Circuit control unit and device based on paper folding principle

Abstract

The invention discloses a circuit control unit and device based on a paper folding principle, the unit comprises a folding and unfolding structure and a circuit structure, and the folding and unfolding structure has at least two folding and unfolding modes through folding and unfolding switching; the circuit structure comprises a plurality of connecting contacts arranged on the surface of the folding and unfolding structure, at least one connecting contact makes contact with and is separated from another connecting contact through folding and unfolding of the folding and unfolding structure, and therefore at least one part of the circuit structure is connected or disconnected. On the basis of the paper folding principle, the folding and unfolding structure with at least two stable and reliable folding and unfolding modes and the circuit structure are combined, on-off of a control circuit is achieved through mutual contact or separation of different surfaces under the folding and unfolding structure, and therefore control over the circuit is achieved through folding and unfolding of the folding and unfolding structure; the folding and unfolding structure is different in volume and surface area under different folding and unfolding modes, so that the requirements of different application scenes on spatial forms can be met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the technical field of origami engineering, specifically to a circuit control unit and device based on the origami principle. Background Technology

[0002] Space-foldable structures are structures that can be folded or unfolded when needed. They have become a hot research and development topic in recent years, especially large-scale foldable structures. Their high folding-to-unfold ratio, high precision, light weight, and high rigidity make them more widely used. These structures are commonly used in fields such as architectural design, aerospace, and scientific research. The design of these structures takes into account the strength, stability, and durability of materials to ensure that they can withstand different loads and environmental conditions during use.

[0003] Existing origami structures are mostly single-form, lacking sufficient modal transformation capabilities, making it difficult to meet the needs of complex and ever-changing application scenarios. In the field of circuits, there are few cases of combining origami with special structures, which limits the development of electronic devices towards miniaturization and multi-functionality.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a paper-folding structure combined with circuitry to solve the problems of low flexibility in mode conversion of existing paper-folding structures and inability to adapt to the spatial and morphological requirements of different application scenarios. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to at least solve one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention provides a circuit control unit and device based on the origami principle, which solves the problems of low flexibility of existing circuit structures and inability to adapt to the space and form requirements of different application scenarios.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a circuit control unit based on the origami principle includes: The folding structure has at least two folding modes that can be switched by folding and unfolding; The circuit structure includes a plurality of connecting contact points disposed on the surface of the folding structure. At least one of the connecting contact points contacts and separates from another connecting contact point through the folding and stretching of the folding structure, thereby realizing the connection or disconnection of at least a portion of the circuit structure.

[0007] The circuit control unit according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: This invention is based on the principle of origami, combining a folding and unfolding structure with at least two stable and reliable folding and unfolding modes with a circuit structure. By utilizing the different surfaces of the folding and unfolding structure to contact or separate in different folding and unfolding modes, and controlling multiple pairs of contact points on the control surface to contact or separate, it acts as a control switch for the circuit to control the connection and disconnection of the circuit. Thus, the circuit is controlled by folding and unfolding the folding and unfolding structure. At the same time, since the volume and surface area of ​​the folding and unfolding structure are different in different folding and unfolding modes, it can adapt to the spatial requirements of different application scenarios.

[0008] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the unfolding structure includes a substrate comprising four regular N-sided polygonal pieces, which are sequentially connected. One side of each pair of adjacent regular N-sided polygonal pieces is connected, and a valley crease is formed at the connection point of two adjacent regular N-sided polygonal pieces. Each regular N-sided polygonal piece is arranged along a central axis and a mountain crease along two sets of opposite vertices. The central axis and the mountain crease divide the regular N-sided polygonal piece into two non-adjacent first regions and two non-adjacent second regions. The first regions on both sides of the valley crease correspond to each other in the first region of two adjacent regular N-sided polygonal pieces. The first region of the regular N-sided polygon away from the valley crease and the first region of the end of the regular N-sided polygon away from the valley crease correspond to each other. The two corresponding first regions are fixed together. The side of each regular N-sided polygon that is in contact with the adjacent regular N-sided polygon is the inner side, and the side facing away from the inner side is the outer side. Wherein, N≥4, when N is even, the central axis is the line connecting two opposite vertices of the regular N-sided polygon, and when N is odd, the central axis is the line connecting a vertex of the regular N-sided polygon and the center point of the edge line opposite to the vertex.

[0009] According to some embodiments of the present invention, when the connecting contact point is located on the outer surface of the positive N-shaped piece, two corresponding connecting contact points are symmetrically arranged along the central axis or the mountain peak crease. When the connecting contact point is located on the inner side of the positive N-shaped piece, the connecting contact point is located in the area outside the overlapping area on the inner side, and the two connecting contact points are respectively located on two adjacent positive N-shaped pieces and are symmetrically arranged along the valley fold between the two adjacent positive N-shaped pieces. The corresponding set of contact points can be made to contact and separate from each other through the folding and stretching of the folding structure.

[0010] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the unfolding unit further includes a support piece, and the support piece is connected to both sides of the mountain peak crease in each of the regular N-sided pieces.

[0011] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the support piece is half the shape of the regular N-sided piece, and the support piece is provided on both opposite sides of each regular N-sided piece.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a circuit control device includes at least two circuit control units, wherein the folding structures in the at least two circuit control units are interconnected, and the folding structures in the at least two circuit control units are capable of folding or extending together to switch between at least two folding modes.

[0013] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a driving unit is further included, the driving unit comprising at least one driving structure, the driving unit being used to drive the folding and unfolding structures in at least two of the circuit control units to fold or unfold together.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, one side of one of the mountain peak creases of at least one of the folding structures is connected to the output end of at least one of the driving structures, and the other side of one of the mountain peak creases of at least one of the folding structures is fixed or connected to the output end of at least another driving structure.

[0015] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the circuit structures of two adjacent circuit control units are connected in series or in parallel, and the circuit structures of multiple circuit control units form a loop. Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the extended state of the circuit control unit structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the folded state of the circuit control unit structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded structure of the circuit control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the circuit structure and the unfolded structure of the circuit control unit in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a side view schematic diagram of the unfolded structure of the circuit control unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the splicing and assembly structure of the folding mechanism of the circuit control unit device according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the extended state of the right-handed folding structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the extended state of the left-handed folding structure according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the right-handed folding structure after it has been unfolded according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded left-handed folding structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0017] Icon labels: Folding structure 10; Right-handed folding structure 10R; Left-handed folding structure 10L; Substrate 11; Regular N-sided sheet 111; Support sheet 12; Valley crease S1; Central axis S2; Mountain peak crease S3; Overlapping area C; Circuit structure 20; connecting contact point 21. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0019] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0020] In the description of this invention, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or their sequential relationship.

[0021] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0022] The technical solution of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the embodiments described below are some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments.

[0023] Space-foldable structures are structures that can be folded or unfolded when needed. They have become a hot research and development topic in recent years, especially large-scale foldable structures. Their high folding-to-unfold ratio, high precision, light weight, and high rigidity make them more widely used. These structures are commonly used in fields such as architectural design, aerospace, and scientific research. The design of these structures takes into account the strength, stability, and durability of materials to ensure that they can withstand different loads and environmental conditions during use.

[0024] Existing origami structures are mostly single-form, lacking sufficient modal transformation capabilities, making it difficult to meet the needs of complex and ever-changing application scenarios. In the field of circuits, there are few cases of combining origami with special structures, which limits the development of electronic devices towards miniaturization and multi-functionality.

[0025] Therefore, it is necessary to propose a paper-folding structure combined with a circuit device to solve the problems of low mode conversion flexibility and inability to adapt to the spatial and morphological requirements of different application scenarios in existing paper-folding structures. To solve the above problems, this invention proposes a circuit control unit and device based on the paper-folding principle, which can effectively solve the problems of existing circuit structures having only one mode and being unable to flexibly adapt to the volume and morphological requirements of different scenarios.

[0026] refer to Figures 1 to 10 The circuit control unit based on the origami principle of the present invention is implemented in the following embodiments: Reference Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the circuit control unit based on the origami principle in this embodiment of the invention includes a folding structure 10 and a circuit structure 20.

[0027] The folding structure 10 has at least two stable and reliable folding modes. The folding structure 10 can switch back and forth between the at least two folding modes through folding and unfolding operations, and can flexibly change the volume and surface area under different folding modes, so as to adapt to the spatial form requirements of the circuit control unit in different application scenarios.

[0028] The circuit structure 20 includes a plurality of connecting contact points 21 disposed on the surface of the folding structure 10. At least one connecting contact point 21 contacts and separates from another connecting contact point 21 through the folding and unfolding of the folding structure 10, thereby realizing the connection or disconnection of at least a part of the circuit structure 20. By designing the circuit structure 20 to follow the folding and unfolding of the folding structure 10 to achieve connection or disconnection, the circuit structure 20 can be changed synchronously by controlling the folding mode of the folding structure 10 to realize different circuit applications, thereby realizing the development of the circuit control unit towards miniaturization and multi-functionality, and meeting the needs of compact structure and multi-functional design.

[0029] In embodiments of the present invention, such as Figures 1 to 3 As shown, Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of the extended state of the folded structure 10. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the unfolded structure after folding 10. Figure 3 The present invention provides a folding structure 10 that can be folded or extended.

[0030] like Figure 3 As shown, the unfolded structure 10 includes a substrate 11, which includes four regular N-sided polygonal pieces 111. The four regular N-sided polygonal pieces 111 are connected sequentially, with one side of each of two adjacent regular N-sided polygonal pieces 111 connected. The connection between two adjacent regular N-sided polygonal pieces 111 forms a valley crease S1. Each regular N-sided polygonal piece 111 has a central axis S2 and a mountain peak crease S3. The angle between the central axis S2 and the mountain peak crease S3 is equal to the incenter angle of the regular N-sided polygonal piece 111. The common side of the central axis S2 and the mountain peak crease S3 defines an overlapping area C. The central axis S2 and the mountain crease S3 define another overlapping region C on the other side. Each of the two adjacent regular N-sided pieces 111 has one overlapping region C connected to the valley crease S1 and is symmetrical about the valley crease S1. The two overlapping regions C connected to the same valley crease S1 correspond to each other. The overlapping region C of the first regular N-sided piece 111 that is far away from the valley crease S1 corresponds to the overlapping region C of the last regular N-sided piece 111 that is far away from the valley crease S1. The two corresponding overlapping regions C overlap and are fixed.

[0031] Where N≥4, when N is even, the central axis S2 is the line connecting two opposite vertices of the regular N-sided polygon 111, and when N is odd, the central axis S2 is the line connecting a vertex of the regular N-sided polygon 111 and the center point of the edge opposite to that vertex.

[0032] In this embodiment of the invention, by folding the mountain peak crease S3 inward and the valley crease S1 outward, and by overlapping and fixing the corresponding two overlapping areas C, a folding and unfolding structure 10 with folding and unfolding function can be formed. In use, the folding and unfolding structure 10 can be folded or unfolded by controlling the included angle between the two planes of the mountain peak crease S3 of a regular N-sided piece 111. That is to say, the degree of folding or unfolding of the folding and unfolding structure 10 changes with the change of the included angle between the two planes. In this way, the folding and unfolding structure 10 has high controllability, can achieve precise control of the folding and unfolding structure 10, has high reliability, is easy to operate, has a large folding and unfolding ratio, and has low cost.

[0033] Specifically, the two extreme values ​​of the angle between the two planes are 180° and 0°, respectively. For example... Figure 2As shown, when the angle between the two planes is 180°, the two planes are coplanar. At this time, the folding structure 10 is completely folded to form a regular N-sided polygonal piece 111 planar structure. When the angle between the two planes is 0°, the two planes are in contact. At this time, the folding structure 10 is fully extended to form another regular N-sided polygonal piece 111 structure. The regular N-sided polygonal piece 111 structure of the folding structure 10 with an angle of 0° is perpendicular to the regular N-sided polygonal piece 111 structure of the folding structure 10 with an angle of 180°. Figure 1 As shown, when the included angle between the two planes is greater than 0° and less than 180°, the unfolded structure 10 extends to form a three-dimensional structure.

[0034] In some other embodiments, other origami structures can also be used as the folding structure 10, such as the classic non-rigid Kresling chiral origami mechanism. However, due to the bistable nature of the non-rigid Kresling chiral origami mechanism, it is difficult to achieve precise control and the reliability is not high. The folding structure 10 provided in this embodiment only needs to control the included angle between the two planes of the mountain crease S3 to make the folding structure fold or extend, which is the preferred structure.

[0035] Taking the regular N-gon 111 as an example of a regular hexagon, the central axis S2 is the line connecting two opposite vertices of the regular hexagon. Figure 3 The mountain peak crease S3 is indicated by a single-dot dashed line; it is the line connecting the peak and the central axis S2 at a 60° angle (the central angle of a regular hexagon is 60°). Figure 3 The valley crease S1 is indicated by a double-dotted line; it is the side connecting two adjacent regular hexagons. Figure 3 The area is shown in dashed lines. An overlapping region C defined by the central axis S2 and the mountain crease S3 on the same side, and another overlapping region C defined by the central axis S2 and the mountain crease S3 on the other side, are both quadrangular.

[0036] In some other implementations, the regular N-gon 111 can also be other shapes, such as a regular pentagon, etc. In this case, the positions of the central axis S2 and the mountain crease S3 will change accordingly, and the shape of the overlapping area C will change accordingly, as long as N is greater than or equal to 4.

[0037] exist Figure 3In the substrate 11, there are four mountain peak creases S3, three valley creases S1, and eight overlapping regions C. For ease of explanation, the four mountain peak creases S3 are referred to from left to right as the first mountain peak crease, the second mountain peak crease, the third mountain peak crease, and the fourth mountain peak crease; the three valley creases are referred to from left to right as the first valley crease, the second valley crease, and the third valley crease; and the eight overlapping regions are referred to from left to right as the first overlapping region, the second overlapping region, the third overlapping region, the fourth overlapping region, the fifth overlapping region, the sixth overlapping region, the seventh overlapping region, and the eighth overlapping region. The second and third overlapping regions are connected to the first valley crease and are symmetrical about it; the fourth and fifth overlapping regions are connected to the second valley crease and are symmetrical about it; and the sixth and seventh overlapping regions are connected to the third valley crease and are symmetrical about it.

[0038] Taking a regular N-sided polygon 111 as an example of a regular hexagon, the process of folding the substrate 11 to form a folding structure 10 with folding and unfolding functions is illustrated as follows: First, fold the third valley crease inward (in... Figure 3 The first step is to fold the paper in a direction perpendicular to its surface. Simultaneously, overlap and fix the sixth and seventh overlapping areas. The second step is to fold the fourth peak crease outwards (in...). Figure 3 The first step is to fold the paper in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface. The second step is to fold the second valley crease inward, and at the same time, overlap and fix the fourth and fifth overlapping areas. The third step is to fold the second mountain peak crease outward. The fourth step is to fold the first valley crease inward, and at the same time, overlap and fix the second and third overlapping areas. At this point, the substrate can be folded to form a folding structure with folding and unfolding functions.

[0039] like Figure 4 As shown, regarding the setting position of the contact point 21, for the unfolding structure provided in this embodiment of the invention, when folded, the side of the four regular N-sided pieces 111 that are close to each other is the inner side, and the side facing away from the inner side is the outer side.

[0040] Since the degree of folding or stretching of the folded structure 10 varies with the angle between the two planes on both sides of the mountain crease S3, the two extreme values ​​of the angle between the two planes on both sides of the mountain crease S3 are 180° and 0°, respectively. When the angle between the two planes is 180°, the two planes are coplanar. At this time, the folded structure 10 is completely folded to form a regular N-sided polygon 111 planar structure. For two adjacent regular N-sided polygons 111, the two adjacent regular N-sided polygons 111 completely overlap and fit together along the two planes on both sides of the central axis S2. When the angle between the two planes is 0°, the regular N-sided polygon 111 and a non-adjacent regular N-sided polygon 111 overlap and fit together along the two planes on both sides of the mountain crease S3. At this time, the folded structure 10 is completely stretched to form another regular N-sided polygon 111 structure.

[0041] Therefore, during the folding process, the connecting contacts 21 on the outer surface of the regular N-sided piece 111 can only contact each other in two cases: when the planes on both sides of the mountain crease S3 overlap and fit together, or when the planes on both sides of the central axis S2 overlap and fit together, so that at least part of the circuit structure 20 is connected. Therefore, two connecting contacts 21 are symmetrically arranged along the central axis S2 or the mountain crease S3, and the corresponding set of connecting contacts 21 can contact and separate each other through the folding and stretching of the folding structure 10.

[0042] For the connecting contact point 21 on the inner surface of the regular N-sided sheet 111, since the overlapping area remains in contact during the folding and unfolding process of the folding structure 10, it cannot achieve mutual contact and separation during folding and unfolding. Therefore, the connecting contact point 21 is located in the area outside the overlapping area on the inner surface, such as... Figure 2 As shown, when the folding structure 10 is fully folded to form a planar structure of a regular N-sided piece 111, the inner surfaces of the regular N-sided pieces 111 are paired together. Therefore, the two connecting contact points 21 located on the two adjacent regular N-sided pieces 111 and symmetrically arranged along the valley fold S3 between the two adjacent regular N-sided pieces 111 correspond to each other. The corresponding pair of connecting contact points 21 can achieve mutual contact and separation through the folding and stretching of the folding structure 10.

[0043] The circuit structure 20 also includes circuit elements such as LEDs, resistors, and capacitors. These circuit elements are connected to corresponding contact points 21 via wires. The corresponding contact points 21 can be connected in parallel or series via wires to form various complete circuits. By utilizing the multimodal characteristics of the unfolded structure 10 through the mutual contact and separation of the corresponding contact points 21, different functionalities of the circuit can be achieved in different configurations. For example, in the unfolded state, the circuit elements are more dispersed, allowing it to function as a large-area display panel or sensor array; in the folded state, the circuit elements are concentrated, forming miniaturized, portable electronic devices such as miniature lamps or simple electronic displays.

[0044] Preferably, the circuit elements are miniature circuit elements, which can be installed on the folding structure. The miniature circuit elements can be directly attached to the surface of the folding structure or embedded inside the regular N-sided piece 111 of the folding structure 10 to prevent affecting the folding and unfolding of the folding structure 10.

[0045] In some other embodiments, the circuit elements may also be disposed outside the folded structure 10 to avoid the size of the folded structure 10 limiting the size of the circuit elements and thus limiting the power of the circuit elements. It is sufficient to connect the circuit elements and the contact points 21 through wires to form a complete circuit.

[0046] Furthermore, the circuit switches formed by each group of connecting contacts 21 can be connected in series or in parallel in the circuit structure 20. At the same time, one chain contact can correspond to two connecting contacts 21 simultaneously. For example, the connecting contact 21 on the outer side can correspond to the connecting contact 21 symmetrical about the central axis S2, and also to the connecting contact 21 symmetrical about the mountain fold S3, thereby forming different combinational logic gate circuits. For example, when the connecting contact 21 is in contact with the corresponding connecting contact 21 symmetrical about the central axis S2, the indicator light is green; when the connecting contact 21 is in contact with the corresponding connecting contact 21 symmetrical about the mountain fold S3, the indicator light is red. It should be noted that when the connecting contact 21 is not connected, the circuit structure 20 also responds to the unfolded structure 10 to form a circuit state.

[0047] like Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the unfolding structure 10 further includes a support piece 12, with the support piece 12 connected to both sides of the mountain crease S3 in each regular N-sided piece 111, and the support piece 12 is used to support the regular N-sided piece 111.

[0048] In this embodiment, by providing support plates 12 on both sides of the mountain crease S3 in each regular N-sided piece 111, each part of the unfolded structure 10 (that is, the location of each support plate 12) has high rigidity, thereby improving the load-bearing performance of the unfolded structure 10, so that the unfolded structure 10 can be applied to functional structures that need to withstand large loads and high rigidity.

[0049] Furthermore, by placing the support plate 12 on both sides of the mountain crease S3, interference with the folding at the mountain crease S3 can be avoided due to the support plate 12 covering the mountain crease S3.

[0050] The substrate 11 can be a flexible structure, mainly used to connect the support pieces 12. The support pieces 12 can be structures with a certain degree of rigidity, mainly used for bearing loads and stress. Regarding the materials of the substrate 11 and the support pieces 12, the substrate 11 uses a material with elasticity and toughness, such as special paper or thin plastic sheets, while the support pieces 12 use a rigid structure, such as carbon fiber sheets. Of course, the substrate 11 can also be other structures with connecting functions, and the support pieces 12 can also be other structures with supporting functions. This invention does not limit the specific materials of the substrate 11 and the support pieces 12.

[0051] In some other embodiments, the substrate 11 may also be a structure with a certain rigidity, and each valley crease S1 and each mountain peak crease S3 in the substrate 11 can be folded so that the substrate 11 itself can form a folding structure 10 with folding function, without the need to provide support sheet 12 to provide support.

[0052] In some embodiments, the shape of the support piece 12 is half the shape of the regular N-sided piece 111. That is, the shape of one support piece 12 is the same as the shape of one side of the mountain crease S3 of the regular N-sided piece 111. In this way, the two support pieces 12 can just cover the regular N-sided piece 111 on both sides of the mountain crease S3 respectively.

[0053] In some embodiments, each regular N-sided polygon 111 is provided with a support piece 12 on both opposite sides. That is, a total of sixteen support pieces 12 are needed to cover both opposite sides of each regular N-sided polygon 111. In this way, the folded structure 10 as a whole can be guaranteed to have high rigidity and load-bearing capacity.

[0054] like Figure 6 As shown, the present invention also provides a circuit control device, which includes at least two circuit control units as described above. The folding structures 10 in the at least two circuit control units are interconnected, and the folding structures 10 in the at least two circuit control units can be folded or extended together to switch between at least two folding modes.

[0055] Multiple circuit control units are spliced ​​together using a specific connection method to form a larger-scale, more complex structure. The spliced ​​structure inherits and amplifies the multimodal characteristics of the individual circuit control units, and can be combined to achieve richer and more diverse morphological changes and functional combinations.

[0056] In some embodiments, the circuit structures 20 of two adjacent circuit control units are connected in series or in parallel, the circuit structures 20 of multiple circuit control units form a loop, and at least two circuit control units in the circuit control device form a linkage control, forming a more complex and flexible circuit structure 20. Through multi-level series or parallel connection, the circuit control unit can be affected by multiple factors and meet the needs of more different application scenarios.

[0057] Regarding the connection method of the folding structure 10 in the circuit control unit, it can be connected by applying glue at the connection point of the folding structure 10, inserting a connector, or using magnetic adsorption, etc. The present invention does not limit the connection method of the folding structure 10.

[0058] It should be noted that, in order to ensure that the two interconnected folding structures 10 do not restrict each other's movement during folding, the connection position and shape of the folding structures 10 need to be specifically defined: one of the two interconnected folding structures 10 is a right-handed folding structure 10R and the other is a left-handed folding structure 10L. The right-handed folding structure 10R and the left-handed folding structure 10L are connected to form a left-right hybrid module. Among them, the fold lines S3 of each peak of the right-handed folding structure 10R are formed by rotating the incenter angle of the regular N-sided polygon 111 counterclockwise around the corresponding central axis S2, and the fold lines S3 of each peak of the left-handed folding structure 10L are formed by rotating the incenter angle of the regular N-sided polygon 111 clockwise around the corresponding central axis S2.

[0059] like Figures 7 to 10 As shown, Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the right-handed twisted structure after it has been stretched to 10R. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the extended state of the left-handed folding structure 10L. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the right-handed spiral unfolded structure 10R after unfolding. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the left-handed folded structure after it has been unfolded into a 10L shape.

[0060] The right-handed spiral structure 10R, after being extended, forms a first dihedral angle, a second dihedral angle, a third dihedral angle, and a fourth dihedral angle. The first edge of the first dihedral angle... The second edge of the second dihedral angle The third edge of the third dihedral angle and the fourth edge of the fourth dihedral angle Intersecting, the first dihedral angle, the second dihedral angle, the third dihedral angle, and the fourth dihedral angle surround the first edge. Second edge The third edge and the fourth edge intersection The first dihedral angle has a relation to the first edge The two symmetrical first connecting sides ( The second dihedral angle has a relation to the second edge. The two symmetrical second connecting sides ( The third dihedral angle has a relation to the third edge. Two symmetrical third connecting sides ( The fourth dihedral angle has a relation to the fourth edge. The two symmetrical fourth connecting sides ( ).

[0061] The left-handed spiral structure 10L, after being extended, forms a fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth dihedral angle, with the fifth edge of the fifth dihedral angle being... The sixth edge of the sixth dihedral angle The seventh edge of the seventh dihedral angle and the eighth edge of the octahedral angle Intersecting, the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth dihedral angles surround the fifth edge. The sixth edge The seventh edge and the eighth edge intersection The fifth dihedral angle has a relation to the fifth edge. The two symmetrical fifth connecting sides ( The sixth dihedral angle has a relationship with the sixth edge. The two symmetrical sixth connecting sides ( The seventh dihedral angle has a relation to the seventh edge. The two symmetrical seventh connecting sides ( The eighth dihedral angle has a relation to the eighth edge. The two symmetrical eighth connecting sides ( ).

[0062] A right-handed folding structure 10R is connected by two first connecting sides ( ), two second connecting sides ( ), two third connecting sides ( ) or two fourth connecting sides ( ), respectively connected to the two fifth connecting sides of a left-handed folding structure 10L ( ), two sixth connecting sides ( ), two seventh connecting sides ( ) or two eighth connecting sides ( The connection is made so that the connection between the right-handed folding structure 10R and the left-handed folding structure 10L can be achieved.

[0063] Among them, during the extension of the right-handed folding structure 10R, the first edge of the right-handed folding structure 10R... Second edge The third edge and the fourth edge able to surround The right-handed spiral motion gives the right-handed spiral folding structure 10R spiral motion characteristics and high flexibility; during the extension of the left-handed spiral folding structure 10L, the fifth edge of the left-handed spiral folding structure 10L... The sixth edge The seventh edge and the eighth edge able to surround The left-handed spiral motion gives the left-handed spiral unfolding structure 10L spiral motion characteristics and high flexibility.

[0064] In embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 6 As shown, a circuit control state of a 2×3 structure formed by splicing and combining six circuit control units is given. In the two interconnected circuit control units, the unfolding structure 10 is a left-handed unfolding structure 10L and a right-handed unfolding structure 10R, which can form 7 different modes by controlling the folding direction and folding state of the unfolding structure 10. In some other embodiments, the number and connection arrangement of the circuit control units can be other structures and other forms. The present invention does not impose specific limitations on the number and connection arrangement of the circuit control units.

[0065] Furthermore, in some embodiments, the circuit control device further includes a drive unit, which includes at least one drive structure. The drive unit is used to drive the folding and unfolding structures 10 in at least two circuit control units to fold or unfold together. One side of one of the peak creases of at least one folding and unfolding structure 10 is connected to the output end of at least one drive structure, and the other side of one of the peak creases of at least one folding and unfolding structure 10 is fixed or connected to the output end of at least another drive structure.

[0066] Preferably, the circuit control unit connected to the output end of the drive structure is located at the end of the circuit control device to reduce connection difficulty and avoid the drive structure from intertwining and interfering with the internal complex folding structure 10. The output end of the drive structure controls the angle between the two planes on both sides of the mountain peak crease S3 in the folding structure 10 to drive the folding structure to fold and unfold. Since the folding structures 10 in at least two circuit control units are interconnected, the folding and unfolding changes of the folding structure 10 can be transmitted to the adjacent folding structures 10 through the connection part, so that the folding structures 10 in at least two circuit control units can be folded or unfolded together.

[0067] It should be understood that various parts of the present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In the above embodiments, multiple steps or methods can be implemented in software or firmware stored in memory and executed by a suitable instruction execution system. For example, if implemented in hardware, as in another embodiment, it can be implemented using any one or a combination of the following techniques known in the art: discrete logic circuits having logic gates for implementing logical functions on data signals, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) having suitable combinational logic gates, programmable gate arrays (PGAs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), etc.

[0068] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0069] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A circuit control unit based on the origami principle, characterized in that, include: The folding structure has at least two folding modes that can be switched by folding and unfolding; The circuit structure includes a plurality of connecting contact points disposed on the surface of the folding structure. At least one of the connecting contact points contacts and separates from another connecting contact point through the folding and stretching of the folding structure, thereby realizing the connection or disconnection of at least a portion of the circuit structure.

2. The circuit control unit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The unfolded structure includes a base plate comprising four regular N-sided polygonal pieces. These four pieces are connected sequentially, with one side of each adjacent pair of pieces connected, forming a valley crease at the connection point. Each piece has a central axis and a mountain crease along two sets of opposite vertices. The central axis and the mountain crease divide each piece into two non-adjacent first regions and two non-adjacent second regions. Adjacent pieces correspond to the first regions on either side of the valley crease. The first piece at the beginning... A first region away from the valley crease and a first region away from the valley crease at the end of the regular N-sided piece correspond to each other. The two corresponding first regions are fixed together. The side of each regular N-sided piece that is in contact with the adjacent regular N-sided piece is the inner side, and the side facing away from the inner side is the outer side. Wherein, N≥4, when N is even, the central axis is the line connecting two opposite vertices of the regular N-sided piece, and when N is odd, the central axis is the line connecting a vertex of the regular N-sided piece and the center point of the edge opposite to the vertex.

3. The circuit control unit according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the connecting contact point is located on the outer side of the positive N-shaped piece, two connecting contact points are symmetrically arranged along the central axis or the mountain peak crease. When the connecting contact point is located on the inner side of the positive N-shaped piece, the connecting contact point is located in the area outside the overlapping area on the inner side, and the two connecting contact points are respectively located on two adjacent positive N-shaped pieces and are symmetrically arranged along the valley fold between the two adjacent positive N-shaped pieces. The corresponding set of contact points can be made to contact and separate from each other through the folding and stretching of the folding structure.

4. The circuit control unit according to claim 3, characterized in that: The unfolding unit also includes support pieces, and the support pieces are connected to both sides of the mountain peak crease in each of the regular N-sided pieces.

5. The circuit control unit according to claim 4, characterized in that: The shape of the support piece is half the shape of the regular N-sided piece, and the support piece is provided on both opposite sides of each regular N-sided piece.

6. A circuit control device, characterized in that: It includes at least two circuit control units as described in any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the folding structures in the at least two circuit control units are interconnected, and the folding structures in the at least two circuit control units are capable of folding or extending together to switch between at least two folding modes.

7. The circuit control device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Of the two interconnected folding structures, one is a left-handed folding unit and the other is a right-handed folding unit; In this unit, the mountain peak creases of each of the right-hand rotating folding units are formed by rotating the incenter angle of the regular N-sided polygon counterclockwise around the corresponding central axis, and the mountain peak creases of each of the left-hand rotating folding units are formed by rotating the incenter angle of the regular N-sided polygon clockwise around the corresponding central axis.

8. The circuit control device according to claim 6, characterized in that: It also includes a drive unit, which includes at least one drive structure, and the drive unit is used to drive the folding and unfolding structures in at least two of the circuit control units to fold or unfold together.

9. The circuit control device according to claim 8, characterized in that: One side of one of the mountain peak creases of at least one of the folding structures is connected to the output end of at least one of the drive structures, and the other side of one of the mountain peak creases of at least one of the folding structures is fixed or connected to the output end of at least another drive structure.

10. The circuit control device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The circuit structures of two adjacent circuit control units are connected in series or in parallel, and the circuit structures of multiple circuit control units form a loop.

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