaphragm to produce mechanical vibration and push the surrounding air, so as to realize the "electric-force-sound" conversion.

[0128] The wireless communication function of the outer folding mobile phone can be realized by an antenna, a mobile communication module, a wireless communication module, a modulation and demodulation processor, and a baseband processor, etc.

[0129] The mobile communication module can provide a solution for wireless communication including 2G / 3G / 4G / 5G, etc. applied to the outer folding mobile phone. The wireless communication module can provide a solution for wireless communication including wireless local area networks (WLAN), bluetooth (BT), global navigation satellite system (GNSS), frequency modulation (FM), near field communication (NFC), infrared technology (IR), etc. applied to the outer folding mobile phone.

[0130] As shown in FIG. 4, for the convenience of the description of each embodiment below, an XYZ coordinate system is established for the foldable mobile phone. Specifically, the extension direction of the rotation axis of the foldable mobile phone is defined as the Y direction, the thickness direction of the foldable mobile phone is defined as the Z direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Y direction and the Z direction is defined as the X direction.

[0131] The technical solutions of the hinge assembly 100 adopted by the foldable mobile phone in the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below.

[0132] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 100 in the flat state according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 100 in the folded state according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 100 in FIG. 6 after the middle shielding plate 51 and the side shielding plate 52 are hidden.

[0133] As shown in FIGS. 6-8, the hinge assembly 100 provided by the embodiments of the present application includes a base 10, a middle shielding plate 51, a side shielding plate 52, a shielding plate swing arm 53, a support piece 61, a connecting block 63, a connecting piece 64, a first damping mechanism 20, a second damping mechanism 40, etc.

[0134] The base 10 is used to provide a mounting base for the middle shielding plate 51, the side shielding plate 52, the support 61, the connecting block 63, the connecting piece 64, the first damping mechanism 20, the second damping mechanism 40, and the like. The middle shielding plate 51 and the side shielding plate 52 are mainly used to shield and protect the internal components of the hinge assembly 100. The shielding plate swing arm 53 is mainly used to rotatably connect the side shielding plate 52 to the base 10. The support 61 is mainly used to connect the middle frame 202 of the housing 200. The connecting block 63 is mainly used to carry the first damping mechanism 20. The connecting piece 64 is mainly used to connect the support 61 and the connecting block 63.

[0135] Continuing to refer to FIG. 8, the hinge assembly 100 with the middle shielding plate 51 and the side shielding plate 52 hidden is divided into a first region Q1, a second region Q2, and a third region Q3 along the axial direction (Y direction in FIG. 8) of the hinge assembly 100. In the first region Q1, the connecting block 63 and the shielding plate swing arm 53 are mainly arranged. In the second region Q2, the first damping mechanism 20 and the second damping mechanism 40 are mainly arranged. In the third region Q3, the first damping mechanism 20 is mainly arranged. The middle shielding plate 51, the side shielding plate 52, the shielding plate swing arm 53, the support 61, the connecting block 63, the connecting piece 64, and the second damping mechanism 40 will be described in detail in the embodiments below. First, the first damping mechanism 20 is described in detail below.

[0136] FIG. 9 is a partial enlarged view of the first damping mechanism 20 and the connecting block 63 according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 10 is a schematic view of an example of the first damping mechanism 20 and the base 10 according to an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 11 is an exploded view of the single-sided first damping mechanism 20 in FIG. 10.

[0137] As shown in FIGS. 9-11, the base 10 is provided with the blocking part 11 and the connecting shaft 12. The connecting shaft 12 is arranged along the axial direction of the hinge assembly 100, and the blocking part 11 protrudes laterally towards the base 10. The first damping mechanism 20 comprises the swing arm 21, the sliding frame 22 and the first elastic member 23. As shown in FIG. 9, the connecting block 63 is provided with the receiving groove 631 for accommodating the swing arm 21, and the groove wall of the receiving groove 631 is provided with the second guide groove 632. The swing arm 21 is provided with the guide sliding block 214 which is in sliding connection with the second guide groove 632, so that the swing arm 21 is slidingly arranged in the receiving groove 631. The swing arm 21 is provided with the rotating hole 211 and is in rotating connection with the connecting shaft 12 through the rotating hole 211, or the swing arm 21 is provided with the shaft sleeve and is in rotating connection with the connecting shaft 12 through the shaft sleeve, so that the swing arm 21 can rotate relative to the base 10 and switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. As shown in FIG. 11, the swing arm 21 is further provided with the accommodating groove 212, the first elastic member 23 is arranged between the groove wall of the accommodating groove 212 and the sliding frame 22, the groove wall of the accommodating groove 212 is provided with the notch 216 towards the base 10, and the sliding frame 22 is slidingly arranged in the accommodating groove 212 and is provided with the abutting part 223 which protrudes out of the notch 216. The sliding frame 22 can rotate with the swing arm 21, and when the swing arm 21 rotates between the folded state and the unfolded state, the blocking part 11 is located on the rotating track of the abutting part 223, so that the blocking part 11 can push the sliding frame 22 through the abutting part 223 to press the first elastic member 23.

[0138] FIG. 12 is a structural diagram of the swing arm 21 and the base 10 in the embodiment of the present application. In FIG. 12, (a) is a structural diagram of the swing arm 21 in the folded state, and (b) is a structural diagram of the swing arm 21 in the unfolded state.

[0139] As shown in (a) of FIG. 12, the folded state of the swing arm 21 can be defined as the position of the swing arm 21 when the included angle L between the swing arm 21 and the horizontal plane is about 88-92°. As shown in (b) of FIG. 12, the unfolded state of the swing arm 21 can be defined as the position of the swing arm 21 when the included angle L between the swing arm 21 and the horizontal plane is about -2-2°.

[0140] Taking the rotation of the swing arm 21 from the folded state to the unfolded state as an example, the specific action process of the hinge assembly 100 provided in the application is as follows: when the swing arms 21 on the left and right sides are both in the folded state, at this time, the abutting part 223 of the sliding frame 22 is in close contact with the blocking part 11, the first elastic member 23 is in a compressed deformed state, the elastic restoring force generated by the first elastic member 23 acts on the sliding frame 22, and the sliding frame 22 in turn transmits the force to the abutting part 223, so that the abutting part 223 forms a pressing force on the blocking part 11; as the user unfolds the shell 200, the shell 200 drives the swing arm 21 to rotate through the connecting block 63, and the swing arm 21 in turn drives the sliding frame 22 and the first elastic member 23 to rotate, and the abutting part 223 of the sliding frame 22 slides along the surface of the blocking part 11, and the resistance formed by the friction between the abutting part 223 and the blocking part 11 makes the user feel a damping hand feeling.

[0141] The hinge assembly 100 in the embodiment of the application, since the swing arm 21 and the base 10 are rotationally connected through the connecting shaft 12, compared with the case that the swing arm 07 and the base 01 are connected through a virtual rotation shaft in the related art, the rotation track of the swing arm 21 in the embodiment of the application always surrounds the base 10, and the rotation track of the swing arm 21 will not move upward and away from the base 10, and the sliding frame 22 and the abutting part 223 on the sliding frame 22 driven by the swing arm 21 also rotate around the base 10, and the rotation track of the abutting part 223 also surrounds the base 10 and can be blocked or interfered by the blocking part 11 on the base 10. Whether the swing arm 21 rotates from the folded state to the unfolded state or from the unfolded state to the folded state, the abutting part 223 is always in contact with the blocking part 11 on the base 10 in the process of rotation of the swing arm 21, and the abutting part 223 can push the sliding frame 22 to press the first elastic member 23, so that the swing arm 21 is subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member 23. When the hinge assembly 100 in the embodiment of the application is applied to a foldable mobile phone, compared with the related art, the situation as shown in FIG. 3 will not occur: when the swing arm 07 rotates to an angle greater than the angle K with the horizontal plane, the sliding block 05 and the protrusion 03 will be separated, and the elastic member 06 will be in a natural open state, so that the user cannot feel the damping hand feeling. Therefore, the hinge assembly 100 in the embodiment of the application can make the user feel a larger range of folding angles with the damping hand feeling, and can improve the user experience.

[0142] In addition, since the swing arm 21 is always subjected to the damping effect of the first elastic member 23 during rotation, the first damping mechanism 20 can also enable the shell 200 to stably hover at various folding angles, thereby achieving the hovering effect of the in-shaft damping mechanism in the related art. Therefore, when the first damping mechanism 20 in the embodiment of the present application is adopted, the hinge assembly 100 can reduce the number of in-shaft damping mechanisms, or even eliminate the in-shaft damping mechanism, so that more space is available on the base 10 to provide mounting positions for other components, facilitating structural optimization, or the eliminated positions are directly occupied by the base material of the base 10, thereby improving the mechanical strength of the base 10 and facilitating improvement of the drop reliability of the hinge assembly 100.

[0143] In addition, in the related art, when the swing arm 21 and the base 10 rotate through the virtual pivot, the relative sliding between the arc-shaped plate and the slot wall of the arc-shaped slot is mainly achieved, and as the rotation angle of the swing arm 21 changes, the sliding connection area (or the overlap amount) between the arc-shaped plate and the slot wall of the arc-shaped slot also changes, so that the arc-shaped plate is easily stuck in the arc-shaped slot, thereby affecting the folding feeling of the user. In the embodiment of the present application, the swing arm 21 and the base 10 are rotatably connected through the real shaft structure composed of the rotating hole 211 and the connecting shaft 12, or the real shaft structure composed of the shaft sleeve and the connecting shaft 12, and there is no overlap amount change problem of the virtual pivot, so that the rotatable connection between the swing arm 21 and the base 10 in the embodiment of the present application is more stable, and the swing arm 21 will not be stuck during rotation, thereby further ensuring the user experience.

[0144] The number and layout of the first damping mechanism 20 are not limited in the embodiment of the present application, and the number of the first damping mechanism 20 can be multiple, and the first damping mechanism 20 can be arranged in pairs on both sides of the base 10, for example, as shown in FIG. 8; or the number of the first damping mechanism 20 can also be multiple, and the multiple first damping mechanisms 20 are arranged in a row and arranged on one side of the base 10; or the number of the first damping mechanism 20 can also be only one, and arranged on one side of the base 10. In addition, the first damping mechanism 20 is demonstrated by using the outer folding foldable mobile phone in the embodiment of the present application, and in other embodiments, the first damping mechanism 20 can also be used in the inner folding foldable mobile phone or other electronic devices of the inner folding type.

[0145] The abutting portion 223 can be a roller rotatably connected to the sliding frame 22; or the abutting portion 223 can also be a protruding portion integrally formed on the sliding frame 22.

[0146] The sliding connection between the sliding frame 22 and the swing arm 21 can be achieved in various ways. For example, a sliding block can be designed on the sliding frame 22, and a sliding groove can be designed on the groove wall of the accommodating groove 212. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, in an embodiment provided by the present application, a guide rod 215 is arranged in the accommodating groove 212 of the swing arm 21, the guide rod 215 is arranged along the sliding direction of the sliding frame 22, and the sliding frame 22 is provided with a guide hole 221 that is in sliding connection with the guide rod 215.

[0147] The gap between the guide rod 215 and the guide hole 221 can be filled with lubricating oil, which can reduce the frictional resistance when the guide rod 215 slides in the guide hole 221, so that the sliding frame 22 can slide smoothly relative to the swing arm 21, avoiding jamming, thereby improving the user's folding hand feeling. The outer wall of the guide rod 215 and / or the hole wall of the guide hole 221 can be coated with a self-lubricating material, which can also reduce the frictional resistance when the guide rod 215 slides in the guide hole 221. The self-lubricating material can be an engineering plastic such as polytetrafluoroethylene, polyformal, polyformal, polycarbonate, polyamide, etc. A layer of electroplated alloy can also be used.

[0148] The first elastic member 23 can be an elastic member with a flat block structure, which can be a rubber block, a square spring, a special-shaped spring, etc. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 11, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the first elastic member 23 is a plurality of cylindrical springs, and the sliding frame 22 is provided with a limiting column 222 for sleeving the cylindrical springs.

[0149] As mentioned in the above embodiments, the damping feeling generated by the user when folding or unfolding the mobile phone is mainly caused by the friction between the abutting portion 223 and the blocking portion 11. In order to ensure that the abutting portion 223 slides smoothly on the surface of the blocking portion 11 and avoid jamming, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the surface of the blocking portion 11 is an arc-shaped curved surface, and the surface of the abutting portion 223 is an arc-shaped curved surface.

[0150] In the present embodiment, the surface of the blocking portion 11 and the surface of the abutting portion 223 are both arc-shaped curved surfaces, which avoids protruding edges and corners, prevents the generation of shaking and jamming feeling when folding, and ensures the user's folding hand feeling.

[0151] The present application does not limit the surface structure of the arc-shaped curved surface. The cross-sectional curve of the arc-shaped curved surface can be a regular circular arc with a radius of curvature. Alternatively, the cross-sectional curve of the arc-shaped curved surface can also be composed of a plurality of circular arcs with different radii of curvature.

[0152] As shown in FIG. 11, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the abutting portion 223 and the sliding frame 22 are integrally formed. In the present embodiment, the abutting portion 223 and the sliding frame 22 are integrally formed, which can reduce the processing and assembly difficulty of the two, and the connection strength of the two is higher.

[0153] When the material of the sliding frame 22 is an organic polymer material such as resin, the sliding frame 22 can be integrally formed by an injection molding process or a 3D printing technology; or a resin blank is formed into the sliding frame 22 by a laser etching or cutting process. When the material of the sliding frame 22 is a metal material such as aluminum, the sliding frame 22 can be integrally formed by a metal casting process; or a block-shaped base material of aluminum or the like is once formed into the sliding frame 22 by grinding, cutting, drilling, turning, milling, or the like.

[0154] FIG. 13 is a sectional view of A-A in FIG. 7, which is also a sectional view of the swing arm 21 in the folded state.

[0155] As shown in FIG. 13, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the blocking portion 11 has an outer wall 114 and a first slope 111, the top of the first slope 111 is connected with the outer wall 114, when the swing arm 21 is in the folded state, the abutting portion 223 abuts against the first slope 111, when the swing arm 21 rotates from the folded state to the unfolded state, the abutting portion 223 slides along the first slope 111 to the outer wall 114. The blocking portion 11 also has a second slope 112, the top of the second slope 112 is connected with the outer wall 114, when the swing arm 21 is in the unfolded state, the abutting portion 223 abuts against the second slope 112, when the swing arm 21 rotates from the unfolded state to the folded state, the abutting portion 223 slides along the second slope 112 to the outer wall 114.

[0156] In the embodiment, the first slope 111 is arranged on the blocking portion 11, so that the swing arm 21 has a strong damping feeling at the moment of unfolding from the folded state, and the swing arm 21 has a self-unfolding force when the swing arm 21 is close to the unfolded state; the second slope 112 is arranged on the blocking portion 11, so that the swing arm 21 has a strong damping feeling at the moment of folding from the unfolded state, and the swing arm 21 has a self-closing force when the swing arm 21 is close to the folded state. The embodiment can further improve the user experience.

[0157] How to conveniently understand the above advantages will be described in detail below in combination with the principle schematic diagram.

[0158] FIG. 14 is a dynamic schematic diagram of the swing arm 21 rotating from the folded state to the unfolded state provided by the embodiment of the present application. In FIG. 14, (a) is a schematic diagram of the swing arm 21 at the moment of unfolding from the folded state; (b) is a schematic diagram of the swing arm 21 in the unfolding process; and (c) is a schematic diagram of the swing arm 21 close to the unfolded state. It should be noted that, in order to conveniently observe the structure in the figure, only the force condition of the right swing arm 21 is marked in the figure, and it can be understood that the force condition of the left swing arm 21 is the same.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 14, the unfolding process of the hinge assembly 100 in the embodiment of the present application is as follows:

[0160] In stage one, the moment when the swing arm 21 is unfolded from the folded state, as shown in (a) of FIG. 14, the swing arm 21 is in the folded state, and the abutting portion 223 abuts against the first slope 111. At this time, the abutting portion 223 is to slide on the first slope 111 and move up to the top of the first slope 111. The abutting portion 223 is subjected to two forces: one is the sliding friction force F1 between the abutting portion 223 and the blocking portion 11; and the other is the elastic restoring force F2 of the first elastic member 23 after being compressed. These two forces are the resistance generated at the moment when the swing arm 21 is unfolded from the folded state, and the user feels a strong damping hand feeling.

[0161] In stage two, the swing arm 21 in the unfolding process, as shown in (b) of FIG. 14, the swing arm 21 slides from the first slope 111 to the outer wall 114. At this time, the abutting portion 223 is to slide along the outer wall 114. In the case where the first elastic member 23 is not further compressed, the abutting portion 223 is mainly subjected to one force: the sliding friction force F1 between the abutting portion 223 and the blocking portion 11. This force is the resistance generated in the unfolding process of the swing arm 21, and the user feels a weak damping hand feeling.

[0162] In stage three, the swing arm 21 in the process of approaching the unfolded state, as shown in (c) of FIG. 14, the moment when the swing arm 21 slides into the second slope 112 from the outer wall 114. At this time, the abutting portion 223 generates a component force F2' opposite to the sliding friction force F1 under the action of the elastic restoring force F2 of the first elastic member 23. With the abutting portion 223 continuously sliding into the second slope 112, the component force F2' is continuously increasing. When the component force F2' is greater than the sliding friction force F1, the user does not need to exert force, the user's hand does not have a damping hand feeling, and the abutting portion 223 will naturally slide on the second slope 112, and the swing arm 21 is naturally unfolded. The difference between the component force F2' and the sliding friction force F1 is the self-unfolding force mentioned above.

[0163] FIG. 15 is a dynamic schematic diagram of the swing arm 21 in the embodiment of the present application being folded from the unfolded state. In (a) of FIG. 15, a schematic diagram of the moment when the swing arm 21 is folded from the unfolded state is shown; in (b) of FIG. 15, a schematic diagram of the swing arm 21 in the folding process is shown; and in (c) of FIG. 15, a schematic diagram of the swing arm 21 in the process of approaching the unfolded state is shown. It should be noted that, in order to facilitate observation of the structure in the figure, only the force condition of the right swing arm 21 is marked in the figure, and it can be understood that the force condition of the left swing arm 21 is the same.

[0164] As shown in FIG. 15, the folding process of the hinge assembly 100 in the embodiment of the present application is as follows:

[0165] Phase four, the moment of folding the unfolded arm 21, as shown in (a) of FIG. 15, the arm 21 is in the unfolded state, the abutting part 223 abuts against the second slope 112, at this time, the abutting part 223 is to slide on the second slope 112 and move up to the top of the second slope 112, the abutting part 223 is to be subjected to two forces: one is the sliding friction force F1 between the abutting part 223 and the blocking part 11; the other is the elastic restoring force F2 of the first elastic member 23 after being compressed. These two forces are the resistance generated at the moment of folding the unfolded arm 21, and the user's hand feels a strong damping feeling.

[0166] Phase five, the arm 21 in the folding process, as shown in (b) of FIG. 15, after the arm 21 slides from the second slope 112 to the outer wall 114, at this time, the abutting part 223 is to slide along the outer wall 114, in the case that the first elastic member 23 is not further compressed, the abutting part 223 is mainly subjected to one force: the sliding friction force F1 between the abutting part 223 and the blocking part 11. This force is the resistance generated in the unfolding process of the arm 21, and the user's hand feels a weak damping feeling.

[0167] Phase six, the moment of folding the arm 21, as shown in (c) of FIG. 15, the moment of the arm 21 sliding from the outer wall 114 into the first slope 111, at this time, the abutting part 223 will generate a component force F2' opposite to the sliding friction force F1 under the action of the elastic restoring force F2 of the first elastic member 23, with the abutting part 223 continuously sliding into the first slope 111, the component force F2' is continuously increasing, when the component force F2' is greater than the sliding friction force F1, the user does not need to exert force, the user's hand has no damping feeling, the abutting part 223 will naturally slide on the first slope 111, the arm 21 naturally folds, and the difference between the component force F2' and the sliding friction force F1 is the self-closing force mentioned above.

[0168] FIG. 16 is a torque curve of the hinge assembly 100 provided by the embodiment of the present application. In FIG. 16, the vertical coordinate y is torque (unit: Nmm), the horizontal coordinate x is the included angle between the single arm 21 and the horizontal plane, a is the torque curve of the single arm 21 in the process of rotating from the unfolded state to the folded state, and b is the torque curve of the single arm 21 in the process of rotating from the folded state to the unfolded state.

[0169] As shown in FIG. 16, taking the a line as an example, when the angle between the swing arm 21 and the horizontal plane is 0°, that is, the swing arm 21 is in the unfolded state, the swing arm 21 is folded at the moment, that is, the fourth stage described above, the abutting portion 223 is subjected to two forces, so the torque value required for the swing arm 21 to rotate is large, reaching 100 Nmm, and the user's hand feels a strong damping feeling; as the swing arm 21 is continuously folded, that is, the fifth stage described above, the abutting portion 223 is mainly subjected to one force, so the torque value of the swing arm 21 tends to be stable and slowly decreases, and the user's hand feels a weak damping feeling; when the angle between the swing arm 21 and the horizontal plane is greater than 60°, that is, the sixth stage described above, the abutting portion 223 slides on the first slope 111, and the swing arm 21 naturally folds, at this time, the rotation direction of the swing arm 21 is the same as the user's force direction when the swing arm 21 is folded, so the torque value is negative.

[0170] As shown in FIG. 16, taking the a line as an example, when the angle between the swing arm 21 and the horizontal plane is 0°, that is, the swing arm 21 is in the unfolded state, the swing arm 21 is folded at the moment, that is, the fourth stage described above, the abutting portion 223 is subjected to two forces, so the torque value required for the swing arm 21 to rotate is large, reaching 100 Nmm, and the user's hand feels a strong damping feeling; as the swing arm 21 is continuously folded, that is, the fifth stage described above, the abutting portion 223 is mainly subjected to one force, so the torque value of the swing arm 21 tends to be stable and slowly decreases, and the user's hand feels a weak damping feeling; when the angle between the swing arm 21 and the horizontal plane is greater than 60°, that is, the sixth stage described above, the abutting portion 223 slides on the first slope 111, and the swing arm 21 naturally folds, at this time, the rotation direction of the swing arm 21 is the same as the user's force direction when the swing arm 21 is folded, so the torque value is negative.

[0171] As described above, at the moment when the swing arm 21 is folded from the unfolded state, the blocking portion 11 is difficult to slide from the second slope 112 to the outer wall 114, and the torque value required for the swing arm 21 to rotate is large, so the swing arm 21 is difficult to fold without the aid of external force, which can improve the anti-vibration effect of the foldable mobile phone during use, and the mobile phone in the unfolded state is not easily affected by external vibration to bend; in addition, at the moment when the swing arm 21 is unfolded from the folded state, the blocking portion 11 is difficult to slide from the first slope 111 to the outer wall 114, and the torque value required for the swing arm 21 to rotate is large, so the swing arm 21 is difficult to unfold without the aid of external force, and the mobile phone in the folded state is not easily affected by external vibration to be accidentally opened, which can save power and prevent misoperation.

[0172] In addition, in the related art, in order to ensure the stability of the folding state of the mobile phone, an additional structure such as a magnet or a buckle needs to be arranged on the opposite side of the shell 200 after folding, so as to realize the stable closure of the whole machine. In the embodiment, the same function can be realized by the simple first slope 111 and the second slope 112, and therefore the additional structure such as the magnet or the buckle can be omitted, thereby reducing the hardware cost of the whole machine.

[0173] In an embodiment provided by the present application, the first slope 111 is a sloping plane or an arc surface, and the second slope 112 is a sloping plane or an arc surface. Further, the first slope 111 and the outer wall 114 are smoothly connected through a round chamfer, so as to avoid the protruding corners and cause the sliding of the abutting part 223 to be not smooth. The second slope 112 and the outer wall 114 are smoothly connected through a round chamfer, so as to avoid the protruding corners and cause the sliding of the abutting part 223 to be not smooth.

[0174] As shown in FIG. 11, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the blocking part 11 further has a third slope 115, the slope bottom of the third slope 115 is connected with the slope bottom of the first slope 111, and a reinforcing rib 113 is arranged between the third slope 115 and the first slope 111. The reinforcing rib 113 is supported between the third slope 115 and the first slope 111, so as to improve the mechanical strength of the blocking part 11. Correspondingly, the abutting part 223 has an opening for avoiding the reinforcing rib 113.

[0175] In an embodiment provided by the present application, the blocking part 11 further has a fourth slope, the slope bottom of the fourth slope is connected with the slope bottom of the second slope 112, and a reinforcing rib 113 is arranged between the fourth slope and the second slope 112. The reinforcing rib 113 is supported between the fourth slope and the second slope 112, so as to improve the mechanical strength of the blocking part 11. Correspondingly, the abutting part 223 has an opening for avoiding the reinforcing rib 113. The fourth slope, the second slope 112 and the reinforcing rib 113 between the fourth slope and the second slope 112 are not shown in FIG. 11. It can be understood that the reinforcing rib 113 arranged between the fourth slope and the second slope 112 is similar to the reinforcing rib 113 arranged between the third slope 115 and the first slope 111.

[0176] The foregoing embodiments introduce the case that the blocking part 11 has both the first slope 111 and the second slope 112. Of course, in other embodiments, the blocking part 11 can have only the first slope 111 or only the second slope 112, as follows.

[0177] In an embodiment provided by the present application, the blocking part 11 has an outer wall 114 and a first slope 111, the top of the first slope 111 is connected with the outer wall 114; when the swing arm 21 is in the folded state, the abutting part 223 abuts against the first slope 111; when the swing arm 21 rotates from the folded state to the unfolded state, the abutting part 223 slides along the first slope 111 to the outer wall 114.

[0178] In another embodiment provided by the present application, the blocking part 11 has an outer wall 114 and a second slope 112, the top of the second slope 112 is connected with the outer wall 114; when the swing arm 21 is in the unfolded state, the abutting part 223 abuts against the second slope 112; when the swing arm 21 rotates from the unfolded state to the folded state, the abutting part 223 slides along the second slope 112 to the outer wall 114.

[0179] Since the display screen 300 of the foldable mobile phone is formed by stacking multiple layers of materials, the display screen 300 itself has a certain bending resistance, that is, the display screen 300 itself has a certain self-unfolding force, therefore, the second slope 112 can not be arranged on the blocking part 11, only the first slope 111 needs to be arranged to enable the hinge assembly 100 to have the self-closing force and the self-unfolding force at the same time, thereby reducing the processing difficulty of the blocking part 11.

[0180] It is mentioned above that the present application does not limit the number and layout mode of the first damping mechanism 20, the number of the first damping mechanism 20 can be multiple, and the first damping mechanism 20 can be arranged in pairs on the two sides of the base 10. When the first damping mechanism 20 is arranged in pairs on the two sides of the base 10, the swing arms 21 of the two first damping mechanisms 20 can be driven to rotate synchronously by the synchronous slider 33, which will be described in detail in the following embodiments.

[0181] FIG. 17 is a schematic view of another example of the first damping mechanism 20 and the base 10 provided by an embodiment of the present application.

[0182] As shown in FIG. 17, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the number of the first damping mechanism 20 is at least two, and the first damping mechanism 20 is arranged oppositely on the two sides of the base 10, and the swing arms 21 of the at least two first damping mechanisms 20 are respectively a first swing arm 21a and a second swing arm 21b. The first swing arm 21a is provided with a first spiral groove 31, and the first spiral groove 31 is arranged to extend spirally in a first direction; the second swing arm 21b is provided with a second spiral groove 32, and the second spiral groove 32 is arranged to extend spirally in the first direction. The first direction is the axial direction of the connecting shaft 12, that is, the Y direction in FIG. 17.

[0183] The hinge assembly 100 further comprises a synchronous slider 33 in sliding connection with the base 10, the synchronous slider 33 comprising a first protrusion 331 and a second protrusion 332 fixed with the first protrusion 331, the first protrusion 331 being in sliding connection with the first helical groove 31, and the second protrusion 332 being in sliding connection with the second helical groove 32. When the first swing arm 21a rotates relative to the base 10, the first swing arm 21a pushes the synchronous slider 33 to slide relative to the base 10 through the groove wall of the first helical groove 31, and the synchronous slider 33 pushes the groove wall of the second helical groove 32 through the second protrusion 332 to make the second swing arm 21b rotate relative to the base 10. The groove wall of the first helical groove 31 is a groove wall oppositely arranged in the first helical groove 31 in the first direction. The groove wall of the second helical groove 32 is a groove wall oppositely arranged in the second helical groove 32 in the first direction.

[0184] The synchronous slider 33 in the embodiment is used to convert the rotary motion and the linear motion into each other. Specifically, when the first swing arm 21a rotates, the rotary motion of the first swing arm 21a is converted into the linear motion of the synchronous slider 33 on the base 10 through the first helical groove 31 pushing the first protrusion 331, and when the synchronous slider 33 slides relative to the base 10, the linear motion of the synchronous slider 33 on the base 10 is converted into the rotary motion of the second swing arm 21b through the second protrusion 332 pushing the second helical groove 32.

[0185] The synchronous slider 33 in the embodiment has simple and compact structure, occupies small space, and can meet the design requirement of miniaturization of the hinge assembly 100. In addition, compared with the two or four sets of synchronous gears used in the traditional scheme to realize the swing arm synchronization, the embodiment does not have the risk of synchronous gear tooth breakage, has better synchronization, and has smoother folding hand feeling.

[0186] The first helical groove 31 can be directly formed on the first swing arm 21a, or the first helical groove 31 can also be formed by designing the first swing arm 21a as a disassembled piece. The second helical groove 32 can be directly formed on the second swing arm 21b, or the second helical groove 32 can also be formed by designing the second swing arm 21b as a disassembled piece. For details, refer to the following embodiments.

[0187] FIG. 18 is an exploded view of the single-sided first damping mechanism 20 in FIG. 17.

[0188] As shown in FIG. 18, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the first swing arm 21a comprises a first structural member 21a1 and a second structural member 21a2 which are spliced with each other, the first structural member 21a1 is provided with a first helical surface 311, the second structural member 21a2 is provided with a second helical surface 312, and the first helical surface 311 and the second helical surface 312 enclose a first helical groove 31 in a first direction. The second swing arm 21b comprises a third structural member 21b1 and a fourth structural member 21b2 which are spliced with each other, the third structural member 21b1 is provided with a third helical surface, the fourth structural member 21b2 is provided with a fourth helical surface, and the third helical surface and the fourth helical surface enclose a second helical groove 32 in the first direction. The first direction is the Y direction in FIG. 18.

[0189] In the embodiment, the first swing arm 21a and the second swing arm 21b are designed in a disassembled form, when the first convex part 331 and the second convex part 332 are assembled into the first helical groove 31 and the second helical groove 32 respectively, the first structural member 21a1 and the third structural member 21b1 can be assembled on the base 10 first, then the synchronous slider 33 is assembled, and finally the second structural member 21a2 and the fourth structural member 21b2 are assembled, so that the whole assembling process is less difficult and easy to operate.

[0190] It should be noted that only the explosion diagram of the first swing arm 21a is shown in FIG. 18, and the explosion effect of the second swing arm 21b is not shown. It can be understood that the layout design of the second swing arm 21b is consistent with and opposite to that of the first swing arm 21a, and the third structural member 21b1 and the fourth structural member 21b2 enclose the second helical groove 32 in the first direction.

[0191] The first structural member 21a1 and the second structural member 21a2 are both provided with a rotating hole 211, or one of the first structural member 21a1 and the second structural member 21a2 is provided with a rotating hole 211. The axis of the rotating hole 211 is parallel to the first direction, and the rotating hole 211 is rotationally connected with the connecting shaft 12. The first helical surface 311 is arranged at the rotating hole 211 of the first structural member 21a1, and the second helical surface 312 is arranged at the rotating hole 211 of the second structural member 21a2. Similarly, the third structural member 21b1 and the fourth structural member 21b2 are both provided with a rotating hole 211, or one of the third structural member 21b1 and the fourth structural member 21b2 is provided with a rotating hole 211. The axis of the rotating hole 211 is parallel to the first direction, and the rotating hole 211 is rotationally connected with the connecting shaft 12.

[0192] In an embodiment provided by the present application, the first protrusion 331 has two first side walls 334 oppositely arranged along the first direction, and the first side walls 334 are matched with the groove walls of the first spiral groove 31. The second protrusion 332 has two second side walls oppositely arranged along the first direction, and the second side walls are matched with the groove walls of the second spiral groove 32.

[0193] In the embodiment, the first side walls 334 are matched with the groove walls of the first spiral groove 31, that is, the first protrusion 331 is conformal to the first spiral groove 31, that is, the first protrusion 331 is also spiral. The second side walls are matched with the groove walls of the second spiral groove 32, that is, the second protrusion 332 is conformal to the second spiral groove 32, that is, the second protrusion 332 is also spiral. In this way, the first protrusion 331 and the first spiral groove 31, and the second protrusion 332 and the second spiral groove 32 can be tightly attached to and fully contacted with each other, so as to ensure that the torque of the synchronous slider 33 can be accurately transmitted.

[0194] The sliding connection between the synchronous slider 33 and the base 10 can be realized in various ways. For example, a sliding block can be designed on the synchronous slider 33, and a sliding groove can be designed on the base 10. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 18, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the synchronous slider 33 is provided with a sliding hole 333, and the synchronous slider 33 is slidingly connected with the connecting shaft 12 through the sliding hole 333, so that the synchronous slider 33 is slidingly connected with the base 10.

[0195] The sliding connection structure between the synchronous slider 33 and the base 10 in the embodiment is simple and compact, occupies a small space, and can meet the design requirement of miniaturization of the hinge assembly 100

[0196] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 18, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the hinge assembly 100 further includes a second damping mechanism 40. The second damping mechanism 40 includes a connecting plate 41, a second elastic member 42, and a driven wheel set 43. The connecting plate 41 is fixed with the connecting shaft 12, the driven wheel set 43 is slidingly connected with the base 10, the second elastic member 42 is arranged between the connecting plate 41 and the driven wheel set 43, the second structural member 21a2 is provided with a first driving wheel 21a3, the fourth structural member 21b2 is provided with a second driving wheel 21b3, the teeth of the first driving wheel 21a3 and the second driving wheel 21b3 protrude along the first direction, and the driven wheel set 43 includes a first driven wheel 431 and a second driven wheel 432 fixed with the first driven wheel 431. The first driven wheel 431 is engaged with the first driving wheel 21a3, and the second driven wheel 432 is engaged with the second driving wheel 21b3.

[0197] With the rotation of the second structural member 21a2 and the fourth structural member 21b2, the first driving wheel 21a3 extrudes or releases the second elastic member 42 along the first direction through the first driven wheel 431, and the second driving wheel 21b3 extrudes or releases the second elastic member 42 along the first direction through the second driven wheel 432.

[0198] Optionally, the first driving wheel 21a3, the second driving wheel 21b3, the first driven wheel 431 and the second driven wheel 432 are all face gears.

[0199] In this embodiment, the second damping mechanism 40 is additionally arranged and used in cooperation with the first damping mechanism 20, and the two damping mechanisms are uniformly distributed on the hinge assembly 100. In this way, when the mobile phone is bent, the tactile force generated by the damping mechanism can be evenly distributed around the mobile phone, so that the user has a better tactile feeling when bending the mobile phone, and the situation that the tactile force is strong in a local position and weak in other positions is avoided. At the same time, it is also to make the shell 200 stably hover at a certain folding angle, thereby improving the hovering accuracy.

[0200] In addition, the second structure 21a2 is provided with the first driving wheel 21a3, and the fourth structure 21b2 is provided with the second driving wheel 21b3. The first driving wheel 21a3 and the second driving wheel 21b3 are respectively engaged with the driven wheel set 43 of the second damping mechanism 40, that is, the second structure 21a2 and the fourth structure 21b2 are directly provided with components for cooperating with the second damping mechanism 40. The second structure 21a2 and the fourth structure 21b2 can be arranged adjacent to the second damping mechanism 40, so that the overall structure of the hinge assembly 100 is compact.

[0201] FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly 100 in FIG. 6. FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view in which the side shielding plates 52 are hidden in FIG. 19.

[0202] As shown in FIGS. 19-20, in an embodiment provided by the present application, the hinge assembly 100 further comprises a shielding assembly 50, the shielding assembly 50 comprises a middle shielding plate 51, two side shielding plates 52 and a shielding plate swing arm 53. The middle shielding plate 51 is arranged in a stack with the base 10. The two side shielding plates 52 are located on both sides of the length direction of the middle shielding plate 51, and each side shielding plate 52 is fixed with at least one shielding plate swing arm 53. The shielding plate swing arm 53 is provided with a first arc-shaped plate 531, and the base 10 is provided with a first arc-shaped groove 13 in sliding connection with the first arc-shaped plate 531. The shielding plate swing arm 53 is rotationally connected with the base 10 through the first arc-shaped plate 531 and the first arc-shaped groove 13. The shielding plate swing arm 53 can rotate relative to the base 10 and switch between a folded state and a flattened state. When the shielding plate swing arm 53 is in the folded state, the two side shielding plates 52 are located on the side of the middle shielding plate 51 away from the base 10.

[0203] In the related art, the side shielding plate 52 is usually directly fixed to the swing arm 21, that is, the side shielding plate 52 and the swing arm 21 share the same virtual pivot shaft to achieve the rotary connection with the base 10, which causes the rotary track of the side shielding plate 52 to be constrained by the swing arm 21, and the rotary track of the swing arm 21 is also constrained by the side shielding plate 52, and the structure design of the two is mutually limited. In the embodiment, the side shielding plate 52 is rotatably connected to the base 10 through the independent shielding plate swing arm 53, and the swing arm 21 is rotatably connected to the base 10 through the self-actual shaft structure, and the rotary tracks of the side shielding plate 52 and the swing arm 21 are not constrained by each other, which is more conducive to the structural optimization design of the two, thereby being able to avoid space for other components.

[0204] Optionally, the side shielding plate 52 and the shielding plate swing arm 53 can be fixedly connected in various ways: the side shielding plate 52 can be adhered to the shielding plate swing arm 53 through an adhesive; or the side shielding plate 52 can be clamped on the shielding plate swing arm 53 through interference fit; or the side shielding plate 52 can be welded on the shielding plate swing arm 53; or, as shown in FIG. 19, a threaded groove is formed on the side decorative plate, a threaded hole is formed on the shielding plate swing arm 53, and the side decorative plate and the shielding plate swing arm 53 are locked through a screw.

[0205] FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view of the foldable mobile phone in the unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0206] As shown in FIG. 21, in an embodiment provided by the present application, from the side shielding plate 52 to the middle shielding plate 51, the side shielding plate 52 gradually inclines away from the base 10.

[0207] Among them, the direction from the side shielding plate 52 to the middle shielding plate 51 is the a direction in FIG. 21; and the direction away from the base 10 is the b direction in FIG. 21.

[0208] In the embodiment, the side shielding plate 52 is designed to be inclined upward on the side close to the middle shielding plate 51, that is, the side of the side shielding plate 52 close to the base 10 is inclined upward, thereby providing more setting space for the abutting part 223 in the first damping mechanism 20 and the blocking part 11 on the base 10, and also providing more setting space for the second damping mechanism 40, thereby facilitating the structural optimization of the first damping mechanism 20 and the second damping mechanism 40.

[0209] FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view of the foldable mobile phone in the folded state in FIG. 21.

[0210] As shown in FIG. 22, since the side shielding plates 52 are rotationally connected to the base 10 through the shielding plate swing arms 53, and the phone shell 200 is rotationally connected to the base 10 through the support members 61, the rotation axis of the side shielding plates 52 relative to the base 10 is different from the rotation axis of the rear cover 201 relative to the base 10. Therefore, when the foldable phone is bent from the unfolded state to the folded state, the relative positions of the side shielding plates 52 and the rear cover 201 will change. When the shielding plate swing arms 53 are in the folded state, the two side shielding plates 52 are located on the side of the middle shielding plate 51 away from the base 10, and the side shielding plates 52 will finally extend into the inside of the shell 200 and be located on the inside of the rear cover 201. The rotational connection design between the support members 61 and the base 10 will be described in detail in the following embodiments.

[0211] FIG. 23 is a schematic view of the rear side of the hinge assembly 100 in FIG. 6. FIG. 24 is a schematic view of FIG. 23 in which the support members 61 and the connecting blocks 63 are hidden. FIG. 25 is a schematic view of the support members 61 provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0212] As shown in FIGS. 23-25, in one of the embodiments provided in the present application, the hinge assembly 100 further includes a support assembly 60, which includes the support members 61, the connecting blocks 63, and the connecting members 64. As shown in FIG. 24, the support members 61 are provided with a second arc-shaped plate 621 and a third arc-shaped plate 611. The extending direction of the third arc-shaped plate 611 is opposite to the extending direction of the second arc-shaped plate 621. In order to reduce the overall width of the support members 61, the third arc-shaped plate 611 and the second arc-shaped plate 621 are staggered in the width direction of the support members 61, i.e., the X direction in FIG. 25.

[0213] FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view of one example of the support assembly 60 provided in the embodiments of the present application. In FIG. 26, (a) is a schematic view of the support members 61 in the folded state, and (b) is a schematic view of the support members 61 in the unfolded state. FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view of another example of the support assembly 60 provided in the embodiments of the present application. In FIG. 27, (a) is a schematic view of the support members 61 in the folded state, and (b) is a schematic view of the support members 61 in the unfolded state. The difference between FIG. 27 and FIG. 26 is that the cross-sectional surface in FIG. 27 is displaced by a distance along the axial direction. FIG. 27 is used to cooperate with FIG. 26 to show the second arc-shaped plate 621 and the third arc-shaped plate 611 on the same side of the support members 61.

[0214] As shown in FIGS. 26-27, in this embodiment, the support 61 is provided with a second arc-shaped plate 621, the base 10 is provided with a second arc-shaped slot 14 in sliding connection with the second arc-shaped plate 621, the support 61 is in rotational connection with the base 10 through the second arc-shaped plate 621 and the second arc-shaped slot 14, the connecting piece 64 is provided with a third arc-shaped slot 642 in sliding connection with a third arc-shaped plate 611, the support 61 is in rotational connection with the connecting piece 64 through the third arc-shaped plate 611 and the third arc-shaped slot 642, and the connecting block 63 is fixed with the connecting piece 64. FIG. 28 is an enlarged view of H in FIG. 24. As shown in FIG. 28, the shielding plate swing arm 53 is in sliding connection with the connecting piece 64.

[0215] In this embodiment, the rotational connection design of the support 61 and the base 10 is introduced, as well as the connection relationship between the support 61 and the shielding plate swing arm 53. Since the rotation axis of the shielding plate swing arm 53 relative to the base 10 is different from the rotation axis of the support 61 relative to the base 10, the shielding plate swing arm 53 and the support 61 need to be designed in sliding connection, i.e., the shielding plate swing arm 53 is in sliding connection with the connecting piece 64.

[0216] Continuing to refer to FIG. 28, in an embodiment provided in the present application, the connecting piece 64 is provided with a first guide slot 641, and the shielding plate swing arm 53 is provided with a pin column 532 in sliding connection with the first guide slot 641.

[0217] In this embodiment, the sliding connection structure of the shielding plate swing arm 53 and the connecting piece 64 is further limited, i.e., the connecting piece 64 is provided with a first guide slot 641, and the shielding plate swing arm 53 is provided with a pin column 532 in sliding connection with the first guide slot 641. This sliding structure can improve the impact strength of the hinge assembly 100, so that the drop reliability of the foldable mobile phone is higher.

[0218] How to conveniently understand the above advantages will be introduced in detail below in combination with principle schematic diagrams.

[0219] FIG. 29 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application. FIG. 30 is a sectional view of FIG. 29 in which the connecting block 63 is hidden.

[0220] As shown in FIGS. 29-30, when the foldable mobile phone falls in the closed folding state and the side with the hinge assembly 100 lands first, after the base 10 lands and stops, the shell 200, the connecting block 63 and other components with large weight will continue to fall in the c direction under the action of inertia. At this time, the shell 200 and the connecting block 63 transmit the impact force of the falling to the connecting piece 64, and the connecting piece 64 transmits the impact force to the shielding plate swing arm 53 through the slot wall of the first guide slot 641, and finally the shielding plate swing arm 53 transmits the impact force to the base 10. At the same time, the swing arm 21 (including the first structure 21a1 and the second structure 21a2 used to form the spiral groove) and the support 61 also synchronously transmit the impact force to the base 10, so as to evenly distribute the impact force to the base 10, avoid the risk of concentrated impact force at a certain position and cause the risk of fracture, and thus improve the drop reliability of the whole machine.

[0221] In the related art, since the shielding plate swing arm 53 is not provided, when the above-mentioned situation occurs, the impact force of the shell 200 and the connecting block 63 can only be transmitted through the swing arm 21 and the support 61, which causes the impact force on the local area of the base 10 to be too concentrated and the pressure to be too large, and the connection between the swing arm 21 and the base 10 and the connection between the support 61 and the base 10 are prone to deformation or fracture, so the drop reliability is poorer than that of the embodiment.

[0222] FIG. 31 is an exploded view of the base 10 provided in the embodiment of the application. FIG. 32 is an assembly view of the base 10 in FIG. 31.

[0223] As shown in FIGS. 31-32, in order to conveniently form the plurality of arc-shaped grooves mentioned above, in an embodiment provided in the application, the base 10 is designed in a disassembled form, that is, the base 10 includes an upper base 10a and a lower base 10b which are spliced with each other, and the upper base 10a and the lower base 10b are respectively provided with arc-shaped surfaces, and then the arc-shaped grooves are formed after splicing.

[0224] Finally, it should be noted that the above description is only a specific implementation of the application, but the protection scope of the application is not limited thereto. Any changes or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in the application should be covered in the protection scope of the application. Therefore, the protection scope of the application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly, characterized by The utility model relates to a folding mechanism of a folding chair, which comprises: a base (10) provided with a blocking part (11) and a connecting shaft (12); a first damping mechanism (20) comprising a swing arm (21), a sliding frame (22) and a first elastic member (23); the swing arm (21) is rotationally connected to the connecting shaft (12), so that the swing arm (21) can rotate relative to the base (10) and switch between a folded state and an unfolded state; the swing arm (21) further has a receiving groove (212), the first elastic member (23) being arranged between the groove wall of the receiving groove (212) away from the base (10) and the sliding frame (22), the groove wall of the receiving groove (212) toward the base (10) having a notch (216), the sliding frame (22) being slidingly connected in the receiving groove (212) and provided with an abutting part (223) extending out of the notch (216); the sliding frame (22) can rotate with the swing arm (21), and when the swing arm (21) rotates between the folded state and the unfolded state, the blocking part (11) is located on the rotation track of the abutting part (223).

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1, wherein, The blocking part (11) has an outer wall (114) and a first slope (111), the top of the first slope (111) being connected to the outer wall (114); when the swing arm (21) is in the folded state, the abutting part (223) abuts against the first slope (111); when the swing arm (21) rotates from the folded state to the unfolded state, the abutting part (223) slides along the first slope (111) to the outer wall (114).

3. The hinge assembly of claim 2, wherein, The blocking part (11) further has a second slope (112), the top of the second slope (112) being connected to the outer wall (114), and the outer wall (114) being located between the top of the first slope (111) and the top of the second slope (112); when the swing arm (21) is in the unfolded state, the abutting part (223) abuts against the second slope (112); when the swing arm (21) rotates from the unfolded state to the folded state, the abutting part (223) slides along the second slope (112) to the outer wall (114).

4. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 1-3, wherein, The number of the first damping mechanisms (20) is at least two, and the first damping mechanisms (20) are oppositely arranged on two sides of the base (10); the swing arms (21) of the at least two first damping mechanisms (20) are respectively a first swing arm (21a) and a second swing arm (21b); the first swing arm (21a) is provided with a first helical groove (31) extending in a first direction, and the second swing arm (21b) is provided with a second helical groove (32) extending in the first direction; the first direction is the axial direction of the connecting shaft (12). The hinge assembly (100) further comprises a synchronous slider (33) in sliding connection with the base (10), the synchronous slider (33) comprising a first protrusion (331) in sliding connection in the first screw groove (31) and a second protrusion (332) fixed with the first protrusion (331) in sliding connection in the second screw groove (32).

5. The hinge assembly of claim 4, wherein, The first protrusion (331) has two first side walls (334) oppositely arranged along the first direction, the first side walls (334) being in cooperation with the groove walls of the first screw groove (31); the second protrusion (332) has two second side walls oppositely arranged along the first direction, the second side walls being in cooperation with the groove walls of the second screw groove (32).

6. The hinge assembly of claim 4 or 5, wherein, The first swing arm (21a) comprises a first structural member (21a1) and a second structural member (21a2) spliced with each other, the first structural member (21a1) being provided with a first helical surface (311), the second structural member (21a2) being provided with a second helical surface (312), the first structural member (21a1) and the second structural member (21a2) being opposite along the first direction, the first helical surface (311) and the second helical surface (312) enclosing the first screw groove (31); The second swing arm (21b) comprises a third structural member (21b1) and a fourth structural member (21b2) spliced with each other, the third structural member (21b1) being provided with a third helical surface, the fourth structural member (21b2) being provided with a fourth helical surface, the third structural member (21b1) and the fourth structural member (21b2) being opposite along the first direction, the third helical surface and the fourth helical surface enclosing the second screw groove (32).

7. The hinge assembly of claim 6, wherein, Further comprising: A second damping mechanism (40) comprising a connecting plate (41), a second elastic member (42) and a driven wheel set (43); the connecting plate (41) being fixed with the connecting shaft (12), the driven wheel set (43) being in sliding connection with the base (10), the second elastic member (42) being arranged between the connecting plate (41) and the driven wheel set (43); the second structural member (21a2) being provided with a first driving wheel (21a3), the fourth structural member (21b2) being provided with a second driving wheel (21b3), the teeth of the first driving wheel (21a3) and the second driving wheel (21b3) protruding along the first direction; the driven wheel set (43) comprising a first driven wheel (431) and a second driven wheel (432) fixed with the first driven wheel (431), the first driven wheel (431) being in mesh with the first driving wheel (21a3), the second driven wheel (432) being in mesh with the second driving wheel (21b3).

8. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 4-7, wherein, The synchronous slider (33) is provided with a sliding hole (333), the synchronous slider (33) being in sliding connection with the connecting shaft (12) through the sliding hole (333).

9. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, Further comprising: The shielding assembly (50) comprises a middle shielding plate (51), side shielding plates (52) and shielding plate swing arms (53); the middle shielding plate (51) is arranged in a stack with the base (10), the number of the side shielding plates (52) is two, the two side shielding plates (52) are located on the two sides of the length direction of the middle shielding plate (51), and at least one shielding plate swing arm (53) is fixed to each side shielding plate (52); the shielding plate swing arm (53) is provided with a first arc-shaped plate (531), the base (10) is provided with a first arc-shaped groove (13) in sliding connection with the first arc-shaped plate (531), and the shielding plate swing arm (53) is rotationally connected with the base (10) through the first arc-shaped plate (531) and the first arc-shaped groove (13); The shielding plate swing arm (53) can rotate relative to the base (10) and switch between a folded state and a flattened state, and when the shielding plate swing arm (53) is in the folded state, the two side shielding plates (52) are located on the side of the middle shielding plate (51) away from the base (10).

10. The hinge assembly of claim 9, wherein, From the side shielding plate (52) to the middle shielding plate (51), the side shielding plate (52) gradually inclines away from the base (10).

11. The hinge assembly of claim 9 or 10, wherein, Further comprising: The support assembly (60) comprises a support piece (61), a connecting block (63) and a connecting piece (64); the support piece (61) is provided with a second arc-shaped plate (621), the base (10) is provided with a second arc-shaped groove (14) in sliding connection with the second arc-shaped plate (621), and the support piece (61) is rotationally connected with the base (10) through the second arc-shaped plate (621) and the second arc-shaped groove (14); the support piece (61) is further provided with a third arc-shaped plate (611), the extending direction of the third arc-shaped plate (611) is opposite to the extending direction of the second arc-shaped plate (621), the connecting piece (64) is provided with a third arc-shaped groove (642) in sliding connection with the third arc-shaped plate (611), and the support piece (61) is rotationally connected with the connecting piece (64) through the third arc-shaped plate (611) and the third arc-shaped groove (642), and The connecting block (63) is fixed to the connecting piece (64); The shielding plate swing arm (53) is in sliding connection with the connecting piece (64).

12. The hinge assembly of claim 11, wherein, The connecting piece (64) is provided with a first guide groove (641), and the shielding plate swing arm (53) is provided with a pin column (532) in sliding connection with the first guide groove (641).

13. The hinge assembly of claim 11 or 12, wherein, The third arc-shaped plate (611) and the second arc-shaped plate (621) are arranged in a staggered manner in the width direction of the support piece (61).

14. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 11-13, wherein, The connecting block (63) is provided with a receiving groove (631) for accommodating the swing arm (21), a groove wall of the receiving groove (631) is provided with a second guide groove (632), and the swing arm (21) is provided with a guide sliding block (214) in sliding connection with the second guide groove (632).

15. The hinge assembly of claim 3, wherein, The blocking part (11) further has a third slope (115), the slope bottom of the third slope (115) is connected with the slope bottom of the first slope (111), and a reinforcing rib (113) is arranged between the third slope (115) and the first slope (111); And / or, the blocking part (11) further has a fourth slope, the slope bottom of the fourth slope is connected with the slope bottom of the second slope (112), and a reinforcing rib (113) is arranged between the fourth slope and the second slope (112).

16. The hinge assembly of claim 3 or 15, wherein, The first slope (111) is a slanted plane or an arc surface. And / or, the second slope (112) is a slanted plane or an arc surface.

17. The hinge assembly of any of claims 2-3, 15-16, wherein, The surface of the blocking part (11) is an arc surface, and the outer wall (114) is an arc surface.

18. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 1-17, wherein, The abutting part (223) and the sliding frame (22) are integrally formed.

19. The hinge assembly of any one of claims 1-18, wherein, The containing groove (212) of the swing arm (21) is provided with a guide rod (215), the guide rod (215) is arranged along the sliding direction of the sliding frame (22), and the sliding frame (22) is provided with a guide hole (221) in sliding connection with the guide rod (215).

20. An electronic device, comprising: The hinge assembly (100) comprises the hinge assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1-19.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein, Further comprising a housing (200) and a display screen (300), the number of the housing (200) is two, the hinge assembly (100) is arranged between the two housings (200), and the display screen (300) is arranged on one side of the two housings (200) and the hinge assembly (100).

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein, When the swing arm (21) is in the folded state, the display screen (300) is located outside the two housings (200).

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