Hinge mechanism and electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses a hinge mechanism and an electronic device, and belongs to the field of electronic devices. In the hinge mechanism, opposite sides of a base are respectively provided with a first swing arm and a second swing arm. The base is provided with a first arc-shaped connecting part, and the second swing arm comprises a second arc-shaped connecting part which is rotationally connected with the first arc-shaped connecting part. The first arc-shaped connecting part is provided with a first track groove, and the second arc-shaped connecting part is provided with a second track groove. A matching pin shaft passes through one of the first track groove and the second track groove and extends into the other one of the first track groove and the second track groove. The first track groove extends along an axis of rotation of the second swing arm, and the extension direction of the second track groove has a first component and a second component. The first component is parallel to the axis of rotation, and the second component is perpendicular to both the axis of rotation and the thickness direction of the base.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of electronic equipment technology, specifically relating to a hinge mechanism and an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] Foldable screen phones are becoming increasingly popular due to their combination of large display area and high portability. The hinge mechanism is a component in foldable electronic devices that provides the ability to fold and unfold; adjacent housings in the electronic device are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism.

[0003] In the hinge mechanism of the relevant technology, a damping mechanism is usually provided. The damping mechanism includes an elastic element and a cam element. The cam element is elastically engaged with the elastic element. At the same time, the cam element is engaged with the cam of the synchronous swing arm (denoted as the first swing arm) in the hinge mechanism. During the rotation of the first swing arm, the first swing arm pushes the cam element, thereby causing the moving torque to act on the elastic element and generating a damping sensation.

[0004] In the hinge mechanisms of related technologies, a second swing arm is usually included. The first swing arm typically has a sliding fit with the housing, while the second swing arm typically has a rotational fit with the housing. In these technologies, because there is no linkage between the second swing arm and the damping mechanism, when the hinge mechanism switches between the unfolded and folded states, the second swing arm may wobble slightly during rotation. This can easily cause abnormal noise and may also lead to the second swing arm tilting and jamming. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a hinge mechanism and an electronic device to solve the problem that in current hinge mechanisms, the second swing arm will wobble slightly during rotation, which can easily cause abnormal noise and jam due to tilting.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a hinge mechanism, which includes a base, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, a cam element, an elastic element, and a mating pin, wherein... The base is provided with a first swing arm and a second swing arm on opposite sides. The base is provided with a first arc-shaped connecting part. The second swing arm includes a second arc-shaped connecting part. The second arc-shaped connecting part is rotatably connected to the first arc-shaped connecting part. The first arc-shaped connecting part is provided with a first track groove, and the second arc-shaped connecting part is provided with a second track groove. The mating pin passes through one of the first track groove and the second track groove, and extends into the other of the first track groove and the second track groove. The first track groove extends along the rotation axis of the second swing arm, and the extension direction of the second track groove has a first component and a second component. The first component is parallel to the rotation axis, and the second component is perpendicular to both the rotation axis and the thickness direction of the base. During the switching between the folded and unfolded states of the hinge mechanism, both the first and second swing arms rotate relative to the base. On the rotation axis, the first swing arm drives the cam to move the mating pin, and the cam compresses the elastic element so that the elastic element pushes against the first swing arm, and the elastic element pushes against the second swing arm through the mating pin.

[0007] Secondly, this application discloses an electronic device including a housing, a display screen, and the aforementioned hinge mechanism. The two housings are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism, and the display screen is mounted on the housing.

[0008] This application discloses a hinge mechanism, wherein a first swing arm and a second swing arm are provided on opposite sides of the base. Each first swing arm is rotatably connected to the base, and the second arc-shaped connecting part of each second swing arm is rotatably connected to the corresponding first arc-shaped connecting part on the base, so that the housings located on opposite sides of the hinge mechanism in the electronic device can achieve the purpose of rotatable connection through the first swing arm and the second swing arm.

[0009] The first swing arm engages with the cam of the cam component, and in the rotational axis of the first swing arm, the elastic engagement between the cam component and the elastic component allows the first swing arm to push the cam component during the rotation of the first swing arm relative to the base. This allows the elastic force of the elastic component to act on the cam component and the first swing arm, and produces an elastic damping effect on the first swing arm in the aforementioned rotational axis.

[0010] Simultaneously, the mating pin passes through one of the first and second track grooves, and can also extend into the other of the first and second track grooves. Therefore, when the elastic element generates an elastic force, the cam and the mating pin can transmit this elastic force to the second swing arm, thereby producing an elastic damping effect on the second swing arm in the aforementioned rotational axis. Clearly, when the elastic effect of the elastic element acts on both the first and second swing arms, the consistency and coordination of axial damping in the hinge mechanism can be improved, and the rotational synchronization of the first and second swing arms can also be enhanced, further improving the reliability of the hinge mechanism.

[0011] Of course, during the switching between the folded and unfolded states of the hinge mechanism, the mating pin can move along the extension directions of the first and second track grooves. To ensure the mating pin can move normally relative to the base along the rotational axis with the cam member, in this application, the first track groove extends along the rotational axis of the first swing arm, and the first component of the extension direction of the second track groove is parallel to the aforementioned rotational axis. This ensures that during the process of the first swing arm pushing the cam member, the cam member can normally drive the mating pin to move relative to the base (and the second swing arm) along the rotational axis. Furthermore, the second component of the extension direction of the second track groove is perpendicular to both the rotational axis and the thickness direction of the base, thus ensuring that during the rotation of the first swing arm relative to the base, the relative movement between the mating pin and the second track groove does not interfere with the normal rotation of the second swing arm relative to the base. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the engagement between the mating pin and the second swing arm in the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the fit between the mating pin and the base in the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application when part of the structure is in a folded state; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application in another direction; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0013] Figure label: 1-Hinge mechanism, 2-House, 3-Display screen, 31-First part, 32-Second part, 33-Third part 100 - Base, 110 - First track slot 200 - First swing arm, 210 - Gear teeth 300 - Second swing arm, 310 - Second arc-shaped connecting part, 311 - Second track groove 410 - Cam component, 420 - Elastic component, 430 - Mounting shaft, 440 - Retaining ring, 510 - Mating pin, 520 - Adapter, 530 - Connecting rod, 540 - Limiting washer 600 - Synchronization component, 610 - First gear, 620 - Second gear, 630 - First axle, 640 - Second axle 700-Hinge Cover. Detailed Implementation

[0014] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0015] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0016] This application discloses a hinge mechanism 1, which can be applied to an electronic device, specifically a foldable electronic device, that is, the electronic device has a folded state and an unfolded state, and can switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. Figures 1-6 As shown, the hinge mechanism 1 includes a base 100, a first swing arm 200, a second swing arm 300, a cam 410, an elastic element 420, and a mating pin 510. Of course, the hinge mechanism 1 may also include other components such as a synchronization component 600, a hinge cover 700, and a housing connector (not shown in the figure).

[0017] like Figure 7As shown, this application also provides an electronic device, which includes a housing 2, a display screen 3, and the aforementioned hinge mechanism 1. Two adjacent housings 2 in the electronic device can be rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism 1, and the display screen 3 can be mounted on the hinge mechanism 1 and the housing 2 to form a foldable electronic device with folding capability. Furthermore, the display screen 3 can be a flexible screen as a whole, or it can include a first part 31, a second part 32, and a third part 33. The third part 33 is connected between the first part 31 and the second part 32, and the first part 31 and the second part 32 are respectively supported on two adjacent housings 2. The first part 31 and the second part 32 can be flexible or rigid structures, and the third part 33 is opposite to the hinge mechanism 1 and is a flexible structure.

[0018] In the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, the base 100 is the basic structure of the hinge mechanism 1. Other components in the hinge mechanism 1 can be directly or indirectly installed or connected to the base 100 so that the hinge mechanism 1 can form an integral structure and provide a rotational connection for two adjacent housings.

[0019] Based on the above, in the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, a first swing arm 200 and a second swing arm 300 are provided on both opposite sides of the base 100. Correspondingly, the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 located on either side of the base 100 are also used to connect with the corresponding housing, thereby ensuring that two adjacent housings can rotate relative to each other.

[0020] In this application, each first swing arm 200 is rotatably connected to the base 100, and correspondingly, each second swing arm 300 is also rotatably connected to the base 100. That is, one end of each first swing arm 200 and each second swing arm 300 is rotatably connected to the base 100.

[0021] Specifically, the first swing arm 200 can be rotatably connected to the base 100 via the mounting shaft 430, so that the first swing arm 200 can rotate relative to the base 100 around the mounting shaft 430 connected to it; the second swing arm 300 can be rotatably connected to the base 100 via an arc-shaped connecting part, so that the rotation axis of the second swing arm 300 relative to the base 100 can be located outside the base 100, thereby increasing the rotation angle of the second swing arm 300 relative to the base 100, making the rotation angle of the second swing arm 300 relative to the base 100 greater than the rotation angle of the first swing arm 200 relative to the base 100.

[0022] More specifically, the base 100 is provided with a first arc-shaped connecting portion, and the second swing arm 300 includes a second arc-shaped connecting portion 310, which is rotatably connected to the first arc-shaped connecting portion, thereby enabling the entire second swing arm 300 to form a rotational engagement relationship with the base 100. More specifically, the first arc-shaped connecting portion can be an arc-shaped groove, and the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310 can be an arc-shaped slider. In layman's terms, the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310 can be a bearing-like structural component, and the arc-shaped slider is installed within the arc-shaped groove and forms a rotational engagement relationship with the first arc-shaped connecting portion.

[0023] As mentioned above, the second swing arm in the related technology cannot form a cooperative relationship with the damping mechanism, which causes the second swing arm to wobble during operation, potentially generating abnormal noise, and may also cause jamming due to tilting during rotation. Therefore, in this application, a damping mechanism formed by the cam member 410 and the elastic member 420 provides elastic damping for both the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300.

[0024] Among them, such as Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the first rocker arm 200 is cam-fitted with the cam member 410. Specifically, the end face of the first rocker arm 200 facing the cam member 410 and the end face of the cam member 410 facing the first rocker arm 200 are both provided with cam structures, and the cam structures of the two correspond to each other so that the two can form a cam-fitting relationship.

[0025] As described above, the first swing arm 200 and the base 100 can be rotatably connected via the mounting shaft 430. Based on this, in this application, the cam 410 can be sleeved on the mounting shaft 430, and the mounting shaft 430 can provide guidance and limiting for the cam 410. Simultaneously, along the rotational axis of the first swing arm 200, the cam 410 and the elastic member 420 elastically engage. Thus, during the rotation of the first swing arm 200 relative to the base 100, the first swing arm 200 can push against the cam 410, and the cam 410 will move relative to the first swing arm 200 along its rotational axis. During this process, the cam 410 can interact with the elastic member 420, so that the elastic effect of the elastic member 420 acts on the first swing arm 200 and the cam 410, thereby producing an elastic damping effect.

[0026] In one specific embodiment of this application, the elastic element 420 can also be sleeved on the mounting shaft 430, so that the mounting shaft 430 provides a guiding function for the elastic element 420, preventing the elastic element 420 from bending and deforming and being damaged during elastic expansion and contraction. Meanwhile, as... Figure 2As shown, the elastic element 420 can be disposed on the side of the cam element 410 away from the first rocker arm 200, and one end of the elastic element 420 can abut against the cam element 410, while the other end of the elastic element 420 can abut against the end of the mounting shaft 430 away from the first rocker arm 200. Of course, to ensure a reliable limiting fit between the end of the elastic element 420 and the mounting shaft 430, such as... Figure 2 As shown, a retaining ring 440 can also be provided on the mounting shaft 430 to provide a good and reliable blocking and limiting effect for the elastic element 420.

[0027] In addition, in this application, the cam member 410 can also form a sliding fit relationship with the base 100 in the rotation axis of the first rocker arm 200 through a matching structure such as a slide groove and a slide rail, so that the cam member 410 and the mounting shaft 430 can be relatively fixed in the rotation direction of the first rocker arm 200.

[0028] In another embodiment of this application, the two first rocker arms 200 respectively disposed on opposite sides of the base 100 can be configured to form a cam engagement relationship with the same cam member 410. Furthermore, each of the two first rocker arms 200 is rotatably connected to the base 100 via a separate mounting shaft 430. In this case, the aforementioned cam member 410 can be simultaneously fitted onto both mounting shafts 430, which also ensures that the cam member 410 and the base 100 can form a relatively fixed relationship in the rotation direction of the first rocker arm 200. Correspondingly, the retaining ring 440, which provides a blocking effect for the end of the elastic member 420 away from the cam member 410, can also be simultaneously fitted onto the aforementioned two mounting shafts 430.

[0029] To ensure that the elastic damping generated by the cam member 410 and the elastic member 420 can act on the second swing arm 300, in this application, the base 100 is further provided with a first track groove 110, and the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310 of the second swing arm 300 is provided with a second track groove 311, such as... Figures 1-4 As shown, on the rotation axis of the first swing arm 200, the mating pin 510 is fixed relative to the cam member 410, and the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311 are both mated with the mating pin 510, so that the cam member 410 can also form a mating relationship with the second swing arm 300 through the mating pin 510, and provide elastic damping for the second swing arm 300.

[0030] Of course, during the assembly of the mating pin 510, the mating pin 510 can be installed from the inside or outside of the base 100, so that the mating pin 510 passes through one of the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311 and extends into the other of the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311, so as to ensure that the mating pin 510 can engage with the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311, and during the switching between the hinge mechanism in the folded state and the unfolded state, the mating pin 510 moves along the extension direction of the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311.

[0031] As described above, during the switching process between the folded and unfolded states of the hinge mechanism 1, the first swing arm 200 can drive the cam member 410 to move relative to the base 100 along the rotation axis of the first swing arm 200. Furthermore, in order to ensure that the mating pin 510 can reliably engage with the base 100 and the second swing arm 300, in this application, the first track groove 110 extends along the rotation axis, and the extension direction of the second track groove 311 has a first component and a second component, wherein the first component is parallel to the rotation axis. Thus, during the rotation of the first swing arm 200 relative to the base 100 and the driving of the cam member 410 to move relative to the base 100 along the rotation axis, it can be ensured that the mating pin 510, which is relatively fixed to the cam member 410, can also move relative to the base 100 and the second swing arm 300 along the aforementioned rotation axis.

[0032] In addition, during the rotation of the first swing arm 200 relative to the base 100, the second swing arm 300 will also rotate relative to the base 100. Therefore, in order to ensure that the second swing arm 300, which cooperates with the mating pin 510 through the second track groove 311, can rotate normally relative to the base 100, in this application, the second component of the extension direction of the second track groove 311 is perpendicular to both the aforementioned rotation axis and the thickness direction of the base 100.

[0033] In this application, influenced by the second component of the extension direction of the second track groove 311, the mating pin 510 and the second track groove 311 can also be engaged in an upper limit engagement along the rotational axis. Furthermore, during the switching between the unfolded and folded states of the hinge mechanism 1, the first swing arm 200 can push the cam member 410, and the displacement of the cam member 410 acts on the elastic member 420, causing the elastic member 420 to generate elastic potential energy parallel to the rotational axis of the first swing arm 200. During this process, the elastic action of the elastic member 420 can directly act on the first swing arm 200 through the cam member 410. Simultaneously, through the mating pin 510, which is relatively fixed to the cam member 410, the mating pin 510 can also move relative to the base 100 along the aforementioned rotational axis, and interact with the second track groove 311 of the second swing arm 300 along the rotational axis, so that the elastic damping effect can also act on the second swing arm 300.

[0034] Obviously, under the action of the cam member 410 and the elastic member 420, elastic damping effect can be provided for both the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 in the rotation axis of the first swing arm 200. This ensures that when the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 are stationary relative to the base 100 (such as when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded or unfolded state), neither the first swing arm 200 nor the second swing arm 300 will wobble relative to the base 100. At the same time, under the action of the cam member 410 and the elastic member 420, it can also be ensured that the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 will not get stuck relative to the base 100 due to tilting during the rotation of the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300.

[0035] That is, in the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application, during the switching between the hinge mechanism in the folded state and the unfolded state, both the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 rotate relative to the base 100. Influenced by the cam engagement relationship between the first swing arm 200 and the cam member 410, and by the relatively fixed assembly relationship between the cam member 410 and the mating pin 510 in the rotational axis, the first swing arm 200 can drive the cam member 410 to move the mating pin 510 in the rotational axis, and the cam member 410... 10. The elastic element 420 is squeezed so that the elastic element 420 and the first swing arm 200 push against each other. Correspondingly, due to the cooperation relationship between the mating pin 510 and the second track groove 311 on the second swing arm 300, the elastic element 420 can also push against the second swing arm 300 through the mating pin 510, so that the elastic damping effect of the elastic element 420 can act on the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 together, thereby improving the coordination of axial damping of the hinge mechanism during opening and closing, which is beneficial to improving the opening and closing feel of the hinge.

[0036] This application discloses a hinge mechanism, wherein a first swing arm 200 and a second swing arm 300 are provided on opposite sides of a base 100. Each first swing arm 200 is rotatably connected to the base 100, and the second arc-shaped connecting part 310 of each second swing arm 300 is rotatably connected to the corresponding first arc-shaped connecting part on the base 100, so that the housing 2 located on opposite sides of the hinge mechanism 1 in the electronic device can achieve the purpose of rotatable connection through the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300.

[0037] The first swing arm 200 engages with the cam of the cam member 410. In the rotational axis of the first swing arm 200, the elastic engagement between the cam member 410 and the elastic member 420 allows the first swing arm 200 to push the cam member 410 during the rotation of the first swing arm 200 relative to the base 100. This allows the elastic force of the elastic member 420 to act on the cam member 410 and the first swing arm 200, and produces an elastic damping effect on the first swing arm 200 in the aforementioned rotational axis.

[0038] Simultaneously, the cooperating pin 510 passes through one of the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311, and can also extend into the other of the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311. Therefore, when the elastic element 420 generates an elastic force, the cam element 410 and the cooperating pin 510 can transmit the aforementioned elastic force to the second swing arm 300, thereby producing an elastic damping effect on the second swing arm 300 in the aforementioned rotational axis. Clearly, when the elastic effect of the elastic element 420 acts on both the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300, the consistency and coordination of the axial damping of the hinge mechanism can be improved, and the rotational synchronization of the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 can also be improved, further enhancing the reliability of the hinge mechanism.

[0039] Of course, during the switching between the folded and unfolded states of the hinge mechanism, the mating pin 510 can move along the extension directions of the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311. To ensure that the mating pin 510 can move normally relative to the base 100 along the rotational axis with the cam member 410, in this application, the first track groove 110 extends along the rotational axis of the first swing arm 200, and the first component of the extension direction of the second track groove 311 is parallel to the aforementioned rotational axis. This ensures that during the process of the first swing arm 200 pushing the cam member 410, the cam member 410 can normally drive the mating pin 510 to move relative to the base 100 (and the second swing arm 300) along the rotational axis. Furthermore, the second component of the extension direction of the second track groove 311 is perpendicular to both the rotational axis and the thickness direction of the base 100, thus ensuring that during the rotation of the first swing arm 200 relative to the base 100, the relative movement between the mating pin 510 and the second track groove 311 will not interfere with the normal rotation of the second swing arm 300 relative to the base 100.

[0040] Furthermore, based on parameters such as the natural length of the elastic element 420, by designing the dimensions of the installation space for the elastic element 420, the elastic element 420 can always be in a compressed state. Correspondingly, when the first swing arm 200 drives the cam element 410 to move, the elastic element 420 can be further compressed. In this case, in the hinge mechanism in the folded state, the elastic element 420 can provide elastic damping for the second swing arm 300 through the cam element 410 and the mating pin 510, preventing the second arc-shaped connecting part from sliding out of the first arc-shaped connecting part, thus improving the reliability of the hinge mechanism.

[0041] As described above, the extension direction of the second track groove 311 has a first component and a second component. Therefore, in this application, the second track groove 311 extends at an angle as a whole. Of course, the lengths of the first component and the second component can be determined according to the specific rotational fit parameters between the second swing arm 300 and the base 100. This article does not limit this.

[0042] Furthermore, in this application, Figure 1 Taking the hinge mechanism 1 in its unfolded state as an example, the distribution direction of the first swing arms 200 on opposite sides of the base 100 is the width direction of the hinge mechanism 1. This width direction is perpendicular to both the rotation axis of the first swing arms 200 and the thickness direction of the base 100. Figure 1 The direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper is the thickness direction of the base 100, which is perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first swing arm 200. More intuitively, the thickness direction of the base 100 can be... Figure 5 In the direction Z, the width direction of the base 100 can be Figure 1 In the direction X, correspondingly, the rotation axis of the first swing arm 200 is... Figure 1 in the direction Y.

[0043] As described above, in this application, the base 100 is provided with second swing arms 300 on both opposite sides. Optionally, the second swing arm 300 on either side of the base 100 can engage with the cam member 410 via a mating pin 510, so that the elastic member 420 can provide elastic damping for the second swing arm 300 on that side. Of course, in the hinge mechanism 1, multiple second swing arms 300 can be provided on either side of the base 100 to ensure relatively high reliability of the rotational connection between the housing and the base 100 in areas with different positions along the rotational axis of the first swing arm 200. In this case, only one of the multiple second swing arms 300 on either side of the base 100 can engage with the cam member 410 via the mating pin 510.

[0044] That is, in other embodiments of this application, the number of mating pins 510 is at least two. Correspondingly, at least one second swing arm 300 on one side of the base 100 is provided with a second track groove 311, and at least one second swing arm 300 on the other side of the base 100 is also provided with a second track groove 311. At the same time, the base 100 is provided with a first track groove 110 corresponding to each second track groove 311, and the multiple mating pins 510, multiple first track grooves 110, and multiple second track grooves 311 are mated one-to-one. Of course, in this application, in the rotational axis, each mating pin 510 is fixed relative to the cam member 410 so that the elastic member 420 can provide an elastic damping effect for the corresponding second swing arms 300 on both sides of the base 100, thereby making the mating stability and reliability between at least one second swing arm 300 on each side of the base 100 and the base 100 relatively higher.

[0045] Optionally, in a specific embodiment of this application, each of the second swing arms 300 on either side of the base 100 can be engaged with the cam member 410 through a corresponding mating pin 510, so as to ensure that the mating clearance between each second swing arm 300 and the base 100 in the rotational axis is always relatively small.

[0046] As described above, in this application, in order for the elastic element 420 to provide elastic damping for multiple second swing arms 300, corresponding mating pins 510 need to be provided, and each needs to be mated with the second track groove 311 of different second swing arms 300. The cam element 410 (and the elastic element 420) used to connect with different mating pins 510 can be the same. That is, there are multiple first track grooves 110, second track grooves 311 of second swing arms 300, and mating pins 510, and the three are mated one-to-one. The number of cam elements 410 (and elastic elements 420) can be one or more. A cam element 410 can be connected to only one mating pin 510, or a cam element 410 can be connected to multiple mating pins 510 at the same time. This is not limited in this document.

[0047] As described above, the mating pins 510 connected to different second rocker arms 300 can be connected to different cam members 410 respectively. To reduce the assembly difficulty of the mating pins 510, in another embodiment of this application, at least two of the multiple mating pins 510 can be connected to the same cam member 410. For example, by setting a connecting rod and fixing the connecting rod to the cam member 410, while in the rotational axis, the opposite ends of the connecting rod pass over the cam member 410, and the two ends of the connecting rod are respectively engaged with a mating pin 510, and the two mating pins 510 are respectively engaged with the second track grooves 311 on the second rocker arms 300 located on opposite sides of the aforementioned cam member 410.

[0048] In order to reduce the size of the hinge mechanism in the thickness direction, in another embodiment of this application, a transition piece 520 for providing transmission for two mating pins 510 can be disposed between the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 which are spaced apart in the rotation axis. The transition piece 520 can also provide transmission for the mating pins 510 that are mated to the mating grooves 311 on the two corresponding second swing arms 300 on opposite sides of the base 100.

[0049] As described above, in this application, the cam 410 is typically disposed on one side of the first rocker arm 200, and the elastic element 420 is located on the side of the cam 410 away from the first rocker arm 200. Meanwhile, the second rocker arm 300 can be disposed at intervals on the side of the first rocker arm 200 away from the cam 410. This makes the rotational consistency of the relatively adjacent first rocker arm 200 and second rocker arm 300 relatively higher, thereby improving the operational reliability and rotational feel of the hinge mechanism 1.

[0050] Therefore, in this application, each of the two corresponding second swing arms 300 on opposite sides of the base 100 is provided with a mating pin 510 in its second trajectory groove 311. In order to further reduce the assembly difficulty between the multiple mating pins 510 and the cam member 410, as described above, the hinge mechanism 1 also includes a converter 520, which is fixedly connected to the cam member 410. Of course, in order to prevent the connection structure between the converter 520 and the cam member 410 from having an adverse effect on the thickness dimension of the hinge mechanism, the space between the corresponding mounting shafts 430 of the first swing arms 200 on opposite sides of the base 100 can be used to accommodate the aforementioned connection structure.

[0051] In this embodiment, along the rotational axis, the adapter 520 is located on the side of the first rocker arm 200 opposite to the cam member 410, and the adapter 520 on the side opposite to the first rocker arm 200 is provided with at least two corresponding second rocker arms 300. Each of the two second rocker arms 300 has a mating pin 510 in its second track groove 311, and both mating pins 510 are fixed relative to the adapter 520. In this case, the assembly difficulty between the mating pins 510 that mate with the two second rocker arms 300 and the cam member 410 can be reduced. Of course, the two second rocker arms 300 are located on the same side of the first rocker arm 200 and are adjacent to it; typically, the two second rocker arms 300 are symmetrically arranged.

[0052] When the above technical solution is adopted, since the two mating pins 510 connected by the adapter 520 have relatively high motion consistency in the rotation axis, the motion trajectory of the two mating pins 510 can be relatively symmetrical, and the rotation synchronization of the two second swing arms 300 located on opposite sides of the base 100 and corresponding to each other is relatively better.

[0053] More specifically, by means of welding or the like, the two mating pins 510 can be fixedly mounted on the adapter 520. At the same time, the two mating pins 510 respectively mate with the second track grooves 311 of the two corresponding second swing arms 300 located on the side of the first swing arm 200 away from the cam member 410.

[0054] As described above, in order to minimize the overall thickness of the hinge mechanism 1 so that the thickness of the hinge mechanism 1 (and the corresponding electronic device) is relatively small when it is in the unfolded state, the adapter 520 is sandwiched between the first swing arm 200 and the second swing arm 300 in the rotational axis. This allows the adapter 520 to at least partially overlap with the base 100 in the thickness direction of the base 100, thereby reducing the thickness of the base 100 and the entire hinge mechanism 1.

[0055] In this case, to ensure that the mating pin 510 can still be properly connected to the adapter 520, the mating pin 510 can be made into a polygonal structure. To reduce assembly difficulty, in another embodiment of this application, the hinge mechanism 1 may further include a connecting rod 530, wherein the connecting rod 530 extends along the rotation axis and is fixedly connected to the adapter 520, so that one end of the connecting rod 530 extends to the location of the first track groove 110 in the base 100. Based on this, the mating pin 510 can still be a straight rod structure, and the mating pin 510 and the end of the connecting rod 530 away from the adapter 520 can be assembled together.

[0056] Specifically, the connecting rod 530 and the adapter 520, as well as the connecting rod 530 and the mating pin 510, can be fixed to each other by welding or other means. In another embodiment of this application, in order to reduce the difficulty of disassembling and maintaining the hinge mechanism 1, the end of the connecting rod 530 away from the adapter 520 can be provided with a through hole, and in the depth direction of the first track groove 110, the mating pin 510 can be inserted into the through hole of the connecting rod 530, and the mating pin 510 can mate with both the first track groove 110 and the second track groove 311.

[0057] Of course, to ensure that the mating pin 510 and the connecting rod 530 do not become loose, in this application, the size of the cap of the mating pin 510 is larger than the size of the through hole of the connecting rod 530, so that the cap of the mating pin 510 can be matched with the through hole for a limiting fit. At the same time, a structure such as a nut or washer can be provided between the base 100 and the second swing arm 300, so that the nut or washer and the portion of the mating pin 510 located between the base 100 and the second swing arm 300 form a limiting fit relationship, thereby creating a more stable limiting fit relationship between the mating pin 510 and the connecting rod 530 in the through-hole direction.

[0058] As described above, in the thickness direction of the base 100, the end of the connecting rod 530 away from the adapter 520 can extend above or below the base 100. The upper part of the base 100 can be the side of the base 100 facing the display screen, and correspondingly, the lower part of the base 100 is the side of the base 100 away from the display screen. In a specific embodiment of this application, the connecting rod 530 is located above the base 100, or in other words, the connecting rod 530 is located on the side of the second swing arm 300 facing the screen support side of the base 100. That is, when the hinge mechanism 1 is applied in an electronic device, the connecting rod 530 is located between the second swing arm 300 and the display screen in the hinge mechanism 1.

[0059] To prevent the connecting rod 530 from scraping against the display screen during its movement, which could adversely affect the lifespan of the display screen, in another embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in the thickness direction of the base 100, the connecting rod 530 is located on the side of the second swing arm 300 away from the screen support side of the base 100.

[0060] In this case, the hinge cover 700 can also be used to limit the engagement pin 510. The hinge cover 700 is fixedly installed on the side of the base 100 away from its screen support side. After the engagement pin 510 is installed in the through hole of the connecting rod 530 from the side of the base 100 away from its screen support side, by fixing the hinge cover 700 on the side of the base 100 away from its screen support side, the hinge cover 700 can cover and limit the engagement pin 510, preventing the engagement pin 510 from becoming loose from the connecting rod 530.

[0061] Of course, in this application, regardless of whether the connecting rod 530 is located above or below the base 100, considering that the first arc-shaped connecting portion on the base 100 can be an arc-shaped groove, in order to ensure that the mating pin 510 can engage with the second trajectory groove 311 on the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310 installed in the arc-shaped groove, during the formation of the first trajectory groove 110, the first trajectory groove 110 must penetrate the groove wall of the arc-shaped groove (located above or below the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310), so that the mating pin 510 can pass through the first trajectory groove 110 and extend into the second trajectory groove 311. The second trajectory groove 311 can also penetrate the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310. Alternatively, in another embodiment of this application, the second trajectory groove 311 has a groove bottom, that is, the second trajectory groove 311 does not penetrate the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310. In this case, the structural strength of the second arc-shaped connecting portion 310 can be relatively high, thereby improving the structural reliability of the second swing arm 300.

[0062] As described above, the adapter 520 can provide a bridging function between the multiple mating pins 510 and the cam member 410. Based on this, in order to ensure that the adapter 520 and the cam member 410 can form a stable assembly relationship, a structure similar to the connecting rod 530 can be used to form a fixed connection between the adapter 520 and the cam member 410. The cam member 410 can be sleeved and mounted on the mounting shaft 430 of the first rocker arm 200, thus forming a relatively reliable sliding fit between the cam member 410 and the base 100.

[0063] Furthermore, in order to ensure relatively high stability of the fit between the adapter 520 and the base 100, in a specific embodiment of this application, when the first swing arm 200 is rotatably connected to the base 100 via the mounting shaft 430, both the cam 410 and the adapter 520 can be rotatably sleeved on the mounting shaft 430. Of course, in the rotation direction of the first swing arm 200, the cam 410 and the adapter 520 are relatively fixed to the mounting shaft 430, and both the cam 410 and the adapter 520 are movably fitted with the mounting shaft 430 in the rotation axis. Thus, the mounting shaft 430 can simultaneously provide limiting and guiding functions for the cam 410 and the adapter 520, thereby improving the stability of the cam 410 and the adapter 520.

[0064] More specifically, the cam 410 and the adapter 520 can both cooperate with the mounting shafts 430 of the first rocker arms 200 respectively disposed on opposite sides of the base 100. In this case, the rotation of the cam 410 and the adapter 520 relative to the mounting shaft 430 can be restricted in the rotation direction of the first rocker arm 200, and the reliability of the sliding cooperation relationship between the cam 410 and the adapter 520 and the mounting shaft 430 in the aforementioned rotation axis can be further improved.

[0065] Furthermore, in order to enable the housings respectively connected to opposite sides of the hinge mechanism 1 to rotate synchronously relative to each other, in this application, as follows: Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hinge mechanism 1 includes a synchronization component 600, and at least two first swing arms 200 correspondingly disposed on opposite sides of the base 100 are connected by the synchronization component 600 for transmission. This allows the first swing arm 200 on one side of the base 100 to rotate relative to the base 100, thereby driving another first swing arm 200 connected to the aforementioned first swing arm 200 and located on the other side of the base 100 to rotate relative to the base 100. Of course, the two first swing arms 200, connected by the synchronization component 600 and located on opposite sides of the base 100, rotate in opposite directions relative to the base 100 to ensure that the hinge mechanism 1 can normally switch between the unfolded and folded states.

[0066] For example, the synchronization component 600 may include gears or other devices with transmission capabilities. More specifically, in one specific embodiment of this application, the synchronization component 600 may include a first gear 610 and a second gear 620, wherein the first gear 610 and the second gear 620 are meshed together, and one of the two first swing arms 200 correspondingly disposed on opposite sides of the base 100 is meshed with the first gear 610, and the other is meshed with the second gear 620. This allows the other first swing arm 200 to rotate relative to the base 100 when one of the two first swing arms 200 rotates relative to the base 100, through the first gear 610 and the second gear 620. Of course, in this embodiment of the application, a gear-type structure may also be installed on the first swing arm 200, or gear teeth 210 capable of meshing with the first gear 610 and the second gear 620 may be directly formed on the outer surface of the first swing arm 200.

[0067] Of course, in order to ensure that the first gear 610 and the second gear 620 can be stably assembled between the two first swing arms 200 that are respectively set on opposite sides of the base 100, in this application, the synchronization component 600 also includes a first wheel shaft 630 and a second wheel shaft 640, wherein the first gear 610 is installed on the first wheel shaft 630 and the second gear 620 is installed on the second wheel shaft 640. Meanwhile, in this application, on the rotational axis, the two opposite ends of the first wheel shaft 630 are respectively fixed to the cam member 410 and the adapter member 520, so that the first wheel shaft 630 can not only provide a mounting function for the first gear 610, but also provide a bridging function for the adapter member 520 and the cam member 410. This can reduce the assembly difficulty of the adapter member 520. In addition, in this case, the cam member 410 and the adapter member 520 can also provide a supporting function for the first wheel shaft 630, serving as the mounting base for the first wheel shaft 630. Thus, the cam member 410, the adapter member 520, and the first wheel shaft 630 in this application all have multiple functions, achieving the purpose of device reuse, reducing the total number of devices in the hinge mechanism 1, and reducing the assembly difficulty.

[0068] Specifically, one end of the first wheel shaft 630 can be fixedly connected to the cam member 410 and the other end of the first wheel shaft 630 can be fixedly connected to the adapter 520 by welding. In this case, to ensure that the first gear 610 can work normally, the first gear 610 can be sleeved on the first wheel shaft 630 and rotated in cooperation with the first wheel shaft 630. Of course, in the embodiments of this application, the second wheel shaft 640 can also be installed in the same way as the first wheel shaft 630, and the opposite ends of the second wheel shaft 640 can be fixed relative to the cam member 410 and the adapter 520 in the aforementioned rotational axis, respectively. This will not be described in detail here.

[0069] To reduce the difficulty of disassembling and maintaining the hinge mechanism 1, in another embodiment of this application, the assembly relationship between the first wheel axle 630, the cam member 410, and the adapter 520 can be detachable. Specifically, both the cam member 410 and the adapter 520 are provided with through holes. The opposite ends of the first wheel axle 630 are rotatably mounted in the respective through holes of the cam member 410 and the adapter 520. Limiting shims 540 are fitted onto the opposite ends of the first wheel axle 630, and in the rotational axial direction, both the cam member 410 and the adapter 520 are in a limiting engagement with the limiting shims 540.

[0070] With the above technical solution, the first wheel shaft 630 can form a rotational engagement relationship with both the cam member 410 and the adapter member 520 through corresponding through holes, thereby enabling a relatively fixed relationship between the first gear 610 and the first wheel shaft 630, thus improving the stability of the first gear 610. Simultaneously, the first wheel shaft 630 can be provided with a mating groove. By installing the limiting shim 540 within the mating groove, the limiting shim 540 and the first wheel shaft 630 can form a relatively fixed relationship in the aforementioned rotational axis. In this case, by designing the positions of the limiting shims 540 installed at opposite ends of the first wheel shaft 630, the limiting shims 540 can be used to enable the first wheel shaft 630 to form a limiting engagement relationship with the cam member 410 and the adapter member 520 in the rotational axis.

[0071] More specifically, in the rotational axis, limiting shims 540 can be provided on the side of the cam member 410 near the adapter 520 and on the side of the adapter 520 near the cam member 410, respectively. Alternatively, limiting shims 540 can be provided on the side of the cam member 410 away from the adapter 520 and on the side of the adapter 520 away from the cam member 410, respectively. Both of these can ensure that the first wheel shaft 630 can form a relatively fixed relationship with both the cam member 410 and the adapter 520.

[0072] In another embodiment of this application, limiting shims 540 can be provided on both opposite sides of the cam member 410, and limiting shims 540 can also be provided on both opposite sides of the adapter 520. This makes the reliability of the relative fixed relationship formed between the first wheel shaft 630, the cam member 410, and the adapter 520 in the rotational axis relatively higher. Similarly, the second wheel shaft 640 can also be rotatably engaged with the cam member 410 and the adapter 520 through the aforementioned through holes, and by also sleeved and installed the aforementioned limiting shims 540 on the second wheel shaft 640, the second wheel shaft 640 can form a relative fixed relationship with both the cam member 410 and the adapter 520 in the rotational axis of the first rocker arm 200.

[0073] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0074] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A hinge mechanism, characterized in that, Includes a base, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, a cam assembly, an elastic element, and a mating pin. The base is provided with a first swing arm and a second swing arm on opposite sides. The base is provided with a first arc-shaped connecting part. The second swing arm includes a second arc-shaped connecting part. The second arc-shaped connecting part is rotatably connected to the first arc-shaped connecting part. The first arc-shaped connecting part is provided with a first track groove, and the second arc-shaped connecting part is provided with a second track groove. The mating pin passes through one of the first track groove and the second track groove, and extends into the other of the first track groove and the second track groove. The first track groove extends along the rotation axis of the second swing arm, and the extension direction of the second track groove has a first component and a second component. The first component is parallel to the rotation axis, and the second component is perpendicular to both the rotation axis and the thickness direction of the base. During the switching between the folded and unfolded states of the hinge mechanism, both the first and second swing arms rotate relative to the base. On the rotation axis, the first swing arm drives the cam to move the mating pin, and the cam compresses the elastic element so that the elastic element pushes against the first swing arm. The elastic element also pushes against the second swing arm through the mating pin.

2. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the mating pins is at least two. At least one second swing arm on the first side of the base is provided with a second track groove, and at least one second swing arm on the second side of the base is provided with a second track groove. The base is provided with a first track groove corresponding to each second track groove. The plurality of mating pins, the plurality of first track grooves and the plurality of second track grooves are mated in a one-to-one correspondence.

3. The hinge mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hinge mechanism further includes an adapter, which is fixedly connected to the cam. On the rotation axis, the adapter is located on the side of the first swing arm away from the cam. The side of the adapter away from the first swing arm is provided with at least two corresponding second swing arms. Each of the two second swing arms has a second track groove with a mating pin, and both mating pins are fixed relative to the adapter on the rotation axis.

4. The hinge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hinge mechanism further includes a connecting rod that extends along the rotation axis and is fixedly connected to the adapter. The mating pin is installed at the end of the connecting rod away from the adapter.

5. The hinge mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, The connecting rod has a through hole at one end away from the adapter. In the depth direction of the first track groove, the mating pin is inserted into the through hole, and the cap of the mating pin is matched with the through hole for limiting.

6. The hinge mechanism according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the thickness direction of the base, the connecting rod is located on the side of the second swing arm away from the screen support side of the base.

7. The hinge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The hinge mechanism includes a synchronization component, which includes a first gear, a second gear, a first axle, and a second axle. The first gear and the second gear are meshed together, and one of the two first swing arms, which are respectively disposed on opposite sides of the base, is meshed with the first gear, while the other is meshed with the second gear. The first gear is mounted on the first axle, and the second gear is mounted on the second axle. On the rotation axis, the opposite ends of the first axle are respectively fixed to the cam and the adapter.

8. The hinge mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, Both the cam component and the adapter component are provided with through holes. The two opposite ends of the first wheel axle are respectively rotatably installed in the through holes of the cam component and the adapter component. Both opposite ends of the first wheel axle are fitted with limiting shims, and the cam component and the adapter component are both limited and engaged with the limiting shims in the direction of rotation.

9. The hinge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first swing arm is rotatably connected to the base via a mounting shaft. The cam and the adapter are both sleeved on the mounting shaft, and the cam and the adapter are movably engaged with the mounting shaft in the rotational direction.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that, The device includes a housing, a display screen, and a hinge mechanism as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the two housings are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism, and the display screen is mounted on the housing.

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