Hinge mechanism and folding screen device

Abstract

A hinge mechanism (203) and a folding screen device (100), the hinge mechanism comprising a base (1), a first support (2A), a second support (2B), a first protection piece (3A) and a second protection piece (3B). The first support and the second support are respectively located on both sides of the base. The first protection piece comprises a first fixed end (S1) and a first free end (F1). The first fixed end is carried and at least partially fixed to the first support, and the first free end is carried on the second support. The second protection piece comprises a second free end (F2) and a second fixed end (S2). The second free end is carried on the first support, and the second fixed end is carried and at least partially fixed to the second support. At least part of the first protection piece and at least part of the second protection piece are arranged along the length direction of the base. Local sharp point impact on the folding screen can be avoided, and at the same time, the folding screen is prevented from being twisted, deformed or even failed during the unfolding or folding process of the whole machine.

Description

Hinge mechanism and folding screen device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202410525694.4, filed on April 28, 2024, and entitled "Hinge mechanism and folding screen device", the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the technical field of folding screen devices, and in particular to a hinge mechanism and a folding screen device. BACKGROUND

[0003] At present, folding screen devices are attracting more and more attention because they can solve the problems of small screen size, large size and inconvenience of carrying of traditional straight screen devices.

[0004] A folding screen device includes two side housings, a hinge mechanism connected between the two side housings, and a folding screen carried on the two side housings and the hinge mechanism. Due to the demand for thinness of the folding screen device, the thickness of the folding screen continues to be reduced, the gap between the folding screen and the hinge mechanism continues to decrease, and the folding screen is easily impacted by the local sharp points of the hinge mechanism, resulting in failure. Moreover, the part of the folding screen carried on the hinge mechanism is a bendable part, and the bendable part needs to be effectively bonded with the hinge mechanism to prevent the bendable part from being twisted, deformed or even failed in the scene of the whole machine falling. However, the prior art usually cannot solve the two problems at the same time. SUMMARY

[0005] Embodiments of the present application provide a hinge mechanism and a folding screen device for solving the problem of how to avoid the local sharp points of the hinge mechanism impacting the folding screen, while preventing the folding screen from being twisted, deformed or even failed during the unfolding or folding process of the whole machine.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, embodiments of the present application adopt the following technical solutions:

[0007] In a first aspect, a hinge mechanism for carrying a folding screen is provided, the hinge mechanism comprising a base, a first support, a second support, a first protection member and a second protection member. The first support and the second support are respectively located on two sides of the base arranged along the width direction and can rotate relative to the base between a folded position and an unfolded position. The first protection member and the second protection member are located on the side of the first support, the base and the second support for carrying the folding screen.

[0008] The first protection piece has a first fixed end and a first free end at two ends along the width direction of the base. The first fixed end is carried by and at least partially fixed to the first support piece, and the first free end is carried by the second support piece. The second protection piece has a second free end and a second fixed end at two ends along the width direction of the base. The second free end is carried by the first support piece, and the second fixed end is carried by and at least partially fixed to the second support piece.

[0009] At least part of the first protection piece and at least part of the second protection piece are arranged along the length direction of the base. The at least part of the first protection piece is a first part, and the at least part of the second protection piece is a second part. The surface of the first part facing away from the base and the surface of the second part facing away from the base form the surface of the hinge mechanism for carrying the folding screen, at least part of the first fixed end is located in the first part, and at least part of the second fixed end is located in the second part.

[0010] In this way, during the process of closing or opening the folding screen device, the first support piece and the second support piece rotate relative to the base between the unfolded position and the folded position, the first protection piece and the second protection piece bend along with the third folding screen part, the first free end can slide on the second support piece, and the second free end can slide on the first support piece to avoid or effectively support the third folding screen part. During this process, the first protection piece and the second protection piece separate the third folding screen part from the local sharp point of the base, which can reduce the probability of the local sharp point of the hinge mechanism being pressed and damaged under external force impact.

[0011] Meanwhile, the third folding screen part can carry and fixedly connect to the part of the first fixed end belonging to the above-mentioned first part and the part of the second fixed end belonging to the above-mentioned second part, thereby balancing the stress of the third folding screen part, and reducing the risk of the third folding screen part being twisted, deformed or even failed in the limit scenario of the whole machine falling.

[0012] Furthermore, the length of the first protection piece and the length of the second protection piece are relatively short, so that the first protection piece and the second protection piece are relatively stable in the process of opening or closing the whole machine, the risk of deformation and abnormal sound is relatively low, and the processing and assembling difficulty is relatively small.

[0013] Optionally, the first protection piece and the second protection piece include a protection body and a lubricating material arranged on the surface of the protection body. By means of the lubricating material, the friction can be reduced, and the abnormal sound generated when the first protection piece and the second protection piece slide along the second support piece and the first support piece, respectively, can be reduced.

[0014] Optionally, the material of the protection body includes at least one of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, copper alloy and titanium alloy.

[0015] Optionally, the lubricating material is a compound containing fluorine, polyformaldehyde, or a soft elastic material containing at least one of polyurethane, rubber, and latex.

[0016] Optionally, the first protection member and the second protection member are in a sheet shape, and the sheet shape has a small thickness, which is beneficial to thinning of the whole machine. Optionally, the thickness of the first protection member and the thickness of the second protection member are greater than or equal to 0.02 mm and less than or equal to 0.03 mm. In this way, the thickness of the first protection member and the second protection member is small, and the thinning of the whole machine can be avoided.

[0017] Optionally, the second protection member includes a third protection part and a fourth protection part arranged along the length direction of the base. Based on this, the part of the second fixed end belonging to the third protection part is defined as a third fixed part. The first protection member and the third protection part are arranged along the length direction of the base, and the surface of the first protection member facing away from the base and the surface of the third protection part facing away from the base form the surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen. The fourth protection part is located between the first protection member and the base and is arranged in a stack with at least part of the first protection member. In this way, the third folding screen part can be at least borne and fixedly connected to the first fixed end and the third fixed part, so as to balance the stress of the third folding screen part and reduce the risk of distortion, deformation, or even failure of the third folding screen part.

[0018] Optionally, the first protection member includes a first protection part and a second protection part arranged along the length direction of the base. Along the length direction of the base, the first protection part is located on the side of the fourth protection part facing away from the third protection part, and the second protection part is located between the first protection part and the third protection part. The fourth protection part is arranged in a stack with the second protection part. In this way, under the premise that the length of the assembly composed of the first protection member and the second protection member is constant, the part of the second protection member is arranged in a stack between the part of the first protection member and the base, which can reduce the length of the second protection member and save material costs.

[0019] Optionally, the part of the first fixed end belonging to the second protection part is a second fixed part, and the part of the first free end belonging to the second protection part is a second free part. The part of the second fixed end belonging to the fourth protection part is a fourth fixed part, and the part of the second free end belonging to the fourth protection part is a fourth free part. When the first support member and the second support member are in the unfolded position, the fourth free part is located between the second fixed part and the first support member, and the fourth fixed part is located between the second free part and the second support member. In this way, when the first support member and the second support member are in the unfolded position, the second fixed part and the fourth free part are stacked between the second free part and the fourth fixed part, which can reduce the width of the assembly composed of the first protection member and the second protection member, can be applied to a scenario in which the width of the first support member and the second support member is small, and is conducive to the thinness of the whole machine.

[0020] Optionally, the third fixed part and the fourth fixed part are both fixed to the second support member. In this way, the third fixed part and the fourth fixed part can respectively pull the third protection part and the fourth protection part to prevent the third protection part and the fourth protection part from being distorted, wrinkled or even failed due to frictional contact with the first protection member during opening or closing of the whole machine.

[0021] Optionally, the hinge mechanism further comprises at least one of a synchronization mechanism, an in-shaft damping mechanism and a swing arm. The fourth protection part is located on the side of the at least one of the synchronization mechanism, the in-shaft damping mechanism and the swing arm facing the folding screen. In this way, the part of the first protection member stacked with the fourth protection part is a stacking part, and by means of the fourth protection part and the stacking part, the local sharp point of the at least one of the synchronization mechanism, the in-shaft damping mechanism and the swing arm can be prevented from pressing the third folding screen part to cause the folding screen to fail.

[0022] Optionally, the hinge mechanism further comprises a first adhesive layer and a second adhesive layer. The first adhesive layer is arranged between the at least part of the first fixed end and the first support member. The second adhesive layer is arranged between the at least part of the second fixed end and the second support member, and the thickness of the second adhesive layer is less than the thickness of the first adhesive layer. In this way, by means of the first adhesive layer, the height of the first protection member relative to the second protection member can be raised, so that the first protection member can remain flat and prevent the first protection member from generating a local sharp point under the pressing of the second protection member, further reducing the risk of failure of the folding screen. For example, the thickness of the first adhesive layer can be equal to the sum of the thickness of the second adhesive layer and the thickness of the second protection member.

[0023] Optionally, the fourth protection part is integrally stacked with the first protection member. In this way, under the premise that the length of the assembly composed of the first protection member and the second protection member is constant, the area of the stacking part of the second protection member and the first protection member is larger, which can provide better protection for the sharp point of the third folding screen part.

[0024] Optionally, the second protection member further comprises a fifth protection part. Along the length direction of the base, the fifth protection part is located on the side of the fourth protection part which is opposite to the third protection part, and the surface of the fifth protection part which is opposite to the base forms the surface of the hinge mechanism for carrying the folding screen. In this way, the third folding screen part can be carried and fixed to the parts of the first fixed end and the second fixed end which belong to the third protection part and the fifth protection part, so as to balance the stress of the third folding screen part.

[0025] Optionally, the whole of the first protection member and the whole of the second protection member are arranged along the length direction of the base, and the surface of the first protection member which is opposite to the base and the surface of the second protection member which is opposite to the base form the surface of the hinge mechanism for carrying the folding screen.

[0026] Optionally, the hinge mechanism further comprises a third protection member, the third protection member is located on the side of the first support member, the base and the second support member for carrying the folding screen, two ends of the third protection member along the width direction of the base are respectively a third fixed end and a third free end, the third fixed end is carried and at least partially fixed to the first support member, and the third free end is carried on the second support member. Along the length direction of the base, at least part of the third protection member is located on the side of the second part which is opposite to the first part, and the at least part of the third protection member is a third part, and the surface of the third part which is opposite to the base forms the surface of the hinge mechanism for carrying the folding screen. In this way, the third protection member is added in the embodiment to protect the third folding screen part from local sharp point protection, the protection area is larger, and the probability of the local sharp point of the hinge mechanism being extruded and damaged under external force impact can be further reduced.

[0027] Meanwhile, the hinge mechanism further comprises a third protection member, the third protection member is located on the side of the first support member, the base and the second support member for carrying the folding screen, two ends of the third protection member along the width direction of the base are respectively a third fixed end and a third free end, the third free end is carried on the first support member, and the third fixed end is carried and at least partially fixed to the second support member. Along the length direction of the base, at least part of the third protection member is located on the side of the second part which is opposite to the first part, and the at least part of the third protection member is a third part, and the surface of the third part which is opposite to the base forms the surface of the hinge mechanism for carrying the folding screen. This structure is simple and easy to realize.

[0028] Optionally, the hinge mechanism further comprises a fourth protection piece. The fourth protection piece is located on a side of the first support piece, the base and the second support piece for carrying the folding screen. The fourth protection piece has a fourth fixed end and a fourth free end at two ends along the width direction of the base. The fourth free end is carried by the first support piece, and the fourth fixed end is carried and at least partially fixed to the second support piece. Along the length direction of the base, at least part of the fourth protection piece is located on the side of the first part opposite to the second part. The at least part of the fourth protection piece is a fourth part. The surface of the fourth part opposite to the base forms the surface of the hinge mechanism for carrying the folding screen. In this way, the fourth protection piece is newly added in this embodiment to protect the third folding screen part from local sharp point protection, the protection area is larger, and the probability of the local sharp point of the hinge mechanism being extruded and damaged under external force impact can be further reduced.

[0029] Optionally, the hinge mechanism further comprises a fourth protection piece. The fourth protection piece is located on a side of the first support piece, the base and the second support piece for carrying the folding screen. The fourth protection piece has a fourth fixed end and a fourth free end at two ends along the width direction of the base. The fourth free end is carried by the first support piece, and the fourth fixed end is carried and at least partially fixed to the second support piece. Along the length direction of the base, at least part of the fourth protection piece is located on the side of the first part opposite to the second part. The at least part of the fourth protection piece is a fourth part. The surface of the fourth part opposite to the base forms the surface of the hinge mechanism for carrying the folding screen. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0030] The second aspect also provides a folding screen device, which comprises a folding screen and a hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism is as described in any of the above technical solutions, and the folding screen is located on the side of the first protection piece and the second protection piece opposite to the first support piece, the base and the second support piece, and is fixed to at least part of the first fixed end and at least part of the second fixed end.

[0031] Since the folding screen device provided by the present application comprises the hinge mechanism as described in any of the above technical solutions, both can solve the same technical problems and achieve the same effect.

[0032] Optionally, the first protection member includes a first protection portion and a second protection portion. The second protection member includes a third protection portion and a fourth protection portion. The first protection portion and the third protection portion are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the base. The second protection portion and the fourth protection portion are located between the first protection portion and the third protection portion along the length direction of the base, and the second protection portion and the fourth protection portion are arranged in a stack along the thickness direction of the base, and the second protection portion is located on the side of the fourth protection portion away from the base. The folding screen is fixed to the portion of the first fixed end belonging to the first protection portion and the portion of the first fixed end belonging to the second protection portion, and the folding screen is also fixed to the portion of the second fixed end belonging to the third protection portion. In this way, while ensuring that the third folding screen portion is balanced in stress, the portion of the first fixed end belonging to the first protection portion and the portion of the first fixed end belonging to the second protection portion can respectively pull the first protection portion and the second protection portion, so as to prevent the first protection portion and the second protection portion from being twisted, wrinkled or even failed due to frictional contact with the second protection member during the opening or closing of the entire machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0033] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folding screen device in an unfolded state according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0034] FIG. 2 is a partially exploded structural schematic view of the folding screen device shown in FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic view of the folding screen device shown in FIG. 1 in a folded state;

[0036] FIG. 4 is a front view of a part of the hinge mechanism of the folding screen device shown in FIGS. 1-3 in an unfolded state;

[0037] FIG. 5 is an exploded structural schematic view of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG. 4;

[0038] FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a part of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG. 4 in a folded state;

[0039] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism in an unfolded state according to some other embodiments of the present application;

[0040] FIG. 8 is a front view of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG. 7;

[0041] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a cross section of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG. 8 in a folded state;

[0042] FIG. 10 is a front view of a hinge mechanism in an unfolded state according to some other embodiments of the present application;

[0043] FIG. 11 is a front view of a hinge mechanism in an unfolded state according to some other embodiments of the present application;

[0044] Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0045] Fig. 13 is a top view of the hinge mechanism of Fig. 12;

[0046] Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0047] Fig. 15 is a top view of the hinge mechanism of Fig. 14;

[0048] Fig. 16 is an exploded view of the hinge mechanism of Fig. 14;

[0049] Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0050] Fig. 18 is a top view of the hinge mechanism of Fig. 17;

[0051] Fig. 19 is an exploded view of the hinge mechanism of Fig. 17;

[0052] Fig. 20 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0053] Fig. 21 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0054] Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0055] Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0056] Fig. 24 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0057] Fig. 25 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism according to some embodiments of the present application.

[0058] 100, folding screen device; 10, folding screen; 101, first folding screen part; 102, second folding screen part; 103, third folding screen part; 103a, bottom arc segment; 103b, first transition segment; 103c, second transition segment; 20, supporting device; 201, first shell; 202, second shell; 203, hinge mechanism; 1, base; 2A, first support; 2B, second support; 3, protection piece; F, free end; S, fixed end; N1, first part of glue material; N2, second part of glue material; N3, third part of glue material; 3A, first protection piece; S1, first fixed end; S11, first fixed part; S12, second fixed part; F1, first free end; F11, first free part; F12, second free part; 4A, first glue layer; 31A, first protection part; 32A, second protection part; 3B, second protection piece; S2, second fixed end; S21, third fixed part; S22, fourth fixed part; F2, second free end; F21, third free part; F22, fourth free part; 4B, second glue layer; 31B, third protection part; 32B, fourth protection part; 33B, fifth protection part; 5A, third glue layer; 5B, fourth glue layer; 3C, third protection piece; S3, third fixed end; F3, third free end; 3D, fourth protection piece; S4, fourth fixed end; F4, fourth free end. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth" are only used for descriptive purpose and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second", "third", "fourth" can explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0060] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms "including", "containing" or any other variants thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, so that the processes, methods, articles or devices including a series of elements not only include those elements, but also include other elements not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, articles or devices. Without more limitations, the element defined by the statement "including a" does not exclude the presence of another identical element in the process, method, article or device including the element.

[0061] The application provides a folding screen device, which can be a user equipment (UE) or a terminal device, for example, a folding screen device can be a portable android device (PAD), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a handheld device with a wireless communication function, a computing device, a vehicle-mounted device, a wearable device, a virtual reality (VR) terminal device, an augmented reality (AR) terminal device, a wireless terminal in industrial control, a wireless terminal in self-driving, a wireless terminal in remote medical, a wireless terminal in smart grid, a wireless terminal in transportation safety, a wireless terminal in smart city, a wireless terminal in smart home, and the like mobile terminal or fixed terminal.

[0062] Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folding screen device 100 in an unfolded state according to some embodiments of the application, and FIG. 2 is a partially exploded structural schematic view of the folding screen device 100 shown in FIG. 1. The present embodiment and each of the following embodiments are exemplarily described by taking the folding screen device 100 as a handheld device with a wireless communication function, which can be a mobile phone for example.

[0063] The folding screen device 100 comprises a folding screen 10 and a supporting device 20.

[0064] In some embodiments, the folding screen 10 can include a light-transmitting cover plate, a polarizing sheet, a display panel (i.e., panel), and a support module arranged in sequence. The light-transmitting cover plate is used for protection, and can be a transparent polyimide film (colorless PI, CPI). The polarizing sheet is used to reduce reflected light. The display panel is used to display images, videos, and the like. Optionally, the display panel can be an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel, a micro organic light-emitting diode display panel, a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) display panel, a liquid crystal display (LCD), and the like. The support module is used to improve the structural strength and impact resistance of the folding screen 10, and can include a metal support layer, which can also be referred to as a bamboo book.

[0065] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the folding screen 10 can include a first folding screen portion 101, a second folding screen portion 102, and a third folding screen portion 103 connected between the first folding screen portion 101 and the second folding screen portion 102. In the folding screen device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first folding screen portion 101, the third folding screen portion 103, and the second folding screen portion 102 are arranged in sequence in the lateral direction, so that the folding screen device 100 is folded in the lateral direction. In other embodiments, when the folding screen 10 is in an unfolded state, the first folding screen portion 101, the third folding screen portion 103, and the second folding screen portion 102 can also be arranged in sequence in the longitudinal direction. In this way, the folding screen device 100 is folded in the longitudinal direction. When the folding screen 10 is in an unfolded state, large-screen display can be achieved to provide users with more information and a better user experience.

[0066] At least the third folding screen portion 103 of the folding screen 10 is a flexible screen structure. In this way, the third folding screen portion 103 can be bent and deformed under external force, so that the folding screen 10 is folded from the unfolded state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the folded state. The first folding screen portion 101 and the second folding screen portion 102 of the folding screen 10 can be a flexible screen structure, a hard screen structure, or a partial flexible screen structure and a partial hard screen structure, which is not limited in the present application.

[0067] Please refer to FIG. 3, which is a structural schematic diagram of the folding screen device 100 in the folded state, and the folding screen 10 is also in the folded state. In this state, the first folding screen part 101 and the second folding screen part 102 are approximately parallel and face each other. It should be noted that the included angle between the first folding screen part 101 and the second folding screen part 102 is within 30 degrees, and both can be considered as approximately parallel. The first folding screen part 101 and the second folding screen part 102 face each other means that the display surface of the first folding screen part 101 faces the display surface of the second folding screen part 102. The "display surface" refers to the surface on which a video or an image is displayed.

[0068] In some embodiments, please continue to refer to FIG. 3, when the folding screen 10 is in the folded state, the third folding screen part 103 is folded into a water drop shape. In this shape, the third folding screen part 103 can include a bottom arc segment 103a and first and second transition segments 103b and 103c located on opposite sides of the bottom arc segment 103a. The first transition segment 103b is connected between the bottom arc segment 103a and the first folding screen part 101, and the second transition segment 103c is connected between the bottom arc segment 103a and the second folding screen part 102. The distance between the end of the first transition segment 103b connected to the first folding screen part 101 and the end of the second transition segment 103c connected to the second folding screen part 102 is a first distance, and the distance between the end of the first transition segment 103b connected to the bottom arc segment 103a and the end of the second transition segment 103c connected to the bottom arc segment 103a is a second distance. The second distance is greater than the first distance. It can be understood that when the folding screen 10 is in the folded state, the third folding screen part 103 can also be folded into other shapes according to actual needs, which are not limited in the present application.

[0069] Please refer to FIGS. 1-3, the support device 20 is used to carry the folding screen 10. The support device 20 can include a first housing 201, a second housing 202, and a hinge mechanism 203. The first housing 201 carries the first folding screen part 101, and the second housing 202 carries the second folding screen part 102. The hinge mechanism 203 is connected between the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 and carries the third folding screen part 103. The hinge mechanism 203 is used to realize the rotation between the second housing 202 and the first housing 201 to support the folding of the folding screen 10 between the unfolded state and the folded state.

[0070] When the folding screen device 100 is in the folded state, please refer to FIG. 3, the support device 20 is protected outside the folding screen 10, and the folding screen 10 is invisible to the user, which can prevent the folding screen 10 from being scratched by a hard object. In addition, the size of the folding screen device 100 in the folded state is reduced, which is convenient for carrying.

[0071] It should be noted that the folding screen device 100 is exemplarily illustrated as an inner folding folding screen device. Of course, in other embodiments, the folding screen device 100 can also be an outer folding folding screen device. When the outer folding folding screen device is in a folded state, the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 are stacked, the hinge mechanism 203 is located on the same side of the first housing 201 and the second housing 202, the first folding screen part 101 is located on the side of the first housing 201 facing away from the second housing 202, the second folding screen part 102 is located on the side of the second housing 202 facing away from the first housing 201, and the third folding screen part 103 is located on the side of the hinge mechanism 203 facing away from the first housing 201 and the second housing 202. In this way, when the outer folding folding screen device is in a folded state, the folding screen 10 is exposed, and small screen display can be realized by means of the folding screen 10. Moreover, the size of the outer folding folding screen device in the folded state is also reduced, which is convenient for carrying.

[0072] It should be noted that the folding screen device 100 is exemplarily illustrated as a two-fold folding screen device having one hinge mechanism 203, and of course, in other embodiments, the folding screen device 100 can also be a three-fold folding screen device having two hinge mechanisms 203, a four-fold folding screen device having three hinge mechanisms 203, a five-fold folding screen device having four hinge mechanisms 203, and the like, which are not specifically limited by the present application.

[0073] Affected by the demand for thinness of the folding screen device 100, the thickness of the folding screen 10 continues to be thinned, and the gap between the third folding screen part 103 and the hinge mechanism 203 continues to decrease, and the third folding screen part 103 is easily impacted by the local sharp points of the hinge mechanism 203 and causes failure.

[0074] Based on this, first, the structure of the hinge mechanism 203 is introduced.

[0075] Please refer to FIGS. 4-6, FIG. 4 is a front view of the part structure of the hinge mechanism 203 in the unfolded state of the folding screen device 100 shown in FIGS. 1-3, FIG. 5 is an exploded structure diagram of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the part structure of the hinge mechanism 203 in the folded state shown in FIG. 4.

[0076] The hinge mechanism 203 can include a base 1, a first support 2A and a second support 2B.

[0077] It should be noted that, for the convenience of description, in the following embodiments, unless otherwise specified, the "front side" used to describe each component in the hinge mechanism 203 refers to the side of the described component facing the folding screen 10, the "front end surface" refers to the surface of the described component facing the folding screen 10, the "back side" refers to the side of the described component facing away from the folding screen 10, and the "back surface" refers to the surface of the described component facing away from the folding screen 10.

[0078] The base 1 is used to provide a position reference in the hinge mechanism 203, and the base 1 is used to carry a part of the third folding screen part 103. The base 1 can also be referred to as a middle beam. The base 1 can be a whole structure or can be assembled by multiple components. The material of the base 1 can be plastic, metal, or a combination of metal and plastic, which is not limited in the present application. The base 1 is in a strip shape. For the convenience of description of the following embodiments, an XYZ coordinate system is established, and specifically, the width direction of the base 1 is defined as the X-axis direction, the length direction is defined as the Y-axis direction, and the thickness direction is defined as the Z-axis direction. It can be understood that the coordinate system of the base 1 can be flexibly set according to actual needs, which is not limited herein.

[0079] Referring to FIGS. 4-6, the first support 2A and the second support 2B are respectively located on the two sides of the base 1 along the width direction (i.e., the X-axis direction). That is, the first support 2A and the second support 2B are arranged along the width direction of the base 1 and are respectively located on the opposite sides of the base 1. The first support 2A and the second support 2B are used to carry another part of the third folding screen part 103.

[0080] When the hinge mechanism 203 is applied to the folding screen device 100 shown in FIGS. 1-3, referring to FIGS. 4 and 6, the first housing 201 is located on the side of the first support 2A facing away from the base 1, and the second housing 202 is located on the side of the second support 2B facing away from the base 1. During the process of opening or closing the folding screen device 100, the first housing 201 and the second housing 202 can respectively drive the first support 2A and the second support 2B to rotate relative to the base 1 between the unfolded position shown in FIG. 4 and the folded position shown in FIG. 6. Moreover, during the process of rotating the first support 2A and the second support 2B relative to the base 1 from the unfolded position shown in FIG. 4 to the folded position shown in FIG. 6, the distance between the first support 2A and the base 1 and the distance between the second support 2B and the base 1 can be increased to increase the height of the folding screen accommodation space between the first support 2A and the second support 2B along the Z-axis direction in the folded state, so as to avoid the third folding screen part 103 and reduce the probability of creases on the third folding screen part 103.

[0081] In order to enable the first shell 201 and the second shell 202 to drive the first support 2A and the second support 2B to rotate relative to the base 1 between the unfolded position and the folded position, and at the same time enable the distance between the first support 2A and the base 1 and the distance between the second support 2B and the base 1 to be enlarged during the rotation from the unfolded position to the folded position, the hinge mechanism 203 can further include a first swing arm assembly connected between the base 1, the first support 2A and the first shell 201, and a second swing arm assembly connected between the base 1, the second support 2B and the second shell 202, in addition to the base 1, the first support 2A and the second support 2B. The first swing arm assembly and the second swing arm assembly can include at least one swing arm connected to the base 1. It should be noted that the first swing arm assembly and the second swing arm assembly can adopt existing structures, and the present application will not be described here.

[0082] The hinge mechanism 203 can further include a damping mechanism and a synchronization mechanism. The damping mechanism is used to enable the entire machine to have a damping feel and to enable the entire machine to remain in one or more stable states. The damping mechanism can include at least one of an in-shaft damping mechanism and an out-shaft damping mechanism, and the in-shaft damping mechanism is arranged in the base 1. The synchronization mechanism is used to enable the first shell 201 and the second shell 202 to rotate synchronously. The synchronization mechanism can be a gear synchronization mechanism or a slider synchronization mechanism, and at least part of the synchronization mechanism is arranged in the base 1. It should be noted that the damping mechanism and the synchronization mechanism can also adopt existing structures, and the present application will not be described here.

[0083] According to the above description, the hinge mechanism 203 has a large number of components, and local sharp points are prone to occur, especially in the base 1 between the first support 2A and the second support 2B, and the in-shaft damping mechanism, the synchronization mechanism, the first swing arm assembly and the second swing arm assembly arranged in the base 1. Therefore, in the thinning scenario of the entire machine, when the impact force from the side of the hinge mechanism 203 opposite to the third folding screen part 103 (i.e., the back side) or the side of the third folding screen part 103 opposite to the hinge mechanism 203 (i.e., the front side) is received, the local sharp points of the hinge mechanism 203 are prone to impact the third folding screen part 103, resulting in failure of the folding screen 10.

[0084] To solve the above problems, please refer to FIGS. 7-9, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 in an unfolded state according to some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 8 is a front view of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a schematic view of the cross-section structure of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 8 in a folded state. The hinge mechanism 203 can further include a protective piece 3. The protective piece 3 can be in the form of a sheet, a plate, a mesh, or the like. The material of the protective piece 3 includes, but is not limited to, metals such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, copper alloy, titanium alloy, and resins containing at least one of glass fiber, carbon fiber, and aramid fiber. The material of the protective piece 3 is exemplarily illustrated as stainless steel.

[0085] The protective piece 3 is located on the side of the first support 2A, the base 1, and the second support 2B for bearing the folding screen 10, that is, the protective piece 3 is located on the front side of the first support 2A, the base 1, and the second support 2B, and the third folding screen portion 103 is located on the side of the protective piece 3 facing away from the first support 2A, the base 1, and the second support 2B. The two ends of the protective piece 3 along the width direction (i.e., the X-axis direction) of the base 1 are a free end F and a fixed end S, respectively. The free end F is borne on the first support 2A, and the fixed end S is borne and fixed on the second support 2B. The part of the protective piece 3 between the free end F and the fixed end S covers the base 1 and the shaft inner damping mechanism, the synchronization mechanism, the first swing arm assembly, and the second swing arm assembly connected to the base 1.

[0086] In this way, during the process of closing the folding screen device 100, the first support 2A and the second support 2B rotate relative to the base 1 from the unfolded position to the folded position, the protective piece 3 bends along with the third folding screen portion 103, and the free end F can slide on the first support 2A in the direction a to avoid the third folding screen portion 103. During the process of opening the folding screen device 100, the first support 2A and the second support 2B rotate relative to the base 1 from the folded position to the unfolded position, the protective piece 3 gradually flattens along with the third folding screen portion 103, and the free end F can slide on the first support 2A in the opposite direction of the direction a to effectively support the third folding screen portion 103. During this process, the protective piece 3 separates the local sharp point between the third folding screen portion 103 and the first support 2A and the second support 2B, which can reduce the probability of the local sharp point of the hinge mechanism 203 being pressed and damaged under external force impact.

[0087] However, since the free end F slides on the first support 2A during the opening or closing of the folding screen device 100, the third folding screen part 103 cannot be fixed as a whole on the protection 3, resulting in that the third folding screen part 103 has a small or even no bonding area of the hinge mechanism 203, so that the third folding screen part 103 is unstable in shape, and in the scene of the whole machine falling, it is easy to appear problems such as distortion, deformation and even failure. Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 7, the length of the protection 3 along the Y-axis direction is relatively long, and the thickness of the protection 3 is relatively thin, so that the protection 3 is unstable in shape during the opening or closing of the whole machine, and there is a risk of deformation and abnormal sound, and since the length of the protection 3 is relatively long, the processing and assembly are difficult.

[0088] In order to increase the bonding area of the third folding screen part 103 on the hinge mechanism 203, referring to FIG. 10, which is a front view of the hinge mechanism 203 in the unfolded state according to some embodiments of the present application, the third folding screen part 103 is bonded to the partial first support 2A and the partial second support 2B on both sides of the protection 3 by means of the first part of the adhesive N1 and the second part of the adhesive N2. However, with the thinning of the folding screen device 100, the width of the first support 2A and the second support 2B along the X-axis direction is continuously reduced, and the area for bonding the third folding screen part 103 cannot be set while the protection 3 is set.

[0089] Referring to FIG. 11, which is a front view of the hinge mechanism 203 in the unfolded state according to some embodiments of the present application, the third folding screen part 103 is bonded to the surface of the fixed end S facing away from the second support 2B by means of the third part of the adhesive N3. In this way, the thinning of the whole machine is not affected, but the part of the third folding screen part 103 opposite to the free end F cannot be bonded to the first support 2A due to the shielding of the protection 3, resulting in that the third folding screen part 103 is unbalanced in stress, and in the extreme scene of the whole machine falling, it is still easy to appear problems such as distortion, deformation and even failure.

[0090] In order to solve the above problems, referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to some embodiments of the present application, and FIG. 13 is a top view of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 12. In the present embodiment, the hinge mechanism 203 can include a first protection 3A and a second protection 3B.

[0091] The first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B can be in a sheet shape, a plate shape, a mesh shape, and the like. The present application is exemplarily described by taking the first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B in a sheet shape. Based on this, optionally, the thickness of the first protection member 3A and the thickness of the second protection member 3B can be greater than or equal to 0.02 mm and less than or equal to 0.03 mm. Specifically, the thickness of the first protection member 3A and the thickness of the second protection member 3B can be 0.02 mm, 0.021 mm, 0.022 mm, 0.023 mm, 0.024 mm, 0.025 mm, 0.026 mm, 0.027 mm, 0.028 mm, 0.029 mm, or 0.03 mm. In this way, the thickness of the first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B is relatively thin, which can avoid affecting the thinness of the whole machine.

[0092] The first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B can include a protection body, and the material of the protection body includes but is not limited to at least one metal such as stainless steel, aluminum alloy, copper alloy, titanium alloy, and a resin containing at least one fiber such as glass fiber, carbon fiber, and aramid fiber. The present application is exemplarily described by taking the material of the protection body as stainless steel.

[0093] In some embodiments, the first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B can further include a lubricating material arranged on the surface of the protection body to reduce noise generated during movement. The lubricating material can be a material with a surface friction coefficient less than 0.25. For example, the lubricating material includes but is not limited to a compound containing fluorine element (such as polytetrafluoroethylene) or polyoxymethylene (POM). The lubricating material can also be a soft elastic material, which includes but is not limited to at least one material with elasticity such as polyurethane, rubber, and latex. By means of the soft elastic material, hard contact between the protection members and other components in the hinge mechanism can be avoided. In other embodiments, the first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B can also not be provided with the lubricating material.

[0094] The first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B are located on the side of the first support member 2A, the base 1, and the second support member 2B for bearing the folding screen 10, that is, the first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B are located on the front side of the first support member 2A, the base 1, and the second support member 2B, and the third folding screen part 103 is located on the side of the first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B facing away from the first support member 2A, the base 1, and the second support member 2B.

[0095] The two ends of the first protection piece 3A along the X-axis direction are respectively a first fixed end S1 and a first free end F1. The first fixed end S1 is borne on the first support piece 2A, and at least part of the first fixed end S1 is fixed on the first support piece 2A, that is, the first fixed end S1 can be fixed on the first support piece 2A as a whole, or can be partially fixed on the first support piece 2A, and the present application is exemplarily described by taking that the first fixed end S1 is fixed on the first support piece 2A as a whole. The first free end F1 is borne on the second support piece 2B. The part of the first protection piece between the first fixed end S1 and the first free end F1 covers the part of the base 1 and the in-shaft damping mechanism, the synchronization mechanism, the first swing arm assembly or the second swing arm assembly connected to the part of the base 1.

[0096] The two ends of the second protection piece 3B along the X-axis direction are respectively a second free end F2 and a second fixed end S2. The second free end F2 is borne on the first support piece 2A. The second fixed end S2 is borne on the second support piece 2B, and at least part of the second fixed end S2 is fixed on the second support piece 2B, that is, the second fixed end S2 can be fixed on the second support piece 2B as a whole, or can be partially fixed on the second support piece 2B, and the present application is exemplarily described by taking that the second fixed end S2 is fixed on the second support piece 2B as a whole. The part of the second protection piece between the second free end F2 and the second fixed end S2 covers the part of the base 1 and the in-shaft damping mechanism, the synchronization mechanism, the first swing arm assembly or the second swing arm assembly connected to the part of the base 1.

[0097] At least part of the first protection piece 3A and at least part of the second protection piece 3B are arranged along the Y-axis direction, for the convenience of the description of each embodiment below, the at least part of the first protection piece 3A is referred to as a first part below, and the at least part of the second protection piece 3B is referred to as a second part below, the surface of the first part facing away from the base 1 and the surface of the second part facing away from the base 1 form the surface of the hinge mechanism 203 for bearing the folding screen 10, that is, the first part and the second part are the surface structure of the hinge mechanism 203, which is not covered by other protection pieces. The present embodiment is exemplarily described by taking that the whole of the first protection piece 3A and the whole of the second protection piece 3B are arranged along the Y-axis direction, that is, the first part is the whole of the first protection piece 3A, and the second part is the whole of the second protection piece 3B.

[0098] At least part of the first fixed end S1 is located in the first part, and at least part of the second fixed end S2 is located in the second part.

[0099] In this way, in the process of closing the folding screen device 100, the first support 2A and the second support 2B are rotated relative to the base 1 from the unfolded position to the folded position, the first protection 3A and the second protection 3B are bent along with the third folding screen part 103, the first free end F1 can slide on the second support 2B in the direction a1, and the second free end F2 can slide on the first support 2A in the direction a2, so as to avoid the third folding screen part 103. In the process of opening the folding screen device 100, the first support 2A and the second support 2B are rotated relative to the base 1 from the folded position to the unfolded position, the first protection 3A and the second protection 3B are gradually flattened along with the third folding screen part 103, the first free end F1 can slide on the second support 2B in the opposite direction of the direction a1, and the second free end F2 can slide on the first support 2A in the opposite direction of the direction a2, so as to effectively support the third folding screen part 103. In this process, the first protection 3A and the second protection 3B separate the third folding screen part 103 from the local sharp points of the base 1, which can reduce the probability of the local sharp points of the hinge mechanism 203 being pressed and damaged under external force impact. The third folding screen part 103.

[0100] At the same time, the third folding screen part 103 can carry and fixedly connect the part belonging to the first part at the first fixed end S1 and the part belonging to the second part at the second fixed end S2, so that the stress of the third folding screen part 103 is balanced, and the risk of distortion, deformation or even failure of the third folding screen part 103 in the limit scene such as the whole machine falling can be reduced. Moreover, the length of the first protection 3A along the Y-axis direction and the length of the second protection 3B along the Y-axis direction are relatively short, so that the shape of the first protection 3A and the second protection 3B in the process of opening or closing the whole machine is relatively stable, the risk of deformation and causing abnormal sound is relatively low, and the processing and assembling difficulty is relatively small.

[0101] When the whole of the first protection 3A and the whole of the second protection 3B are arranged along the Y-axis direction, referring to FIG. 12 and FIG. 13, the end of the first protection 3A facing the second protection 3B and the end of the second protection 3B facing the first protection 3A can be arranged with a spacing. In this way, the abnormal sound, distortion, deformation or even failure caused by friction between the first protection 3A and the second protection 3B in the process of opening or closing the whole machine can be avoided.

[0102] In other embodiments, when the whole of the first protection 3A and the whole of the second protection 3B are arranged along the Y-axis direction, the end of the first protection 3A facing the second protection 3B and the end of the second protection 3B facing the first protection 3A can also be in contact, so as to maximize the separation of the local sharp points between the third folding screen part 103 and the first support 2A and the second support 2B.

[0103] The at least part of the first fixed end S1 can be fixed to the first support 2A by gluing or welding, and the present application is exemplarily described by taking the case of being fixed to the first support 2A by gluing. Optionally, referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the hinge mechanism 203 further comprises a first glue layer 4A. The first glue layer 4A can be back glue or point glue. The first glue layer 4A is arranged between the at least part of the first fixed end S1 and the first support 2A, and the at least part of the first fixed end S1 is adhered to the first support 2A by the first glue layer 4A. The fixing mode by gluing is simple and the first protection member 3A is not easy to be damaged.

[0104] Similarly, the at least part of the second fixed end S2 can be fixed to the second support 2B by gluing or welding, and the present application is exemplarily described by taking the case of being fixed to the second support 2B by gluing. Optionally, referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the hinge mechanism 203 further comprises a second glue layer 4B. The second glue layer 4B can be back glue or point glue. The second glue layer 4B is arranged between the at least part of the second fixed end S2 and the second support 2B, and the at least part of the second fixed end S2 is adhered to the second support 2B by the second glue layer 4B. The fixing mode by gluing is simple and the second protection member 3B is not easy to be damaged.

[0105] Referring to FIGS. 14-16, FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 15 is a top view of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. 16 is an exploded structural schematic view of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 14. The hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiment is different from the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIGS. 11-12 in that, in the present embodiment, the whole of the first protection member 3A and a part of the second protection member 3B are arranged along the Y-axis direction, and the surface of the whole of the first protection member 3A facing away from the base 1 and the surface of the part of the second protection member 3B facing away from the base 1 form the surface of the hinge mechanism 203 for bearing the folding screen 10, that is, the whole of the first protection member 3A forms the first part, the part of the second protection member 3B forms the second part, and another part of the second protection member 3B is stacked with at least part of the first protection member 3A along the Z-axis direction.

[0106] Optionally, the second protection member 3B can comprise a third protection part 31B and a fourth protection part 32B arranged along the Y-axis direction. Based on this, for the convenience of description of each of the embodiments below, referring to FIG. 16, the part of the second fixed end S2 belonging to the third protection part 31B is defined as a third fixed part S21.

[0107] The first protection member 3A and the third protection part 31B are arranged along the Y-axis direction, and the surface of the first protection member 3A facing away from the base 1 and the surface of the third protection part 31B facing away from the base 1 form the surface of the hinge mechanism 203 for bearing the folding screen 10, the first protection member 3A forms the first part, and the third protection part 31B forms the second part. The fourth protection part 32B is located between the first protection member 3A and the base 1 and is at least partially stacked with the first protection member 3A, that is, the fourth protection part 32B can be stacked with the entire first protection member 3A or can be stacked with part of the first protection member 3A.

[0108] It should be noted that the two parts described in the embodiments and the following embodiments are stacked in two ends of the Y-axis direction, and the two ends of the X-axis direction can be aligned or not aligned, which is not limited.

[0109] In this way, the third folding screen part 103 can be at least borne and fixedly connected to the first fixed end S1 and the third fixed part S21, so as to balance the stress of the third folding screen part 103 and reduce the risk of distortion, deformation or even failure of the third folding screen part 103. At the same time, at least part of the first protection member 3A and the fourth protection part 32B are stacked along the height direction (that is, the Z-axis direction) of the base 1, which can provide two-level protection for the third folding screen part 103, so as to effectively prevent the part of the third folding screen part borne on the at least part of the first protection member 3A and the fourth protection part 32B from being extruded by the local sharp point.

[0110] In some embodiments, the fourth protection part 32B can be located on the side of at least one of the synchronization mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism and the swing arm for bearing the folding screen 10, that is, the fourth protection part 32B is located on the front side of at least one of the synchronization mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism and the swing arm, the part of the first protection member 3A stacked with the fourth protection part 32B is a stacked part, and the third folding screen part 103 is located on the side of the fourth protection part 32B and the stacked part facing away from at least one of the synchronization mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism and the swing arm. In this way, by means of the fourth protection part 32B and the stacked part, it can be prevented that at least one of the synchronization mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism and the swing arm extrudes the third folding screen part 103 by the local sharp point to cause the folding screen 10 to fail.

[0111] In some embodiments, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 4A can be greater than the thickness of the second adhesive layer 4B. In this way, the height of the first protection member 3A relative to the second protection member 3B can be raised by the first adhesive layer 4A, so that the first protection member 3A can remain flat and prevent the first protection member 3A from being locally pointed under the extrusion of the second protection member 3B, further reducing the risk of failure of the folding screen 10. For example, the thickness of the first adhesive layer 4A can be equal to the sum of the thickness of the second adhesive layer 4B and the thickness of the second protection member 3B.

[0112] In some embodiments, please refer to FIGS. 14-16, the first protection member 3A includes a first protection portion 31A and a second protection portion 32A arranged along the Y-axis direction. Along the Y-axis direction, the first protection portion 31A is located on the side of the fourth protection portion 32B opposite to the third protection portion 31B, and the second protection portion 32A is located between the first protection portion 31A and the third protection portion 31B. The fourth protection portion 32B and the second protection portion 32A are stacked.

[0113] In this way, under the premise that the length of the assembly composed of the first protection member 3A and the second protection member 3B along the Y-axis direction is constant, the length of the second protection member 3B along the Y-axis direction can be reduced by stacking a part of the second protection member 3B between a part of the first protection member 3A and the base 1, thereby saving material costs.

[0114] For the convenience of the description of the following embodiments, the part of the first fixed end S1 belonging to the first protection portion 31A is defined as the first fixed portion S11, the part of the first fixed end S1 belonging to the second protection portion 32A is defined as the second fixed portion S12, the part of the first free end F1 belonging to the first protection portion 31A is defined as the first free portion F11, and the part of the first free end F1 belonging to the second protection portion 32A is defined as the second free portion F12. The part of the second fixed end S2 belonging to the fourth protection portion 32B is defined as the fourth fixed portion S22, the part of the second free end F2 belonging to the third protection portion 31B is defined as the third free portion F21, and the part of the second free end F2 belonging to the fourth protection portion 32B is defined as the fourth free portion F22.

[0115] Based on this, as shown in FIG. 16, the first fixed part S11 is fixed to the first support 2A. For example, the first fixed part S11 can be fixed to the first support 2A by means of the first adhesive layer 4A. The second fixed part S12 is not fixed to the first support 2A. When the first support 2A and the second support 2B are in the unfolded position, along the Z-axis direction, the fourth free part F22 is located between the second fixed part S12 and the first support 2A, and the fourth fixed part S22 is located between the second free part F12 and the second support 2B. In this way, when the first support 2A and the second support 2B are in the unfolded position, the second fixed part S12 and the fourth free part F22, and the second free part F12 and the fourth fixed part S22 are stacked along the Z-axis direction, which can reduce the width of the assembly composed of the first protection 3A and the second protection 3B along the X-axis direction, and can be applied to the scenario where the width of the first support 2A and the second support 2B along the X-axis direction is small, and is conducive to the thinness of the whole machine.

[0116] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 16, the third fixed part S21 and the fourth fixed part S22 are both fixed to the second support 2B. For example, the third fixed part S21 and the fourth fixed part S22 can be fixed to the second support 2B by means of the second adhesive layer 4B. In this way, the third fixed part S21 and the fourth fixed part S22 can pull the third protection part 31B and the fourth protection part 32B respectively, so as to prevent the third protection part 31B and the fourth protection part 32B from being twisted, wrinkled or even failed due to frictional contact with the first protection 3A during the opening or closing of the whole machine.

[0117] In other embodiments, the third fixed part S21 can be fixed to the second support 2B, and the fourth fixed part S22 can not be fixed to the second support 2B, or the fourth fixed part S22 can be fixed to the second support 2B, and the third fixed part S21 can not be fixed to the second support 2B. In this way, the second fixed end S2 has fewer fixed parts, which can save fixing materials.

[0118] In some embodiments, when the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIGS. 14-16 is applied to the folding screen device 100, please refer to FIG. 16, the third folding screen part 103 can be fixed to at least part of the first fixed end S1 and at least part of the third fixed part S21, that is, the third folding screen part 103 can be fixed to the entire first fixed end S1 and the entire third fixed part S21, or a part of the first fixed end S1 and the entire third fixed part S21, or the entire first fixed end S1 and a part of the third fixed part S21, or a part of the first fixed end S1 and a part of the third fixed part S21. In this way, the stress of the third folding screen part 103 is balanced, and the risk of distortion, deformation or even failure of the third folding screen part 103 in extreme scenarios such as device falling can be reduced.

[0119] For example, please refer to FIG. 16, the third folding screen part 103 is fixed to the entire first fixed end S1 and the entire third fixed part S21, that is, the third folding screen part 103 is fixed to the first fixed part S11, the second fixed part S12 and the third fixed part S21. In this way, while ensuring that the stress of the third folding screen part 103 is balanced, the first fixed part S11 and the second fixed part S12 can respectively pull the first protection part 31A and the second protection part 32A to prevent the first protection part 31A and the second protection part 32A from being distorted, wrinkled or even failed due to frictional contact with the second protection part 3B during the opening or closing of the device.

[0120] In other embodiments, one of the first fixed part S11 and the second fixed part S12 can also not be fixed to the third folding screen part 103. In this way, there are fewer fixed parts on the first fixed end S1, which can save fixing materials.

[0121] Optionally, the first fixed part S11, the second fixed part S12 and the third fixed part S21 can be glued or welded to the third folding screen part 103. The present application is exemplarily described by taking the first fixed part S11, the second fixed part S12 and the third fixed part S21 being glued to the third folding screen part 103.

[0122] Optionally, referring to FIG. 16, the hinge mechanism 203 further comprises a third adhesive layer 5A and a fourth adhesive layer 5B. The third adhesive layer 5A and the fourth adhesive layer 5B can be back adhesive or dispensing adhesive. The third adhesive layer 5A is arranged between the first fixed part S11, the second fixed part S12 and the third foldable screen part 103, and the fourth adhesive layer 5B is arranged between the third fixed part S21 and the third foldable screen part 103. The first fixed part S11, the second fixed part S12 and the third fixed part S21 are adhered to the third foldable screen part 103 by the third adhesive layer 5A and the fourth adhesive layer 5B. The adhesive fixing method is simple and the first protective member 3A and the second protective member 3B are not easy to be damaged.

[0123] In some embodiments, the thickness of the third adhesive layer 5A can be less than the thickness of the fourth adhesive layer 5B, so as to ensure the flatness of the third foldable screen part 103 and the appearance in the unfolded state.

[0124] In yet some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 17-19, FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a hinge mechanism 203 according to yet some embodiments of the present application, FIG. 18 is a top view of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 17, and FIG. 19 is an exploded structural schematic view of the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 17. The difference between the hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiments and the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIGS. 14-16 is that, in the present embodiments, the fourth protective part 32B is integrally laminated with the first protective member 3A.

[0125] In this way, under the premise that the length of the assembly composed of the first protective member 3A and the second protective member 3B along the Y-axis direction is constant, the area of the laminated part of the second protective member 3B and the first protective member 3A is larger, and the third foldable screen part 103 can be better protected from the sharp point.

[0126] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 19, the fourth protective part 32B can be provided with a relief gap C1 corresponding to the position of the first adhesive layer 4A, so as to avoid the interference between the fourth protective part 32B and the first adhesive layer 4A.

[0127] In some other embodiments, please refer to FIG. 20, which is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to some other embodiments of the present application. The hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiments is different from the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIGS. 14-16 in that, in the present embodiments, the fourth protective part 32B is integrally laminated with the first protective member 3A. The second protective member 3B further comprises a fifth protective part 33B. In the Y-axis direction, the fifth protective part 33B is located on the side of the fourth protective part 32B that is opposite to the third protective part 31B. A part of the second fixed end S2 is also located in the fifth protective part 33B. The whole of the first protective member 3A forms the first part mentioned above, and the third protective part 31B and the fifth protective part 33B form the second part mentioned above. In this way, the third folding screen part 103 can be carried and fixed to the parts of the first fixed end S1 and the second fixed end S2 that belong to the third protective part 31B and the fifth protective part 33B, so as to balance the stress of the third folding screen part 103.

[0128] In some other embodiments, please refer to FIG. 21, which is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to some other embodiments of the present application. The hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiments is different from the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIGS. 14-16 in that, in the present embodiments, when the first support member 2A and the second support member 2B are in the unfolded position, in the X-axis direction, the first free end F1 and the second free end F2 are located between the first fixed end S1 and the second fixed end S2. In this way, the whole of the first fixed end S1 can be fixedly connected to the first support member 2A and the third folding screen part (not shown in the figure), and the whole of the second fixed end S2 can be fixedly connected to the second support member 2B and the third folding screen part (not shown in the figure), so as to stabilize the connection of the first protective member 3A and the second protective member 3B on the first support member 2A and the second support member 2B respectively, while increasing the fixed area of the third folding screen part 103 on the first protective member 3A and the second protective member 3B, and improving the stress balance.

[0129] In some other embodiments, please refer to FIG. 22, which is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to some other embodiments of the present application. The hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiments is different from the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIGS. 14-16 in that, in the present embodiments, the hinge mechanism 203 further comprises a third protective member 3C. The third protective member 3C is located on the side of the first support member 2A, the base 1 and the second support member 2B for carrying the folding screen, that is, the third protective member 3C is located on the front side of the first support member 2A, the base 1 and the second support member 2B, and the third folding screen part is located on the side of the third protective member 3C that is opposite to the first support member 2A, the base 1 and the second support member 2B.

[0130] The two ends of the third protection member 3C along the X-axis direction are respectively a third fixed end S3 and a third free end F3. The third fixed end S3 is borne and at least partially fixed on the first support member 2A, and the third free end F3 is borne on the second support member 2B. The part of the third protection member between the third fixed end S3 and the third free end F3 covers the part of the base 1 and the in-shaft damping mechanism, the synchronous mechanism, the first swing arm assembly or the second swing arm assembly connected to the part of the base 1.

[0131] Along the Y-axis direction, at least part of the third protection member 3C is located on the side of the second part facing away from the first part. In order to facilitate the description of each embodiment below, the at least part of the third protection member 3C is defined as the third part. The surface of the third part facing away from the base 1 forms the surface of the hinge mechanism 203 for bearing the folding screen, that is, the third part is the surface part of the hinge mechanism 203, which is not covered by other protection members. At least part of the third fixed end S3 is located in the third part.

[0132] In this way, the third protection member 3C newly added in this embodiment protects the third folding screen part 103 from local sharp point protection, has a larger protection area, and can further reduce the probability of the local sharp point of the hinge mechanism 203 being extruded and damaged under external force impact. Third folding screen part 103.

[0133] At the same time, the third folding screen part 103 can also bear and fixedly connect the part belonging to the third part of the third fixed end S3, thereby increasing the fixed area of the third folding screen part 103 on the hinge mechanism 203, and further reducing the risk of the third folding screen part 103 being twisted, deformed or even failed in the limit scenario of the whole machine falling.

[0134] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 22, the whole of the third protection member 3C can be arranged along the Y-axis direction with the whole of the first protection member 3A and the whole of the second protection member 3B. In other embodiments, the third protection member 3C and the second protection member 3B and the third protection member 3C and the first protection member 3A can be partially stacked. In this way, a two-layer protection member structure can be formed to provide two-level protection for the third folding screen part 103.

[0135] In some embodiments, the first protection member 3A, the second protection member 3B and the third protection member 3C are partially stacked. In this way, a three-layer protection member structure can be formed to provide three-level protection for the third folding screen part 103. The three-layer protection member structure can be located on the front side of at least one of the synchronous mechanism, the in-shaft damping mechanism and the swing arm to prevent the local sharp point in the at least one of the synchronous mechanism, the in-shaft damping mechanism and the swing arm from damaging the third folding screen part 103.

[0136] In some other embodiments, please refer to Figure 23, which is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to some other embodiments of the present application. The hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiments is different from the hinge mechanism 203 shown in Figure 22 in that, in the present embodiments, the third free end F3 is carried on the first support 2A, and the third fixed end S3 is carried and at least partially fixed on the second support 2B. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0137] In some other embodiments, please refer to Figure 24, which is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to some other embodiments of the present application. The hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiments is different from the hinge mechanism 203 shown in Figure 22 in that, in the present embodiments, the hinge mechanism 203 further comprises a fourth protection member 3D. The fourth protection member 3D is located on the side of the first support 2A, the base 1 and the second support 2B for carrying the folding screen, that is, the fourth protection member 3D is located on the front side of the first support 2A, the base 1 and the second support 2B, and the third folding screen part is located on the side of the fourth protection member 3D which faces away from the first support 2A, the base 1 and the second support 2B.

[0138] The two ends of the fourth protection member 3D along the X-axis direction are respectively the fourth fixed end S4 and the fourth free end F4, the fourth free end F4 is carried on the first support 2A, and the fourth fixed end S4 is carried and at least partially fixed on the second support 2B. The part of the fourth protection member between the fourth fixed end S4 and the fourth free end F4 covers the part of the base 1 and the shaft internal damping mechanism, the synchronization mechanism, the first swing arm assembly or the second swing arm assembly connected to the part of the base 1.

[0139] Along the Y-axis direction, at least part of the fourth protection member 3D is located on the side of the first part which faces away from the second part. In order to facilitate the description of each of the embodiments below, the at least part of the fourth protection member 3D is defined as the fourth part. The surface of the fourth part which faces away from the base 1 forms the surface of the hinge mechanism 203 for carrying the folding screen, that is, the fourth part is the surface part of the hinge mechanism 203 which is not covered by other protection members. At least part of the fourth fixed end S4 is located in the fourth part.

[0140] In this way, the present embodiments add the fourth protection member 3D to protect the third folding screen part 103 from local sharp point protection, the protection area is larger, and the probability of the local sharp point of the hinge mechanism 203 extruding and damaging the third folding screen part 103 under external force impact can be further reduced.

[0141] At the same time, the third folding screen part 103 can also carry and fixedly connect to the part of the fourth part which belongs to the fourth fixed end S4, thereby increasing the fixed area of the third folding screen part 103 on the hinge mechanism 203, and further reducing the risk of the third folding screen part 103 being twisted, deformed or even failed in the limit scenario of the whole machine falling.

[0142] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 24, the whole of the fourth protective member 3D can be arranged along the Y-axis direction with the whole of the first protective member 3A, the whole of the second protective member 3B, and the whole of the third protective member 3C.

[0143] In other embodiments, the fourth protective member 3D can be partially laminated with any one of the first protective member 3A, the second protective member 3B, and the third protective member 3C to provide two-level protection for the third folding screen part 103.

[0144] In some embodiments, the fourth protective member 3D can also be partially laminated with any two of the first protective member 3A, the second protective member 3B, and the third protective member 3C. In this way, a three-layer protective member structure can be formed to provide three-level protection for the third folding screen part 103, and the three-layer protective member structure can be located in front of at least one of the synchronous mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism, and the swing arm to prevent local sharp points in at least one of the synchronous mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism, and the swing arm from damaging the third folding screen part 103.

[0145] In some embodiments, the fourth protective member 3D can be partially laminated with the first protective member 3A, the second protective member 3B, and the third protective member 3C to form a four-layer protective member structure to provide four-level protection for the third folding screen part 103, and the four-layer protective member structure can be located in front of at least one of the synchronous mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism, and the swing arm to prevent local sharp points in at least one of the synchronous mechanism, the shaft internal damping mechanism, and the swing arm from damaging the third folding screen part 103.

[0146] In yet other embodiments, referring to FIG. 25, which is a perspective view of the hinge mechanism 203 according to yet other embodiments of the present application, the hinge mechanism 203 shown in the present embodiments differs from the hinge mechanism 203 shown in FIG. 23 in that, in the present embodiments, the fourth fixed end S4 is carried by and at least partially fixed to the first support member 2A, and the fourth free end F4 is carried by the second support member 2B. This structure is simple and easy to implement.

[0147] It should be noted that the hinge mechanism 203 can also include a larger number of protective members, such as a fifth protective member, a sixth protective member, and a seventh protective member, which will not be described herein.

[0148] In the description of the present specification, specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0149] Finally, it should be noted that the above examples are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not intended to limit the same; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing examples, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing examples, or make equivalent replacements for some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A hinge mechanism for carrying a folding screen, characterised in that, The hinge mechanism comprises: a base; a first support and a second support, respectively located at two sides of the base along a width direction and capable of rotating relative to the base between a folded position and an unfolded position; a first protection member and a second protection member, located at a side of the first support, the base and the second support for bearing the folding screen; the first protection member has a first fixed end and a first free end at two ends along a width direction of the base, the first fixed end is borne by and at least partially fixed to the first support, and the first free end is borne by the second support; the second protection member has a second free end and a second fixed end at two ends along the width direction of the base, the second free end is borne by the first support, and the second fixed end is borne by and at least partially fixed to the second support; at least part of the first protection member and at least part of the second protection member are arranged along a length direction of the base, and a surface of the at least part of the first protection member facing away from the base and a surface of the at least part of the second protection member facing away from the base form a surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen.

2. The hinge mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The second protection member comprises a third protection part and a fourth protection part arranged along the length direction of the base; the first protection member and the third protection part are arranged along the length direction of the base, a surface of the first protection member facing away from the base and a surface of the third protection part facing away from the base form a surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen; and the fourth protection part is located between the first protection member and the base and is arranged in a stack with at least part of the first protection member.

3. The hinge mechanism of claim 2, wherein, The first protection member comprises a first protection part and a second protection part arranged along the length direction of the base; along the length direction of the base, the first protection part is located at a side of the fourth protection part facing away from the third protection part, and the second protection part is located between the first protection part and the third protection part; the fourth protection part is arranged in a stack with the second protection part.

4. The hinge mechanism of claim 3, wherein, a part of the first fixed end belonging to the second protection part is a second fixed part, and a part of the first free end belonging to the second protection part is a second free part; a part of the second fixed end belonging to the fourth protection part is a fourth fixed part, and a part of the second free end belonging to the fourth protection part is a fourth free part; when the first support and the second support are in the unfolded position, the fourth free part is located between the second fixed part and the first support, and the fourth fixed part is located between the second free part and the second support.

5. The hinge mechanism of claim 4, wherein, a part of the second fixed end belonging to the third protection part is a third fixed part; the third fixed part and the fourth fixed part are both fixed to the second support.

6. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 2-5, wherein, The hinge mechanism further comprises at least one of a synchronization mechanism, an in-shaft damping mechanism and a swing arm. The fourth protection part is located on a side of the at least one of the synchronous mechanism, the shaft inner damping mechanism and the swing arm facing the folding screen.

7. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 2-6, wherein, Further comprising: a first adhesive layer arranged between the at least part of the first fixed end and the first support; a second adhesive layer arranged between the at least part of the second fixed end and the second support, the thickness of the second adhesive layer being less than the thickness of the first adhesive layer.

8. The hinge mechanism of claim 2, wherein, The fourth protection part is integrally arranged with the first protection part.

9. The hinge mechanism of claim 8, wherein, The second protection part further comprises a fifth protection part; In the length direction of the base, the fifth protection part is located on a side of the fourth protection part facing away from the third protection part, and a surface of the fifth protection part facing away from the base forms a surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen.

10. The hinge mechanism of claim 1, wherein, The entirety of the first protection part and the entirety of the second protection part are arranged in the length direction of the base, and a surface of the first protection part facing away from the base and a surface of the second protection part facing away from the base form a surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen.

11. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, Further comprising: a third protection part located on a side of the first support, the base and the second support for bearing the folding screen, two ends of the third protection part in the width direction of the base being a third fixed end and a third free end respectively, the third fixed end being borne by and at least partially fixed to the first support, and the third free end being borne by the second support; In the length direction of the base, at least part of the third protection part is located on a side of the at least part of the second protection part facing away from the at least part of the first protection part, and a surface of the at least part of the third protection part facing away from the base forms a surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen.

12. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, Further comprising: a third protection part located on a side of the first support, the base and the second support for bearing the folding screen, two ends of the third protection part in the width direction of the base being a third fixed end and a third free end respectively, the third free end being borne by the first support, and the third fixed end being borne by and at least partially fixed to the second support; In the length direction of the base, at least part of the third protection part is located on a side of the at least part of the second protection part facing away from the at least part of the first protection part, and a surface of the at least part of the third protection part facing away from the base forms a surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen.

13. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, Further comprising: a fourth protection part located on a side of the first support, the base and the second support for bearing the folding screen, two ends of the fourth protection part in the width direction of the base being a fourth fixed end and a fourth free end respectively, the fourth free end being borne by the first support, and the fourth fixed end being borne by and at least partially fixed to the second support; At least part of the fourth protection member is located on the side of the at least part of the first protection member which is opposite to the at least part of the second protection member along the length direction of the base, and the surface of the at least part of the fourth protection member which is opposite to the base forms the surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen.

14. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein, Further comprising: A fourth protection member is located on the side of the first support member, the base and the second support member for bearing the folding screen, two ends of the fourth protection member along the width direction of the base are respectively a fourth fixed end and a fourth free end, the fourth fixed end bears and is at least partially fixed to the first support member, and the fourth free end is borne on the second support member; At least part of the fourth protection member is located on the side of the at least part of the first protection member which is opposite to the at least part of the second protection member along the length direction of the base, and the surface of the at least part of the fourth protection member which is opposite to the base forms the surface of the hinge mechanism for bearing the folding screen.

15. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1-14, wherein, The first protection member and the second protection member comprise a protection body and a lubricating material arranged on the surface of the protection body.

16. The hinge mechanism of claim 15, wherein, The material of the protection body comprises at least one of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, copper alloy and titanium alloy.

17. The hinge mechanism of claim 15 or 16, wherein, The lubricating material is a compound containing fluorine element, polyformaldehyde or a soft elastic material containing at least one of polyurethane, rubber and latex.

18. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1-17, wherein, The first protection member and the second protection member are in the form of a sheet.

19. The hinge mechanism of claim 18, wherein, The thickness of the first protection member and the thickness of the second protection member are greater than or equal to 0.02 mm and less than or equal to 0.03 mm.

20. A foldable screen device, comprising: Comprising: A folding screen; A hinge mechanism, the hinge mechanism is any one of the hinge mechanisms according to claims 1-19, the folding screen is located on the side of the first protection member and the second protection member which is opposite to the first support member, the base and the second support member, and the folding screen is fixed to at least part of the first fixed end and at least part of the second fixed end.

21. The folding screen device of claim 20, wherein, The first protection member comprises a first protection part and a second protection part; the second protection member comprises a third protection part and a fourth protection part; The first protection part and the third protection part are arranged at intervals along the length direction of the base; Along the length direction of the base, the second protection part and the fourth protection part are located between the first protection part and the third protection part, and the second protection part and the fourth protection part are arranged in layers along the thickness direction of the base, and the second protection part is located on the side of the fourth protection part which is opposite to the base; The folding screen is fixed to the part of the first fixed end which belongs to the first protection part and the part of the first fixed end which belongs to the second protection part, and the folding screen is also fixed to the part of the second fixed end which belongs to the third protection part.

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