Hinge mechanism and electronic device

Abstract

The application discloses a hinge mechanism and an electronic device, and belongs to the field of electronic devices. In the hinge mechanism, the base is provided with an arc-shaped groove in rotation connection with the rotating part of the first swing arm, and the rotating part of the second swing arm is in rotation connection with the base through a rotating shaft. The opposite ends of the first sliding groove extend to the opposite side surfaces of the shell connecting piece along the thickness direction of the shell connecting piece, and are in sliding connection with the sliding part of the first swing arm. The second sliding groove extends from the side surface of the shell connecting piece close to the base to the direction away from the base, and is in sliding connection with the sliding part of the second swing arm. The first swing arm is provided with a first limiting block, and the second swing arm is provided with a second limiting block. In the unfolded state, the first limiting block and the second limiting block are distributed in a staggered manner in the extension direction of the second sliding groove. In the folded state, the first limiting block is located on the side, away from the base, of the second limiting block in the extension direction, and the first limiting block is used to limit the second limiting block from moving to the direction close to the shell connecting piece along with the second swing arm.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Foldable screen phones are becoming increasingly popular due to their combination of large display area and strong portability. Foldable electronic devices include a hinge mechanism, and the hinge mechanism has a housing connector to form an assembly relationship between the hinge mechanism and the housing of the electronic device. Then, during the relative rotation of the housing, the housing connector drives the swing arm in the hinge mechanism to rotate as well.

[0003] More specifically, the hinge mechanism includes a synchronous swing arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the base of the hinge mechanism, and the other end of which is slidably engaged with a groove on the housing connector. This means that when the hinge side of the electronic device is squeezed or collided in the folded state, the base will push the synchronous swing arm inward, which will cause the base to squeeze the area of ​​the display screen adjacent to the base and damage the display screen. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide a hinge mechanism and an electronic device to solve the problem that when the current hinge mechanism is squeezed or collided with in the folded state, the base will push the synchronous swing arm to slide inward, thereby causing the display screen to be squeezed and damaged.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application disclose a hinge mechanism, which includes a base, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, a rotating shaft, and a housing connector, wherein, The base is provided with an arc-shaped groove, the rotating part of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove, and the rotating part of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the base through the rotating shaft; The housing connector is provided with a first sliding groove and a second sliding groove. The two ends of the first sliding groove extend to the two opposite surfaces of the housing connector along its own thickness direction, and the second sliding groove extends from the side surface of the housing connector near the base in a direction away from the base. The sliding part of the first swing arm slides in cooperation with the first sliding groove, and the sliding part of the second swing arm slides in cooperation with the second sliding groove. The first swing arm is provided with a first limiting block, and the second swing arm is provided with a second limiting block. When the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state, the first limiting block and the second limiting block are staggered in the extension direction of the second slide groove. When the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the first limiting block is located on the side of the second limiting block away from the base in the extension direction of the second slide groove, so as to restrict the second limiting block from moving towards the direction of the housing connector.

[0006] Secondly, this application discloses an electronic device including a housing, a display screen, and the aforementioned hinge mechanism. The two housings are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism, and the display screen is mounted on the housing.

[0007] This application discloses a hinge mechanism in which the rotating part of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the arcuate groove of the base, and the rotating part of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the base via a pivot. The housing connector has a first sliding groove and a second sliding groove. The sliding part of the first swing arm is slidably engaged with the first sliding groove of the housing connector, and the sliding part of the second swing arm is slidably engaged with the second sliding groove of the housing connector. The second sliding groove extends from the surface of the housing connector near the base towards the direction away from the base, thereby allowing relative sliding between the housing connector and the second swing arm in the extending direction of the second sliding groove during the switching between the hinge mechanism's unfolded and folded states.

[0008] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the first swing arm is provided with a first limiting block, the second swing arm is provided with a second limiting block, and the opposite ends of the first slide groove extend to the opposite two surfaces of the housing connector along its own thickness direction. This makes the first slide groove extend substantially along the thickness direction of the housing connector, thereby giving the first swing arm and the housing connector a relatively reliable and stable limiting relationship in the extension direction of the second slide groove. Furthermore, in the hinge mechanism in the folded state, by placing the first limiting block on the side of the second limiting block away from the base, the first limiting block can restrict the second limiting block from moving with the second swing arm toward the housing connector, thereby preventing the second swing arm from collapsing uncontrollably inward and squeezing the display screen when the hinge mechanism is squeezed or collided, thus preventing damage to the display screen.

[0009] Of course, since the first swing arm and the housing connector can slide relative to each other at least in the thickness direction of the housing connector, during the process of the hinge mechanism switching from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first swing arm can drive the first limiting block to move relative to the second swing arm (and the second limiting block), so that the first limiting block avoids the second limiting block in the extension direction of the second slide groove, thereby preventing the first limiting block from obstructing the unfolding process of the hinge mechanism. Correspondingly, when the hinge mechanism switches to the unfolded state, the first limiting block and the second limiting block are misaligned in the extension direction of the second slide groove to ensure that the hinge mechanism can also proceed normally in the next process of switching to the folded state. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1This is an exploded view of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross section at point AA when the central hinge mechanism is in the deployed state; Figure 4 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the cross-section at point AA when the central hinge mechanism is in the folded state; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 for Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the structure shown in another direction; Figure 7 for Figure 5 The axonometric view of the structure is shown; Figure 8 This is a cross-sectional view of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application when it is in the unfolded state; Figure 9 This is a cross-sectional view of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiment of this application when it is in a folded state; Figure 10 This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application when it is in a folded state; Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a portion of the hinge mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiment of this application when it is in a folded state; Figure 13 This is an assembly diagram of the first and second swing arms in the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly between the bridging component and the hinge assembly in the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0011] Figure label: 1-Hinge mechanism, 11-Hinge assembly, 12-Bridge component, 13-Support plate, 2-House, 3-Display screen, 31-First part, 32-Second part, 33-Third part 110 - Base, 120 - Pressure cap, 130 - Screw 210 - First swing arm, 220 - First limit block, 221 - Support surface 310 - Second swing arm, 311 - First arm body, 312 - Second arm body, 320 - Second limit block, 330 - Slider, 410 - Shaft, 420 - Snap ring, 500 - Housing connector, 510 - First slide groove, 520 - Second slide groove 600-link 810 - Cam seat, 820 - Damping spring. Detailed Implementation

[0012] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0013] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0014] This application discloses a hinge mechanism 1, which can be applied to an electronic device, specifically a foldable electronic device, that is, the electronic device has a folded state and an unfolded state, and can switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. Figures 1-14 As shown, the hinge mechanism 1 includes a base 110, a first swing arm 210, a second swing arm 310, a rotating shaft 410, and a housing connector 500. Of course, the hinge mechanism 1 usually also includes a damping mechanism and other devices such as gears to provide synchronization and threaded connectors to provide connection and assembly. The damping mechanism may include a cam seat 810 and a damping spring 820 that cooperate with each other. The cam seat 810 is used to form a cam engagement relationship with the cam surface of the second swing arm 310.

[0015] like Figure 15As shown, this application also provides an electronic device, which includes a housing 2, a display screen 3, and the aforementioned hinge mechanism 1. Two adjacent housings 2 in the electronic device can be rotatably connected via the hinge mechanism 1, and the display screen 3 can be mounted on the housing 2 to form a foldable electronic device with folding capability. Furthermore, in the electronic device disclosed in this application embodiment, the display screen 3 can be a flexible screen as a whole, or the display screen 3 can include a first part 31, a second part 32, and a third part 33, wherein the third part 33 is connected between the first part 31 and the second part 32, and the first part 31 and the second part 32 are respectively supported on two adjacent housings 2. The first part 31 and the second part 32 can be flexible structures or rigid structures, and the third part 33 is opposite to the hinge mechanism 1 and is a flexible structure.

[0016] In the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application embodiment, the base 110 is the basic structure of the hinge mechanism 1. Other components in the hinge mechanism 1 can be directly or indirectly mounted or connected to the base 110, so that the hinge mechanism 1 can form an integral structure and provide a rotational connection for two adjacent housings. Furthermore, in the hinge mechanism 1, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it may include multiple hinge assemblies 11, which are spaced apart and whose rotation axes are parallel to each other. The multiple hinge assemblies 11 can be connected to each other by a bridging member 12.

[0017] Meanwhile, the base 110 is provided with an arc-shaped groove, and the rotating part of the first swing arm 210 is rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove of the base 110. By setting it as a bearing-type structure, the rotating part of the first swing arm 210 can be embedded in and rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove of the base 110, so that the first swing arm 210 can form a rotatable connection with the base 110.

[0018] Furthermore, the rotating shaft 410 passes through the base 110, and the rotating part of the second swing arm 310 is rotatably connected to the base 110 via the rotating shaft 410, which allows the second swing arm 310 to also form an assembly relationship with the base 110. Specifically, both the rotating part of the second swing arm 310 and the base 110 can be provided with through holes, and the base 110 can also be provided with notches. By fitting the rotating part of the second swing arm 310 into the aforementioned notches, and by having the rotating shaft 410 pass through both the rotating part of the second swing arm 310 and the respective through holes of the base 110, a reliable rotational connection between the second swing arm 310 and the base 110 can be ensured. One end of the rotating shaft 410 can be provided with a shaft cap, and after the rotating shaft 410 is inserted and engaged with the base 110 and the second swing arm 310, the rotating shaft 410 and the base 110 can be mutually limited axially by means of devices such as a retaining ring 420.

[0019] More specifically, for the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, the base 110 is provided with a first swing arm 210, a second swing arm 310 and a housing connector 500 on both opposite sides. At the same time, the number of rotating shafts 410 is at least two, and at least two rotating shafts 410 are spaced apart along the width direction of the base 110 so as to correspond and cooperate with the second swing arms 310 on opposite sides of the base 110 respectively.

[0020] For ease of description, in the hinge mechanism 1 in its unfolded state, the distribution direction of the housing connectors 500 on opposite sides of the base 110 is denoted as the width direction of the base 110. Furthermore, in the hinge mechanism 1 in its unfolded state, the axial direction of the pivot 410 is perpendicular to the width direction of the base 110, and the thickness direction of the housing connectors 500 (or the base 110) is perpendicular to both the axial direction of the pivot 410 and the width direction of the base 110. More intuitively, the thickness direction of the housing connectors 500 (or the base 110) can be... Figure 9 In the direction Z, the width direction of the base 110 can be Figure 9 The direction X in the middle, the length direction of the base 110, that is, the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410 can be Figure 9 in the direction Y.

[0021] Furthermore, a first swing arm 210 and a second swing arm 310 are connected between the base 110 and the housing connectors 500 on both sides of the base 110. Each housing connector 500 is a device in the hinge mechanism 1 that directly connects to the corresponding housing in the electronic device, ensuring that the housings on both sides of the base 110 can form a stable rotational engagement relationship with the base 110 through the corresponding first swing arm 210 and second swing arm 310. Simultaneously, to improve the support effect of the area where the base 110 is located on the display screen 3, a pressure cover 120 can also be provided on the side of the base 110 facing the display screen 3. The pressure cover 120 is a plate-shaped structure and can be fixedly connected to the base 110 by screws 130.

[0022] In this embodiment of the application, the housing connector 500 is provided with a first groove 510 for cooperating with the first swing arm 210. The first groove 510 extends generally along the thickness direction of the housing connector 500, and the sliding part of the first swing arm 210 can slide within the first groove 510.

[0023] Correspondingly, due to the influence of the first swing arm 210 forming a rotational connection with the base 110 through a bearing-like structure, in order to ensure that the second swing arm 310 can also be stably assembled between the base 110 and the housing connector 500, in this embodiment of the application, the second swing arm 310 and the housing connector 500 also form a relatively sliding fit relationship, so that during the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching between the unfolded state and the folded state, the housing connector 500 and the second swing arm 310 can produce a relative sliding effect, ensuring that the housing connector 500 and the base 110 can form a stable rotational connection relationship through the second swing arm 310.

[0024] In addition, in order to increase the distance that the second swing arm 310 crosses in the axial direction of the pivot 410, in one specific embodiment of this application, such as Figure 7 As shown, the second swing arm 310 may include a first arm body 311 and a second arm body 312 that are spaced apart from each other in the aforementioned axial direction. The structures of the two are generally the same, both including a rotating part that is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 410 and a sliding part that is slidably engaged with the housing connector 500. Of course, the structural forms of the first arm body 311 and the second arm body 312 may differ.

[0025] As described above, in the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the housing connector 500 is provided with a first sliding groove 510 and a second sliding groove 520. The opposite ends of the first sliding groove 510 extend to the opposite two side surfaces of the housing connector 500 along its own thickness direction. That is, the extension direction of the first sliding groove 510 has at least a component parallel to the thickness direction of the housing connector 500. Meanwhile, the second sliding groove 520 extends from the side surface of the housing connector 500 near the base 110 in a direction away from the base 110. That is, the second sliding groove 520 extends substantially along the thickness direction perpendicular to the housing connector 500. Furthermore, the sliding part of the first swing arm 210 slides in cooperation with the first sliding groove 510, and the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 slides in cooperation with the second sliding groove 520.

[0026] When the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state is subjected to compression or collision, since the compression or collision force is almost parallel to the relative sliding direction between the second swing arm 310 and the housing connector 500, the base 110 can drive the second swing arm 310 to slide relative to the housing connector 500, thereby causing the base 110 to directly compress the display screen 3 and cause damage to the display screen 3.

[0027] To address the aforementioned technical problems, in the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, as follows: Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the first swing arm 210 is provided with a first limiting block 220, and the second swing arm 310 is provided with a second limiting block 320. The two have the ability to cooperate with each other so that when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the limiting relationship between the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 can limit the movement of the second limiting block 320 when the base 110 drives the second swing arm 310 to collapse inward. In addition, by limiting the first swing arm 210 and the housing connector 500 to each other, the purpose of limiting the second swing arm 310 to collapse further inward relative to the housing connector 500 is achieved, thereby greatly reducing the amount of uncontrolled sliding of the second swing arm 310 relative to the housing connector 500 and preventing the display screen 3 from being damaged by excessive pressure.

[0028] As described above, compared to the structure where the second slide groove 520 extends generally along a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the housing connector 500, the first slide groove 510 extends generally along a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the housing connector 500. This gives the first slide groove 510 and the first swing arm 210 a relatively good and reliable limiting ability in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520. Consequently, when the second swing arm 310 pushes the first limiting block 220 through the second limiting block 320, the first slide groove 510 can provide a more reliable limiting effect for the first swing arm 210, thereby limiting the second swing arm 310 from further collapsing inward relative to the housing connector 500 and preventing damage to the display screen 3.

[0029] Of course, in this embodiment of the application, in order to ensure that the first limiting block 220 can restrict the second swing arm 310 from collapsing inward when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520, the first limiting block 220 needs to be located on the side of the second limiting block 320 away from the base 110 (or, the first limiting block 220 is located on the side of the second limiting block 320 close to the housing connector 500), so that when the second swing arm 310 drives the second limiting block 320 to collapse inward (i.e. move towards the direction of the housing connector 500), the first limiting block 220 can restrict the second limiting block 320 from moving further towards the direction of the housing connector 500.

[0030] Furthermore, to ensure that the first limiting block 220 does not obstruct the normal transition of the hinge mechanism 1 from the folded state to the unfolded state, in this application, as follows: Figures 8-11As shown, by designing parameters such as the size and shape of the first limiting block 220, during the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first swing arm 210 can drive the first limiting block 220 to move relative to the housing connector 500 along the extension direction of the first slide groove 510, thereby causing the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 to move relative to each other. Thus, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the first limiting block 220 avoids the second limiting block 320 in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520, ensuring that the first limiting block 220 will not come into contact or collide with the second limiting block 320 during the sliding of the second swing arm 310 relative to the second slide groove 520.

[0031] Therefore, in the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 are misaligned in the extension direction of the second slide 520; when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, in the extension direction of the second slide 520, the first limiting block 220 is located on the side of the second limiting block 320 away from the base 110, and is used to restrict the second limiting block 320 from moving towards the direction of the housing connector 500.

[0032] This application discloses a hinge mechanism 1, in which the rotating part of the first swing arm 210 is rotatably connected to the arcuate groove of the base 110, and the rotating part of the second swing arm 310 is rotatably connected to the base 110 via a rotating shaft 410. The housing connector 500 is provided with a first sliding groove 510 and a second sliding groove 520. The sliding part of the first swing arm 210 is slidably engaged with the first sliding groove 510 of the housing connector 500, and the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 is slidably engaged with the second sliding groove 520 of the housing connector 500. The second sliding groove 520 extends from the side surface of the housing connector 500 near the base 110 towards the direction away from the base 110, thereby enabling relative sliding between the housing connector 500 and the second swing arm 310 in the extending direction of the second sliding groove 520 during the switching between the hinge mechanism 1 in the unfolded and folded states.

[0033] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the first swing arm 210 is provided with a first limiting block 220, and the second swing arm 310 is provided with a second limiting block 320. Furthermore, the opposite ends of the first sliding groove 510 extend to the opposite two side surfaces of the housing connector 500 along its own thickness direction. This makes the first sliding groove 510 extend substantially along the thickness direction of the housing connector 500, thereby giving the first swing arm 210 and the housing connector 500 a relatively reliable and stable limiting relationship in the extension direction of the second sliding groove 520. In the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state, by placing the first limiting block 220 on the side of the second limiting block 320 away from the base 110, the first limiting block 220 can restrict the second limiting block 320 from moving with the second swing arm 310 toward the direction where it is close to the housing connector 500. This prevents the second swing arm 310 from collapsing uncontrollably inward and squeezing the display screen 3 when the hinge mechanism 1 is squeezed or collided, thus preventing damage to the display screen 3.

[0034] Of course, since the first swing arm 210 and the housing connector 500 can slide relative to each other at least in the thickness direction of the housing connector 500, during the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first swing arm 210 can drive the first limiting block 220 to move relative to the second swing arm 310 (and the second limiting block 320), so that the first limiting block 220 avoids the second limiting block 320 in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520, thereby preventing the first limiting block 220 from obstructing the unfolding process of the hinge mechanism 1. Accordingly, when the hinge mechanism 1 switches to the unfolded state, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 are misaligned in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520 to ensure that the hinge mechanism 1 can also proceed normally in the next process of switching to the folded state.

[0035] Furthermore, considering that both the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 have a certain thickness in the axial direction perpendicular to the pivot 410 and the extension direction of the second slide groove 520, in order to ensure that the hinge mechanism 1 can reliably release the folded state, the relative position and size of the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 can be designed so that when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 have a certain gap in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520. Thus, during the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching from the folded state to the unfolded state, the second limiting block 320 can move closer to the housing connector 500 using the aforementioned gap, while ensuring that the first limiting block 220 can move out from between the second limiting block 320 and the housing connector 500, so as to avoid the path of the second limiting block 320 further approaching the housing connector 500.

[0036] In the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application embodiment, the rotating part and the sliding part of the first swing arm 210 can be connected to each other by welding or other means. Similarly, the rotating part and the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 can also be connected to each other by welding or other means. Correspondingly, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 can also be fixedly connected to the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 respectively by welding. In order to improve the structural reliability of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310, they can also be integrally formed, with the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 including and connected rotating and sliding parts respectively. Furthermore, the first swing arm 210 and the first limiting block 220 can also be integrally formed, and correspondingly, the second swing arm 310 and the second limiting block 320 can also be integrally formed, thereby making the fixed connection relationship between the first swing arm 210 and the first limiting block 220, and between the second swing arm 310 and the second limiting block 320 more reliable.

[0037] More specifically, in this embodiment of the application, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410, the second limiting block 320 is disposed on the side of the sliding portion of the second swing arm 310 close to the first swing arm 210, and the first limiting block 220 is disposed on the side of the sliding portion of the first swing arm 210 close to the second swing arm 310. In this case, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 can make fuller use of the space between the sliding portions of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310, so that the total space occupied by the overall structure of the first swing arm 210, the second swing arm 310, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410 is relatively smaller.

[0038] Of course, in this application, the space between the sliding portions of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 can also be used to accommodate other devices. The connecting rod 600 mentioned below can be accommodated in the aforementioned space, and the other parts of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310, except for the sliding portion, can be connected to the connecting rod 600 to form a linkage relationship between the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310, so as to further improve the smoothness of opening and closing of the hinge mechanism.

[0039] In the above embodiments, in order to ensure that the first limiting block 220 can be controlled to cooperate with the second limiting block 320 and not to hinder the hinge mechanism 1 from switching normally between the folded state and the unfolded state, as the first swing arm 210 slides relative to the housing connector 500, the first limiting block 220 can also slide relative to the housing connector 500 along the first sliding groove 510 in the thickness direction of the housing connector 500.

[0040] When the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the sliding part of the first swing arm 210 can be located in the first slide groove 510 at a position relatively far away from the display screen 3 (or one end). Correspondingly, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the sliding part of the first swing arm 210 is located in the first slide groove 510 at a position relatively close to the display screen 3 (or one end). This allows the first swing arm 210 to drive the first limiting block 220 to move relative to the housing connector 500, so that the first limiting block 220 has the ability to translate relative to the second swing arm 310.

[0041] As described above, the rotating part of the first swing arm 210 can form a rotational engagement relationship with the arcuate groove of the base 110 through a structure in the form of a bearing bush. Accordingly, during the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching from the unfolded state to the folded state, the size (or area, etc.) of the overlapping part between the aforementioned bearing bush structure and the arcuate groove of the base 110 will gradually decrease, and when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the overlapping part between the first swing arm 210 and the base 110 reaches its minimum.

[0042] Based on the above, in order to minimize the rotation angle of the first swing arm 210 relative to the base 110 and correspondingly increase the minimum size of the overlapping portion between the first swing arm 210 and the base 110 in the hinge mechanism 1 when in the folded state, in another embodiment of this application, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the sliding part of the first swing arm 210 can be located in the first slide groove 510 at a position (or one end) relatively close to the display screen 3. Correspondingly, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the sliding part of the first swing arm 210 is located in the first slide groove 510 at a position (or one end) relatively far from the display screen 3, so as to reduce the maximum rotation angle of the first swing arm 210 relative to the base 110, thereby increasing the overlapping size between the first swing arm 210 and the base 110 in the hinge mechanism 1 when in the folded state, and achieving the purpose of improving the assembly stability between the first swing arm 210 and the base 110.

[0043] More specifically, taking the process of hinge mechanism 1 switching from the unfolded state to the folded state, and taking the first swing arm 210 rotating counterclockwise relative to the base 110 as an example, during the aforementioned process, the housing connector 500 also rotates counterclockwise relative to the base 110. Simultaneously, due to the aforementioned sliding fit between the first swing arm 210 and the housing connector 500, when the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application performs the above process, the first swing arm 210 can slide relative to the housing connector 500, and the first swing arm 210... The first swing arm 210 can rotate clockwise relative to the housing connector 500, thereby reducing the rotation angle of the first swing arm 210 relative to the base 110. When the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the overlapping part between the first swing arm 210 and the base 110 is larger, preventing jamming between the first swing arm 210 and the base 110. This can also significantly reduce the probability that the first swing arm 210 will come out of the arc groove of the base 110 when the hinge mechanism 1 and the electronic device are dropped, thereby improving the reliability of the hinge mechanism 1.

[0044] In the above embodiments of this application, the first slide groove 510 includes a first end and a second end at opposite ends, wherein the first end of the first slide groove 510 is located between the second end of the first slide groove 510 and the screen support side of the housing connector 500. More intuitively, the first end and the second end are opposite ends of the first slide groove 510, and the first end is the end of the first slide groove 510 closer to the screen support side of the housing connector 500.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the rotating part of the first swing arm 210 is located at the first end of the first slide groove 510; when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the rotating part of the first swing arm 210 is located at the second end of the first slide groove 510. Simultaneously, in the case of this embodiment, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the first limiting block 220 can be located on the side of the housing connector 500 facing its screen support side, thereby ensuring that the side of the hinge mechanism 1 away from the display screen 3 is relatively flat overall, and reducing the design difficulty of the hinge mechanism 1.

[0046] Of course, in the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, a support plate 13 can also be provided on the side of the housing connector 500 facing the display screen 3, and support plates 13 are provided on both opposite sides of the base 110. The side of each support plate 13 away from the base 110 can be rotatably connected to the corresponding housing connector 500. When the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the support plate 13 can provide support for the display screen 3 by using the driving action provided by the first swing arm 210 and other devices. When the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, due to the pressure of the display screen 3 and other factors, the support plates 13 on both sides of the base 110 are inclined relative to the base 110, and the whole structure is an flared structure with the opening facing the side where the base 110 is located, thereby increasing the accommodation space of the display screen 3.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the second swing arm 310 is provided with a second limiting block 320, which is used to cooperate with the first limiting block 220 provided on the first swing arm 210. Therefore, the second limiting block 320 is located on the side of the second swing arm 310 close to the corresponding first swing arm 210. At the same time, the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 is also used to slide and cooperate with the second sliding groove 520 of the housing connector 500. In order to make the sliding stability between the second swing arm 310 and the housing connector 500 relatively high, the part of the second swing arm 310 that cooperates with the second sliding groove 520 is usually a plate-shaped structure. Accordingly, in order to ensure that the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 and the second sliding groove 520 can slide normally relative to each other, the size of the second sliding groove 520 can be equal to or slightly larger than the size of the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410, so as to form a relative movement gap between the two.

[0048] In another embodiment of this application, the size of the second slide groove 520 can be significantly larger than the size of the sliding portion of the second swing arm 310 in the axial direction of the pivot 410. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the hinge mechanism can also include a slider 330, which is fixed to the side of the second swing arm 310 where the second limiting block 320 is located. Specifically, in the extending direction of the second slide groove 520, the slider 330 is located on the side of the second limiting block 320 away from the base 110, and during the switching between the hinge mechanism 1 in the unfolded state and the folded state, the slider 330 slides relative to the second slide groove 520.

[0049] As described above, the second limiting block 320 is disposed on the side of the sliding portion of the second swing arm 310 near the first swing arm 210. Correspondingly, the first limiting block 220 is disposed on the side of the sliding portion of the first swing arm 210 near the second swing arm 310. This means that the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 themselves need to occupy corresponding space in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410. Based on this, by adopting the technical solution disclosed in the above embodiment, the slider 330 further makes reasonable use of the space where the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 are located. Furthermore, by adaptively expanding the coverage area of ​​the second sliding groove 520 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410, the slider 330 can provide reinforcement for the second swing arm 310 by slidingly engaging with the second sliding groove 520, thereby making the sliding engagement relationship between the second swing arm 310 and the second sliding groove 520 of the housing connector 500 more stable.

[0050] Similar to the sliding portion of the second swing arm 310, the slider 330 is also generally a flat plate structure, which makes the sliding relationship between the slider 330 and the second groove 520 more stable. Of course, the specific dimensions and other parameters of the slider 330 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410 can be flexibly determined based on the actual dimensions of the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 in the aforementioned axial direction, and this paper does not impose any limitations on this. Furthermore, to further improve the sliding stability of the second swing arm 310, in this application, the slider 330 and the sliding portion of the second swing arm 310 can be formed integrally.

[0051] As described above, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the first limiting block 220 can provide a limiting function for the second limiting block 320. Correspondingly, in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520, the first limiting block 220 can be sandwiched between the second limiting block 320 and the housing connector 500. During the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first limiting block 220 can move relative to (the housing connector 500 and) the second swing arm 310, so that in the extension direction of the second slide groove 520, the first limiting block 220 moves out from between the housing connector 500 and the second limiting block 320, thereby providing a clearance function for the movement of the second limiting block 320 toward the direction where it is located, closer to the housing connector 500.

[0052] Accordingly, by designing parameters such as the position and extension dimension of the second limiting block 320, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the second limiting block 320 can be kept in a position where it has not yet moved to contact the housing connector 500.

[0053] In another embodiment of this application, the second limiting block 320 can be made capable of extending into the second slide groove 520 by appropriately increasing its size. Of course, to ensure that the second limiting block 320 can extend into the second slide groove 520, in the first direction, the size of the second limiting block 320 needs to be smaller than the size of the second slide groove 520. This allows the second limiting block 320 to be located within the second slide groove 520 when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state. This further increases the size of the portion of the second swing arm 310 that directly and indirectly overlaps with the second slide groove 520 when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, thereby improving the stability of the fit between the second swing arm 310 and the housing connector 500. The first direction is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410 and perpendicular to the extension direction of the second slide groove 520.

[0054] As described above, the extending direction of the first groove 510 has a component parallel to the thickness direction of the housing connector 500. Therefore, optionally, the first groove 510 extends along the thickness direction of the housing connector 500. In another embodiment of this application, the first groove 510 can also be inclined relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector 500. For this purpose, the extending direction of the first groove 510 simultaneously has components parallel to and perpendicular to the thickness direction of the housing connector 500. That is, in this embodiment, the extending direction of the first groove 510 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410, and the extending direction of the first groove 510 is inclined relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector 500.

[0055] Based on the above design, in order to increase the overlap between the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 and the second slide groove 520 when in the folded state, the distance between the first end of the first slide groove 510 (i.e., the end near the screen support side of the housing connector 500) and the base 110 can be made smaller than the distance between the second end of the first slide groove 510 and the base 110. In order to reduce the outward pushing effect of the second swing arm 310 on the housing connector 500 during the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching from the unfolded state to the folded state, the overlap between the sliding part of the second swing arm 310 and the second slide groove 520 of the housing connector 500 is still relatively large, so that the cooperation stability between the second swing arm 310 and the housing connector 500 is high.

[0056] In order to increase the screen-accommodating space when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, in another embodiment of this application, the distance between the first end of the first slide groove 510 and the base 110 can be greater than the distance between the second end of the first slide groove 510 and the base 110. In this case, when the hinge mechanism 1 switches from the unfolded state to the folded state, the second swing arm 310 has a stronger pushing effect on the housing connector 500, thereby making the screen-accommodating space formed between the housing connector 500 on both sides of the base 110 and the base 110 relatively larger, so as to reduce the degree of bending of the display screen 3 and correspondingly increase the overall gap distance between the display screen 3 and the base 110, further reducing the probability and degree of the display screen 3 being squeezed when the side where the base 110 is located is hit or squeezed, thereby achieving the purpose of improving the service life of the display screen 3.

[0057] In the above embodiments, the first limiting block 220 can limit the excessive inward collapse of the second limiting block 320 and the second swing arm 310 by supporting it on the housing connector 500. Based on this, in order to further improve the mutual limiting effect between the first limiting block 220 and the housing connector 500, in a specific embodiment of this application, the side surface of the first limiting block 220 facing away from the base 110 can be made into a support surface 221, and in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410 and the extension direction of the second slide groove 520, the maximum size of the support surface 221 is made larger than the size of the second slide groove 520. Therefore, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the opposite side walls of the second slide groove 520 can be supported on the support surface 221 of the first limiting block 220, thereby improving the stability of the mutual limiting between the first limiting block 220 and the housing connector 500.

[0058] More intuitively, in the above embodiments of this application, the maximum width of the side surface of the first limiting block 220 facing away from the base 110 in the first direction can be the first width. Correspondingly, the distance between the opposite groove walls in the second slide groove 520 in the first direction is the second width. The first width is greater than the second width, and the first limiting block 220 can be substantially centered relative to the second slide groove 520 to ensure that the first limiting block 220 can be supported on the opposite sides of the second slide groove 520 in the housing connector 500. Furthermore, when the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the opposite groove walls in the second slide groove 520 can all be supported by the first limiting block 220. In addition, the first direction is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 410 and perpendicular to the extension direction of the second slide groove 520.

[0059] As described above, during the switching between the unfolded and folded states of the hinge mechanism 1, both the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 can slide relative to the housing connector 500. In order to prevent the first swing arm 210 from getting stuck with the housing connector 500, in a specific embodiment of this application, the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 can be linked together by a pin and a track groove. Thus, during the rotation of the second swing arm 310 relative to the base 110 by the housing connector 500, the second swing arm 310 can drive the first swing arm 210 to move accordingly through the cooperating pin and track groove, so as to move relative to the housing connector 500 within the first slide groove 510.

[0060] To reduce friction and other noise generated during the operation of the hinge mechanism 1, and to further improve the linkage stability of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310, in another embodiment of this application, such as Figures 5-7 As shown, the hinge mechanism 1 may further include a connecting rod 600, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first swing arm 210, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the second swing arm 310. In this embodiment, both the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 rotate relative to the connecting rod 600 about the axis of rotation 410. That is, the rotational axis between the first swing arm 210 and the connecting rod 600, and the rotational axis between the second swing arm 310 and the connecting rod 600, are both parallel to the axis of rotation 410.

[0061] As described above, the base 110 is provided with a first swing arm 210 and a second swing arm 310 on opposite sides. More specifically, each side of the base 110 is provided with a plurality of first swing arms 210 and second swing arms 310, wherein at least one first swing arm 210 on each side of the base 110 is correspondingly provided with a second swing arm 310, and a first limiting block 220 and a second limiting block 320 are sandwiched between them. Of course, the number of first swing arms 210 and second swing arms 310 on each side of the base 110 may be the same or different, and this is not limited in this document.

[0062] That is, in the embodiments of this application, the base 110 is provided with a first swing arm 210 and a second swing arm 310 on both opposite sides, and the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 on either side of the base 110 are respectively provided with a first limiting block 220 and a second limiting block 320.

[0063] More specifically, in one particular embodiment of this application, the number of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 are the same and correspond one-to-one. At the same time, the one-to-one correspondence of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 is respectively provided with a first limiting block 220 and a second limiting block 320.

[0064] In another embodiment of this application, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 may not be provided between the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 on any side of the base 110, while the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 may be provided between the other parts of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 on that side of the base 110. Based on this, in order to improve the reliability of the hinge mechanism 1 and prevent the display screen 3 from being squeezed or collided when the side of the hinge mechanism 1 located on the base 110 in the electronic device is squeezed or collided, in the axial direction of the pivot 410, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 may be provided between the corresponding first swing arms 210 and the second swing arm 310 on the multiple corresponding first swing arms 210 and the second swing arm 310 on any side of the base 110, respectively. Alternatively, the first limiting block 220 and the second limiting block 320 may be provided between the first swing arms 210 and the second swing arm 310 located at the four corners of the base 110.

[0065] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0066] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A hinge mechanism, characterized in that, It includes a base, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, a rotating shaft, and a housing connector, wherein, The base is provided with an arc-shaped groove, the rotating part of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove, and the rotating part of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the base through the rotating shaft; The housing connector is provided with a first sliding groove and a second sliding groove. The two ends of the first sliding groove extend to the two opposite surfaces of the housing connector along its own thickness direction, and the second sliding groove extends from the side surface of the housing connector near the base in a direction away from the base. The sliding part of the first swing arm slides in cooperation with the first sliding groove, and the sliding part of the second swing arm slides in cooperation with the second sliding groove. The first swing arm is provided with a first limiting block, and the second swing arm is provided with a second limiting block. When the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state, the first limiting block and the second limiting block are staggered in the extension direction of the second slide groove. When the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the first limiting block is located on the side of the second limiting block away from the base in the extension direction of the second slide groove, so as to restrict the second limiting block from moving towards the direction of the housing connector.

2. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the second limiting block is disposed on the side of the sliding portion of the second swing arm near the first swing arm, and the first limiting block is disposed on the side of the sliding portion of the first swing arm near the second swing arm.

3. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, Along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the size of the second groove is larger than the size of the sliding part of the second swing arm; The hinge mechanism further includes a slider, which is fixed to the side of the second limiting block in the second swing arm. In the extension direction of the second slide groove, the slider is located on the side of the second limiting block away from the base. During the process of the hinge mechanism switching between the unfolded state and the folded state, the slider slides relative to the second slide groove.

4. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, In a first direction, the size of the second limiting block is smaller than the size of the second slide groove, and when the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state, the second limiting block is located within the second slide groove, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft and perpendicular to the extension direction of the second slide groove.

5. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state, the rotating part of the first swing arm is located at the first end of the first slide. When the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the rotating part of the first swing arm is located at the second end of the first slide. The first end and the second end are the opposite ends of the first slide, and the first end is the end of the first slide near the screen support side of the housing support member.

6. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum width of the side surface of the first limiting block away from the base in the first direction is the first width, and the distance between the opposite groove walls in the second slide in the first direction is the second width. The first width is greater than the second width. When the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the opposite groove walls in the second slide can all be supported by the first limiting block. The first direction is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft and perpendicular to the extension direction of the second slide.

7. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hinge mechanism further includes a connecting rod, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first swing arm, and the other end of which is rotatably connected to the second swing arm. The rotational axis between the first swing arm and the connecting rod, and the rotational axis between the second swing arm and the connecting rod are both parallel to the axis of the rotating shaft.

8. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first swing arm and the first limiting block are formed by integral molding; The second swing arm and the second limiting block are formed by integral molding.

9. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The base is provided with a first swing arm and a second swing arm on opposite sides, and the first swing arm and the second swing arm corresponding to each other on either side of the base are respectively provided with a first limiting block and a second limiting block.

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

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