Electronic device

Abstract

This application discloses an electronic device belonging to the field of electronic devices. The electronic device includes a hinge mechanism and a housing. The two housings are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism includes a base, a swing arm, and a housing connector. The swing arm includes an arm body, an arc-shaped portion, and a slider. The arc-shaped portion and the slider are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the arm body. The base has an arc-shaped groove, and the arc-shaped portion is rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove. The housing connector has a sliding groove, and the sliding groove extends obliquely relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector. The slider slides in cooperation with the sliding groove. The housing connector is connected to the housing by fasteners. A deformable member is provided between the housing connector and the housing. The fasteners are sequentially inserted through the housing connector, the housing, and the deformable member. When the electronic device is impacted, the deformable member undergoes uneven deformation, and the groove wall of the sliding groove is inclined relative to the slider to restrict the movement of the slider relative to the sliding groove.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Foldable screen phones are becoming increasingly popular due to their combination of large display area and high portability. In foldable electronic devices, the hinge mechanism includes a base and a housing connector, which are connected by a swing arm. In related technologies, such as... Figure 1 As shown, one end of the swing arm rotates with the arc groove of the base through an arc structure, and the other end of the swing arm slides with the housing connector through a slider. This reduces the maximum rotation angle of the swing arm relative to the base during the opening and closing of the hinge mechanism, thereby ensuring that the connection reliability between the swing arm and the base is always relatively high.

[0003] To achieve other technical objectives, when designing the groove on the housing connector, the groove can be inclined relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector. However, if... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, when the aforementioned structure is used, when the hinge mechanism in the folded state collides, the collision force acts on the swing arm, causing the slider of the swing arm to slide along the slide groove, which in turn causes the slider to collide with the housing or causes the swing arm to squeeze the display screen through the support plate, resulting in damage to the display screen. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this application is to provide an electronic device that solves the problem that when an electronic device in a folded state is squeezed or impacted, the base will push the swing arm inward and collapse, causing the swing arm to move along the inclined slide groove, thereby colliding with the housing or squeezing the display screen through the support plate.

[0005] This application discloses an electronic device comprising a hinge mechanism and a housing, wherein two housings are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism, and the hinge mechanism includes a base, a swing arm, and a housing connector. The swing arm includes an arm body, an arc-shaped portion, and a slider. The arc-shaped portion and the slider are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the arm body. The base has an arc-shaped groove, and the arc-shaped portion is rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove. The housing connector has a sliding groove, and the sliding groove extends obliquely relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector. The slider slides in engagement with the sliding groove. The housing connector is connected to the housing by fasteners, and a deformable member is provided between the housing connector and the housing. The fasteners are sequentially inserted through the housing connector, the housing, and the deformable member. When the electronic device is impacted, the deformable part deforms unevenly, and the groove wall of the slide is tilted relative to the slider to restrict the movement of the slider relative to the slide.

[0006] This application discloses an electronic device in which two housings are rotatably connected by a hinge mechanism. In the hinge mechanism, the base is provided with an arc-shaped groove, the housing connector is provided with a sliding groove, and the swing arm can be correspondingly engaged with the arc-shaped part and the sliding groove by the arc-shaped part and the slider respectively provided at opposite ends of the arm body, so that the housing connector can rotate relative to the base by the swing arm, thereby enabling the electronic device to switch between an unfolded state and a folded state.

[0007] Meanwhile, in the hinge mechanism, the slide extends obliquely relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector, and a deformable part is provided between the housing connector and the housing. Under the action of the deformable part, the housing connector and the housing connected by fasteners can generate relative rotation within a certain range, thereby changing the actual extension direction of the slide.

[0008] Furthermore, when an electronic device is impacted, if the impact force is transmitted between the swing arm and the housing connector, under the action of the aforementioned impact force, the swing arm can push against the housing connector, and the deformable part will deform unevenly. Correspondingly, due to the influence of the housing connector rotating relative to the housing by a certain angle, the groove wall of the slide will tilt relative to the slider to limit the movement of the slider relative to the slide, thereby preventing the swing arm from moving along the slide and affecting the reliability of the hinge mechanism. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram showing the assembly of the hinge mechanism with the display screen in the folded state. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the force on the swing arm when the base of the hinge mechanism in a folded state is subjected to an external force. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the movement of the swing arm when the base of the hinge mechanism in a folded state is subjected to an external force. Figure 4 This is an exploded view of a portion of the hinge mechanism disclosed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly between the swing arm and the synchronizing arm and the housing connector in the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the housing connector in the hinge mechanism disclosed in the embodiments of this application; Figure 7 for Figure 4 The schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism is shown. Figure 8 for Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of point AA in the hinge mechanism shown; Figure 9 for Figure 7 A schematic cross-sectional view of the hinge mechanism at point BB is shown. Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the movement between components when the base of the hinge mechanism in the folded state is subjected to external force in an embodiment of this application. Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a hinge mechanism disclosed in another embodiment of this application; Figure 12 for Figure 11 The diagram shown illustrates the interaction between components when the base is subjected to external forces. Figure 13 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a portion of the hinge mechanism disclosed in another embodiment of this application; Figure 14 for Figure 13 The diagram shown illustrates the interaction between components when the base is subjected to external forces. Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the hinge mechanism disclosed in another embodiment of this application; Figure 16 for Figure 15 A cross-sectional schematic diagram of the structure is shown; Figure 17 for Figure 15 The diagram shown illustrates the interaction between components when the base is subjected to external forces. Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device disclosed in the embodiments of this application.

[0010] Figure label: 1-Hinge mechanism, 2-House, 3-Display screen, 31-First part, 32-Second part, 33-Third part 100 - base, 110 - arc groove, 200-Swing arm, 210-Arm body, 220-Arc-shaped part, 230-Slider, 300 - Housing connector, 310 - Rotating part, 311 - Slide groove, 320 - Fixing part, 321 - Slide rail 410 - Fasteners, 420 - Deformed parts 500-synchronous arm, 600-Elastic component, 610-Elastic element, 620-Baffle, 631-Fixed component, 632-Spring, 640-Connecting shaft, 700-Support plate. Detailed Implementation

[0011] 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.

[0012] 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.

[0013] This application discloses 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.

[0014] like Figure 18 As shown, the electronic device disclosed in this application includes a hinge mechanism 1 and a housing 2. Of course, the electronic device also includes a display screen 3 and other components such as a battery, which will not be listed here. In this electronic device, the two housings 2 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.

[0015] In addition, in the electronic device disclosed in the embodiments of this application, 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 shells 2. The first part 31 and the second part 32 can be flexible structures or rigid structures. The third part 33 is opposite to the hinge mechanism 1, and the third part 33 is a flexible structure.

[0016] like Figures 1-17 As shown, the hinge mechanism 1 includes a base 100, a swing arm 200 and a housing connector 300. Of course, the hinge mechanism 1 may also include other devices or mechanisms such as a rotating shaft, a synchronizing arm 500, and a damping mechanism.

[0017] In the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application embodiment, the base 100 is the basic structure of the hinge mechanism 1. Other components in the hinge mechanism 1 can be directly or indirectly installed or connected to the base 100, so that the hinge mechanism 1 can form an integral structure and provide a rotational connection for two adjacent housings 2. The housing connector 300 is a component in the hinge mechanism 1 that is directly connected to the housing 2 of the electronic device. The swing arm 200 is connected between the base 100 and the housing connector 300, and the housing connector 300 and the base 100 form a rotational engagement relationship, so that the swing arm 200 can rotate relative to the base 100 during the rotation of the housing 2 relative to the base 100.

[0018] In detail, the swing arm 200 includes an arm body 210, an arc-shaped portion 220, and a slider 230. The arc-shaped portion 220 and the slider 230 are respectively connected to opposite ends of the arm body 210. The base 100 is provided with an arc-shaped groove 110, and during the assembly of the hinge mechanism 1, the arc-shaped portion 220 is rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove 110. Specifically, the arc-shaped portion 220 is a bearing-like structure, and by embedding and rotatably connecting the arc-shaped portion 220 of the swing arm 200 into the arc-shaped groove 110 of the base 100, the swing arm 200 can form a rotatable connection with the base 100.

[0019] As described above, the hinge mechanism 1 may further include a synchronizing arm 500. Similar to the swing arm 200, the synchronizing arm 500 is also connected between the base 100 and the housing connector 300. Unlike the swing arm 200, which is rotatably connected to the arcuate groove 110 of the base 100, the synchronizing arm 500 is rotatably connected to the base 100 via a rotating shaft. Therefore, the hinge mechanism 1 may include a synchronizing arm 500 and a rotating shaft, wherein the rotating shaft is mounted on the base 100, and one end of the synchronizing arm 500 is rotatably connected to the base 100 by being sleeved on the rotating shaft.

[0020] More specifically, both the synchronizing arm 500 and the base 100 may be provided with through holes, and the base 100 may also be provided with notches. By embedding the end of the synchronizing arm 500 into the aforementioned notches and by having the rotating shaft pass through the through holes of the synchronizing arm 500 and the base 100, it can be ensured that the synchronizing arm 500 and the base 100 can form a reliable rotational connection.

[0021] In the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application embodiment, a swing arm 200, a synchronizing arm 500, and a housing connector 300 are provided on both opposite sides of the base 100. At least two rotating shafts are provided, spaced apart along the width of the base 100, to respectively engage with the synchronizing arms 500 on opposite sides of the base 100. Furthermore, the base 100 and the housing connectors 300 on opposite sides of the base 100 are connected by the swing arm 200 and the synchronizing arm 500. Each housing connector 300 is a device in the hinge mechanism 1 that directly connects to the corresponding housing 2 in the electronic device, ensuring that the housings 2 on opposite sides of the base 100 can form a stable rotational engagement relationship with the base 100 through the corresponding swing arm 200 and synchronizing arm 500.

[0022] Furthermore, in the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in the embodiments of this application, such as Figure 8 and Figure 11 As shown, the screen support side of the housing connector 300 is also provided with a support plate 700. Correspondingly, the base 100 is provided with support plates 700 on both sides. The side of each support plate 700 away from the base 100 can be rotatably connected to the corresponding housing connector 300. When the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the support plate 700 can provide support for the display screen 3 by using the driving action provided by the swing arm 200 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 700 on both sides of the base 100 can be tilted relative to the base 100. The overall structure of the support plates 700 on both sides of the base 100 is a flared structure with the opening facing the base 100, thereby increasing the accommodation space of the display screen 3.

[0023] As described above, both the swing arm 200 and the synchronous arm 500 are connected between the base 100 and the housing connector 300. The swing arm 200 is rotatably connected to the base 100 via its arcuate portion 220, and the swing arm 200 is also connected to the housing connector 300. As described above, the swing arm 200 includes an arm body 210, an arcuate portion 220, and a slider 230. The arcuate portion 220 and the slider 230 are respectively connected to opposite ends of the arm body 210, and the arcuate portion 220 is rotatably connected to the arcuate groove 110.

[0024] During the opening and closing process of hinge mechanism 1, in order to reduce the maximum rotation angle of the swing arm 200 relative to the base 100, such as Figure 9As shown, the housing connector 300 is provided with a sliding groove 311, and the slider 230 slides in the sliding groove 311. Thus, during the process of the hinge mechanism 1 switching from the unfolded state to the folded state, by sliding the slider 230 from the side of the sliding groove 311 close to the screen support side of the housing connector 300 to the side away from its screen support side, the maximum rotation angle of the swing arm 200 relative to the base 100 can be reduced, thereby improving the reliability of the assembly relationship between the swing arm 200 and the base 100.

[0025] In this application, the two opposite ends of the groove 311 of the housing connector 300 along its own extending direction are respectively a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the groove 311 is relatively closer to the screen support side of the housing connector 300, and the second end of the groove 311 is relatively farther away from the screen support side of the housing connector 300. Therefore, in the groove 311 of the housing connector 300, the first end is located between the second end and the screen support side of the housing connector 300.

[0026] Furthermore, in the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application embodiment, the slide groove 311 extends obliquely relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector 300, so that when the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 moves along the slide groove 311, the slider 230 and the housing connector 300 can move relative to each other in the thickness direction of the housing connector 300, and also in the extension direction of the swing arm 200.

[0027] Based on the above structure of the slide groove 311, in order to further expand the screen space when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the slider 230 is located at the first end of the slide groove 311, and the distance between the slider 230 and the base 100 is the first distance; as Figure 9 As shown, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the slider 230 is located at the second end of the slide groove 311, and the distance between the slider 230 and the base 100 is the second distance, wherein the second distance is smaller than the first distance.

[0028] That is, during the use of the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application embodiment, when the hinge mechanism 1 switches from the unfolded state to the folded state, the slider 230 gradually slides from the first end of the slide groove 311 to the second end of the slide groove 311. On the one hand, it can reduce the rotation angle of the swing arm 200. On the other hand, it can also use the swing arm 200 to push the housing connector 300 outward to increase the distance between the housing connector 300 and the base 100, thereby further increasing the screen space of the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state.

[0029] Based on the aforementioned hinge mechanism 1, since the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 is located at the end of the housing connector 300 away from its screen support side when it is in the folded state, when the side of the hinge mechanism 1 where the base 100 is located is subjected to external forces such as collisions when it is in the folded state, such as Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the external force F is transmitted to the swing arm 200 via the base 100, and the aforementioned external force F can be decomposed into a component force Fx parallel to the extension direction of the slide groove 311 and a component force Fy perpendicular to the extension direction of the slide groove 311. Among them, the component force Fx will drive the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 to move along the slide groove 311 towards the first end, which will produce a squeezing effect on the display screen 3 inside the hinge mechanism 1, and the swing arm 200 will drive the support plate 700 rotatably mounted on the housing connector 300 to rotate, causing the display screen 3 to be further squeezed and damaged by the support plate 700.

[0030] Of course, in other embodiments of this application, if the second distance is greater than the first distance, that is, during the process of the hinge mechanism switching from the unfolded state to the folded state, the swing arm 200 can pull the housing connector 300 inward, then the aforementioned component force Fx will drive the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 to move along the slide groove 311 in a direction away from the first end. In this case, such as Figure 9 As shown, since the housing 2 is blocked at the second end of the slide groove 311, the slider 230 will be limited by the housing 2 when it moves close to the housing 2. This will cause the slider 230 to collide with the housing 2, which will also have an adverse effect on the reliability of the electronic device.

[0031] To address the aforementioned issues, when the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application is in a folded state, it is necessary to restrict the uncontrolled relative movement between the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 and the slide groove 311 of the housing connector 300. Specifically, when a user needs to unfold or fold the electronic device, the process of actively rotating the two housings 2 relative to each other is considered a controlled relative movement. However, when the electronic device is accidentally dropped, the impact force is transmitted between the swing arm 200 and the housing connector 300, causing the slider 230 to move relative to the slide groove 311, which is the aforementioned uncontrolled relative movement.

[0032] Therefore, in one specific embodiment of this application, such as Figure 8 As shown, the inventor proposes that the housing connector 300 can rotate within a certain range relative to the swing arm 200, and the rotation of the housing connector 300 is initiated by the swing arm 200 being subjected to an external force from the direction of the base 100.

[0033] In other words, only when the external force acting on the base 100 is transmitted to the swing arm 200 and causes the swing arm 200 to have a tendency (or movement) to move in the direction of its extension towards the location of the housing connector 300, can the housing connector 300 rotate relative to the swing arm 200 under the aforementioned external force. Thus, after the housing connector 300 rotates relative to the swing arm 200, the extension direction of the slide groove 311 will be deflected to a certain extent, thereby increasing the difficulty for the slider 230 to move in the slide groove 311, thereby restricting the slider 230 from moving uncontrollably towards the first end of the slide groove 311, so as to prevent the swing arm 200 and the support plate 700 from squeezing the display screen 3.

[0034] When the housing connector 300 rotates relative to the swing arm 200, a relative rotation also occurs between the housing connector 300 and the housing 2 of the electronic device. Furthermore, the rotation between the housing connector 300 and the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 is not caused by the slider 230 moving within the groove 311 of the housing connector 300, but rather by the rotation of the housing connector 300 relative to the center of the slider 230. During this process, the extension direction of the groove 311 of the housing connector 300 changes.

[0035] It should be noted that in this embodiment, the range of angles at which the housing connector 300 can rotate relative to the swing arm 200 is relatively small, and the relative rotation process between the two is repeatable. For example, when the base 100 in the hinge mechanism 1 is in a folded state, it is subjected to an external force, and the housing connector 300 is pushed by the swing arm 200, causing the housing connector 300 to rotate in a certain positive direction relative to the swing arm 200, so as to restrict the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 from moving to the first end of the groove 311. Correspondingly, when the housing connector 300 of the hinge mechanism 1 and the housing 2 of the electronic device are subjected to the rotation drive and other forces provided by the user, the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 can still move from the second end of the groove 311 along the groove 311 to the first end of the groove 311, and switch the hinge mechanism 1 from the folded state to the unfolded state. Furthermore, during the aforementioned unfolding process of the hinge mechanism 1, the position of the housing connector 300 can be corrected by the rotational driving force provided by the user, and the housing connector 300 can generate a corresponding reverse rotation action relative to the swing arm 200, so as to reset the deflection of the extension direction of the slide groove 311, thereby reducing the difficulty of relative movement between the slider 230 and the slide groove 311 and improving the smoothness of the hinge mechanism 1.

[0036] Based on the above, in this embodiment, the housing connector 300 is connected to the housing 2 by a fastener 410, and a deformable member 420 is provided between the housing connector 300 and the housing 2. The fastener 410 is sequentially inserted through the housing connector 300, the housing 2, and the deformable member 420. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the electronic device is impacted, the deformable member 420 undergoes uneven deformation, and the groove wall of the slide groove 311 tilts relative to the slider 230, thereby restricting the movement of the slider 230 relative to the slide groove 311.

[0037] Specifically, in one embodiment of this application, the fastener 410 may include a rivet to mount the housing connector 300 to the housing 2 of the electronic device. By ensuring that the distance between the two ends of the rivet is slightly larger than the size of the portion of the housing 2 and the housing connector 300 clamped between the rivets along the axial direction, the housing connector 300 can rotate relative to the housing 2 within a certain range. Simultaneously, along the axial direction of the rivets, the assembly reliability between the housing connector 300 and the housing 2 is relatively high. Furthermore, by adopting the above technical solution, the housing connector 300 can be first assembled with components such as the swing arm 200 in the hinge mechanism 1, and then assembled with the housing 2, thereby reducing the overall assembly difficulty of the hinge mechanism 1 and the electronic device.

[0038] As described above, fasteners such as rivets 420 can limit the movement distance of the housing connector 300 relative to the housing 2 in the thickness direction of the housing connector 300. Accordingly, under the action of the aforementioned movement distance, the housing connector 300 still has the ability to rotate relative to the housing 2. Furthermore, limited by the relative movement distance between the housing connector 300 and the housing 2, the rotation angle of the housing connector 300 relative to the housing 2 can also be limited to a relatively small range, thereby ensuring the proper functioning of the groove in the push-pull groove 311 of the swing arm 200. The wall, and after the housing connector 300 rotates relative to the swing arm 200 (and the housing 2), the housing connector 300 can restrict the movement of the swing arm 200 towards the first end of the slide groove 311, while also ensuring that the housing connector 300 does not cause a strong jamming effect on the slider 230 of the swing arm 200. This ensures that during the process of the user driving the hinge mechanism 1 and the electronic device to unfold, the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 can still move stably along the slide groove 311 and move to the first end of the slide groove 311.

[0039] Therefore, in this embodiment, the housing connector 300 can be configured to be connected to the housing 2 of the electronic device via a fastener 410. The fastener 410 is used to limit the movement distance of the housing connector 300 relative to the housing 2 in the thickness direction of the housing connector 300, and to enable the housing connector 300 to rotate relative to the housing 2.

[0040] To facilitate the maintenance of electronic equipment, in other embodiments of this application, such as... Figures 4-10 As shown, both the housing connector 300 and the housing 2 can be provided with screw holes. Correspondingly, in this embodiment, the fastener 410 can include a screw. As mentioned above, the deformable member 420 can undergo elastic deformation. Therefore, in this embodiment, by using the screw to cooperate with the screw holes on the connector 300 and the housing 2, and by allowing the screw to pass through the deformable member 420, the housing connector 300 can rotate relative to the housing 2 within a relatively small range under the action of the deformable member 420's deformation capability.

[0041] Of course, in the above embodiments, regardless of whether the fastener 410 includes screws or rivets, it can ensure that the elastic deformation of the deformable parts allows the interconnected housing connector 300 and housing 2 to rotate relative to each other within a certain range.

[0042] As described above, when an electronic device is impacted and the impact force is transmitted between the swing arm 200 and the housing connector 300, the impact force can cause the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 to rotate relative to the housing 2 by pushing the housing connector 300. During the aforementioned rotation, the deformable member 420 connected between the housing connector 300 and the housing 2 can undergo uneven deformation, thereby causing the extension direction of the groove 311 to deflect relative to its original extension direction, which in turn restricts the movement of the slider 230 and prevents the slider 230 from moving within the groove 311.

[0043] The aforementioned uneven deformation refers to the situation where, when a deformable part is subjected to force, only a portion of one side of the surface of the deformable part is subjected to the force (applied by the shell connector 300), causing the aforementioned portion of the deformable part to be compressed and deformed, while other areas of the deformable part that are not subjected to the aforementioned force will not undergo elastic deformation.

[0044] To put it more intuitively, with Figure 10 Taking the structure and orientation shown as an example, if the slider 230 collides with the groove 311, the upper sidewall of the groove 311 will be pushed by the slider 230, thereby causing the housing connector 300 to rotate relative to the housing 2. The specific direction of rotation is as follows: Figure 10The hollow arrow in the diagram indicates that during the rotation of the housing connector 300 in the aforementioned direction, the portion of the housing connector 300 located below the slider 230 rotates to the right, thereby compressing the corresponding portion of the deformable member 420 and causing the aforementioned portion to undergo elastic deformation. As for the portion of the housing connector 300 located above the slider 230, since the distance between the aforementioned portion and the housing 2 has increased, the area of ​​the deformable member 420 sandwiched between the aforementioned portion and the housing 2 does not undergo elastic deformation. Therefore, when the electronic device disclosed in this application embodiment is impacted, the deformable member 420 undergoes uneven deformation.

[0045] This application discloses an electronic device in which two housings 2 are rotatably connected by a hinge mechanism 1. In the hinge mechanism 1, the base 100 is provided with an arc-shaped groove 110, the housing connector 300 is provided with a sliding groove 311, and the swing arm 200 can be correspondingly engaged with the arc-shaped part 220 and the slider 230 respectively provided at opposite ends of the arm body 210, so that the housing connector 300 can rotate relative to the base 100 through the swing arm 200, thereby enabling the electronic device to switch between an unfolded state and a folded state.

[0046] Meanwhile, in the hinge mechanism 1, the slide groove 311 extends obliquely relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector 300. A deformable member 420 is provided between the housing connector 300 and the housing 2. Under the action of the deformable member 420, the housing connector 300 and the housing 2 connected by the fastener 410 can rotate relative to each other within a certain range, thereby changing the actual extension direction of the slide groove 311.

[0047] Furthermore, when the electronic device is impacted, if the impact force is transmitted between the swing arm 200 and the housing connector 300, under the action of the aforementioned impact force, the swing arm 200 can push the housing connector 300, and the deformable part 420 will undergo uneven deformation. Correspondingly, due to the influence of the housing connector 300 rotating relative to the housing 2 by a certain angle, the groove wall of the slide 311 will tilt relative to the slider 230 to limit the movement of the slider 230 relative to the slide 311, thereby preventing the swing arm 200 from moving along the slide 311 and affecting the reliability of the hinge mechanism.

[0048] As described above, the groove 311 of the housing connector 300 extends obliquely relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector 300. In a specific embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 9As shown, when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the unfolded state, the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 is located in the slide groove 311 at the first end, which is relatively far from the base 100 and relatively close to the screen support side of the housing connector 300. When the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state, the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 is located in the slide groove 311 at the second end, which is relatively close to the base 100 and relatively far from the screen support side of the housing connector 300. This can reduce the maximum rotation angle of the swing arm 200 relative to the base 100, thereby improving the reliability of the hinge mechanism 1. Furthermore, when the above technical solution is adopted, the distance between the housing connector 300 and the base 100 in the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state is relatively large, thereby further increasing the screen space of the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state.

[0049] As described above, the deformable part 420 has elastic deformation capability. More specifically, the deformable part 420 can be formed of a material with good elasticity, such as rubber or silicone. The specific thickness of the deformable part 420 can be determined according to the actual situation to ensure that the housing connector 300 has the ability to rotate relative to the housing 2 within the required range.

[0050] Furthermore, when the above-mentioned technical solution is adopted, when the swing arm 200 is no longer subjected to external force, the deformable part 420 can drive the housing connector 300 to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the housing 2 under the action of its own elastic restoring force, so that the housing connector 300 is reset, thereby ensuring that the extension direction of the slide groove 311 can also return to the correct position from the deflection state, thereby further preventing the slide groove 311 and the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 from getting stuck, and making the hinge mechanism 1 and the electronic equipment smoother in the next unfolding process.

[0051] In addition, when the fastener 410 includes a screw, the fastener 410 can provide a good connection between the housing connector 300 and the housing 2 in the thickness direction of the housing connector 300, and the fastener 410 has good ease of assembly and disassembly, thereby greatly reducing the difficulty of assembling and disassembling the housing connector 300 and the housing 2.

[0052] As described above, after the hinge mechanism 1 disclosed in this application is installed in an electronic device, the housing connector 300 has the ability to rotate relative to the housing 2 of the electronic device. Considering that the housing connector 300 in the hinge mechanism 1 is also in sliding engagement with the synchronizing arm 500, in order to prevent the housing connector 300 from being damaged by rotating relative to the housing 2 under the action of the swing arm 200, and to prevent the housing connector 300 from interfering with the sliding engagement relationship between the synchronizing arm 500 and the housing connector 300 after rotating relative to the housing 2, in a specific embodiment of this application, the hinge mechanism 1 includes a synchronizing arm 500 and a rotating shaft, and the housing connector 300 includes a separately disposed rotating part 310 and a fixed part 320.

[0053] The rotating part 310 is provided with a sliding groove 311, and a deformable member 420 is provided between the rotating part 310 and the housing 2. The rotating part 310 can rotate relative to the housing 2 to ensure that when the side of the base 100 in the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state is subjected to external force, and when the external force is transmitted to the swing arm 200 through the base 100, the swing arm 200 can still rotate relative to the swing arm 200 (and the housing 2) by squeezing the rotating part 310, and cause the sliding groove 311 to deflect at a certain angle to provide a limiting effect for the slider 230 and prevent the slider 230 from moving in the direction of the first end of the swing arm 200.

[0054] Meanwhile, in the aforementioned housing connector 300, the fixing part 320 is fixedly connected to the housing 2 of the electronic device, and the fixing part 320 is provided with a slide rail 321. In the extension direction of the swing arm 200, the slide rail 321 is slidably engaged with the synchronous arm 500, and the end of the synchronous arm 500 away from the housing connector 300 is rotatably connected to the base 100 through a rotating shaft.

[0055] Based on this, in this embodiment of the application, by splitting the housing connector 300 into two independent parts, the rotating part 310 can have the ability to rotate the housing 2, while the fixed part 320 and the housing 2 can still form a stable relative fixed relationship. This ensures that the coordination stability between the synchronous arm 500 and the slide rail 321 of the fixed part 320 is always relatively high, and can prevent the rotation of the rotating part 310 relative to the housing 2 from having an adverse effect on the reliability of the synchronous arm 500.

[0056] In addition, in order to reduce the assembly difficulty between the fixing part 320 and the housing 2, the fixing part 320 can be fixedly installed on the housing 2 using fasteners 410, etc., and by making the number of fasteners 410 between the two multiple, a stable assembly relationship can be formed between the fixing part 320 and the housing 2.

[0057] As described above, by rotating the housing connector 300 relative to the housing 2 by a certain angle, the force transmitted from the base 100 to the swing arm 200 can be reduced or even eliminated, thereby limiting the movement of the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 toward the first end of the slide groove 311, and thus preventing the display screen 3 from being squeezed by the swing arm 200 and the support plate 700.

[0058] To further prevent the external force transmitted from the base 100 to the swing arm 200 from driving the slider 230 to move towards the first end of the groove 311, such as Figures 11-17 As shown, a deformation mechanism can be further added to prevent the display screen 3 from being squeezed by the swing arm 200 and the support plate 700 to the greatest extent. Specifically, in the extending direction of the swing arm 200, the slide groove 311 has opposing first and second groove walls, with the first groove wall located on the side of the second groove wall away from the base 100. Correspondingly, during the rotation of the housing connector 300 relative to the base 100, the slider 230 can reciprocate along the first and second groove walls between the first and second ends of the slide groove 311. To improve the smoothness of the sliding relationship between the slider 230 and the slide groove 311, the first and second groove walls are parallel to each other, and the surface of the slider 230 facing the first and second groove walls is also parallel to the first groove wall.

[0059] Based on the above structure, in this embodiment of the application, the hinge mechanism 1 may further include an elastic component 600, wherein the elastic component 600 is installed in the first groove wall of the slide groove 311 that is relatively far away from the base 100, or in other words, the elastic component 600 is installed on the outside of the swing arm 200, and at the same time, the side surface of the elastic component 600 facing the slider 230 is parallel to the second groove wall.

[0060] It should be noted that, in the embodiments of this application, when the elastic component 600 is in its natural state, the side surface of the elastic component 600 facing the slider 230 is parallel to the second groove wall, so that during the sliding of the slider 230 in the groove 311, the elastic component 600 basically does not hinder the sliding process of the slider 230. However, when the elastic component 600 is subjected to other external forces, the parallel state between the side surface of the elastic component 600 facing the slider 230 and the second groove wall will be broken, thereby enabling the elastic component 600 to provide a limiting effect for the slider 230 and prevent the slider 230 from moving towards the first end of the groove 311.

[0061] The aforementioned external force includes the force transmitted from the base 100 to the swing arm 200 when the electronic device is collided, causing the swing arm 200 to press against the housing connector 300. In the above embodiment, the aforementioned force can drive the housing connector 300 to rotate relative to the swing arm 200 (and the housing 2). In the embodiment of this application, the aforementioned force can also cause the elastic component 600 to undergo elastic deformation through the swing arm 200.

[0062] That is, in this embodiment, when the electronic device is impacted, in the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state, when the arc-shaped part 220 moves along the thickness direction of the base 100 towards the direction close to the housing connector 300, the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 can also squeeze the elastic component 600 and cause the elastic component 600 to undergo elastic deformation, so as to restrict the movement of the slider 230 relative to the slide groove 311.

[0063] In the above embodiments, the elastic component 600 may include a single component, in which case, when the swing arm 200 compresses the elastic component 600, the aforementioned component itself undergoes elastic deformation; or, the elastic component 600 may also include multiple interconnected components, in which case, when the swing arm 200 compresses the elastic component 600, at least one component of the elastic component 600 may undergo elastic deformation or relative movement, so that the entire structure of the elastic component 600 undergoes elastic deformation.

[0064] In one specific embodiment of this application, such as Figure 11 and Figure 12 As shown, the elastic component 600 can include an elastic element 610. By installing the elastic element 610 on the first groove wall of the slide groove 311, when the external force F of the base 100 is transmitted to the swing arm 200, the swing arm 200 can provide a buffering effect between the swing arm 200 and the housing connector 300 by squeezing the elastic element 610, thereby limiting the movement of the swing arm 200 along the slide groove 311 towards the first end of the slide groove 311.

[0065] In order to further enhance the limiting effect on the swing arm 200 and minimize the adverse effects of the elastic element 610 on the normal sliding of the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 in the slide groove 311 during the opening and closing of the hinge mechanism 1, in this embodiment, the area of ​​the first groove wall near the second end can be covered by the elastic element 610, while the part of the first groove wall near the first end can still maintain its original structure.

[0066] More specifically, in this embodiment, the first groove wall can be provided with a limiting groove, and the elastic member 610 is installed in the limiting groove. In this embodiment, the specific position of the limiting groove is related to the actual position of the slider 230 in the slide groove 311 when the hinge mechanism 1 is in the folded state. Therefore, when the electronic device is impacted, in the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state, when the arc-shaped part 220 moves along the thickness direction of the base 100 towards the direction close to the housing connector 300, the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 can squeeze the elastic member 610 and compress and deform the elastic member 610. This allows a part of the slider 230 in the swing arm 200 to extend into the limiting groove, thereby using the groove wall of the limiting groove to provide a limiting effect for the slider 230 in the extension direction of the slide groove 311, so as to restrict the movement of the slider 230 relative to the slide groove 311.

[0067] Specifically, the elastic element 610 can be formed of a material with relatively strong elasticity, such as rubber or silicone, to ensure that the elastic element 610 has strong buffering and deformation capabilities, thereby providing sufficient clearance for the slider 230 of the swing arm 200, so as to provide a limiting function for the slider 230 using the limiting groove. Furthermore, the bottom surface of the elastic element 610 can be connected to the bottom of the limiting groove through bonding or other methods to ensure that the elastic element 610 can be stably installed within the limiting groove.

[0068] Furthermore, in the extending direction of the swing arm 200, the size of the elastic element 610 can be equal to the size of the limiting groove. In this case, during the normal unfolding and folding operation of the hinge mechanism 1, the elastic element 610 will not significantly hinder the movement of the slider 230 within the slide groove 311. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the extending direction of the slide groove 311, the surface of the elastic element 610 facing the second groove wall is flush with the surface of the first groove wall.

[0069] In another embodiment of this application, the first groove wall can be provided with a clearance notch. In this way, the distance between the location of the clearance notch in the first groove wall and the second groove wall can be increased in the extension direction of the swing arm 200. Meanwhile, in this embodiment of the application, the elastic component 600 includes a baffle 620, which is movably installed on the clearance notch. By designing the plane on which the baffle 620 is located, the baffle 620 can be parallel to the second groove wall in its natural state so that the baffle 620 will not hinder the normal sliding of the slider 230 in the slide groove 311.

[0070] The clearance notch can be formed in the portion of the first groove wall corresponding to the slider 230 after further cutting the groove 311. Its function includes providing clearance space for the baffle 620. The baffle 620 can be made of materials such as metal. Its function includes providing a blocking effect at the position where the clearance notch is further formed in the first groove wall, so as to act as the part of the surface of the first groove wall removed to form the clearance notch during the normal sliding of the rocker arm 200, thereby making the sliding fit between the slider 230 and the groove 311 more stable. At the same time, the baffle 620 can also provide a buffering effect for the rocker arm 200, so as to limit the movement of the slider 230 towards the first end of the groove 311 by means of movement or deformation when the external force of the base 100 is transmitted to the rocker arm 200.

[0071] In the case of the above scheme, since there is a clearance notch between the baffle 620 and the first groove wall, the baffle 620 (a part of it) can be embedded in the clearance notch, and the baffle 620 has the ability to deform or move relative to the first groove wall. As a result, the slider 230 can still slide along the baffle 620 and other parts of the first groove wall and the second groove wall. After the external force of the base 100 is applied to the swing arm 200, the swing arm 200 can push the baffle 620, thereby using the baffle 620 to weaken or even eliminate the effect of the aforementioned external force on the swing arm 200, so as to prevent the slider 230 from moving to the first end of the groove 311.

[0072] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the electronic device is impacted, in the hinge mechanism 1 in the folded state, when the arc-shaped portion 220 moves along the thickness direction of the base 100 towards the direction close to the housing connector 300, the slider 230 of the swing arm 200 can also press the baffle 620 to restrict the slider 230 from moving relative to the slide groove 311.

[0073] As described above, the baffle 620 can deform or move relative to the second groove wall. Therefore, in one specific embodiment of this application, such as Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the baffle 620 can be an elastic structural member. That is, in this embodiment, the baffle 620 has the ability to deform, so that when the external force of the base 100 is transmitted to the swing arm 200, the swing arm 200 can push the baffle 620 and cause the baffle 620 to undergo elastic deformation, thereby preventing the swing arm 200 from moving uncontrollably along the slide groove 311 in the direction of the first end of the slide groove 311.

[0074] In the above embodiments, one side of the baffle 620 can be fixedly connected to the first groove wall by welding or other means. At the same time, due to the influence of the clearance notch, the other side of the baffle 620 away from the first end of the slide groove 311 is spaced apart from the groove wall of the slide groove 311 of the housing connector 300. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the elastic component 600 can also include a fixing member 631, and the other side of the baffle 620 is fixedly connected to the housing connector 300 through the fixing member 631, so that the baffle 620 can be spaced apart from the surface of the clearance notch facing the second groove wall, so as to provide space for the baffle 620 to undergo elastic deformation.

[0075] In another embodiment of this application, the baffle 620 can also be a rigid structural member. In this case, to ensure that the baffle 620 can still absorb the external force transmitted from the base 100 to the swing arm 200, such as... Figures 15-17 As shown, the elastic component 600 may also include a spring 632, which can be rotatably connected to the first groove wall via the connecting shaft 640. At the same time, the side of the first end of the baffle 620 away from the slide groove 311 is elastically connected to the housing connector 300 via the spring 632.

[0076] When the above technical solution is adopted, the swing arm 200 can push the baffle 620, and the baffle 620 can rotate relative to the first groove wall in a direction away from the second groove wall by utilizing the clearance space formed by the clearance notch in the first groove wall. This can alleviate or even eliminate the effect of the force transmitted from the base 100 to the swing arm 200 causing the swing arm 200 to move, thereby achieving the purpose of preventing the slider 230 from moving in the direction of the first end of the slide groove 311.

[0077] In addition, in the above embodiment, the rotation axis between the baffle 620 and the first groove wall is parallel to the rotation axis between the swing arm 200 and the base 100.

[0078] 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.

[0079] 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. An electronic device, comprising: The system includes a hinge mechanism and a housing. The two housings are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism, which includes a base, a swing arm, and a housing connector. The swing arm includes an arm body, an arc-shaped portion, and a slider. The arc-shaped portion and the slider are respectively disposed at opposite ends of the arm body. The base has an arc-shaped groove, and the arc-shaped portion is rotatably connected to the arc-shaped groove. The housing connector has a sliding groove, and the sliding groove extends obliquely relative to the thickness direction of the housing connector. The slider slides in engagement with the sliding groove. The housing connector is connected to the housing by fasteners, and a deformable member is provided between the housing connector and the housing. The fasteners are sequentially inserted through the housing connector, the housing, and the deformable member. When the electronic device is impacted, the deformable part deforms unevenly, and the groove wall of the slide is tilted relative to the slider to restrict the movement of the slider relative to the slide.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, Both the housing connector and the housing are provided with screw holes, and the fasteners include screws.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, The electronic device includes a synchronizing arm and a rotating shaft. The housing connector includes a rotating part and a fixed part that are separately arranged. The rotating part is provided with the sliding groove, and the deformable part is provided between the rotating part and the housing. The fixed part is fixedly connected to the housing, and the fixed part is provided with a slide rail. In the extension direction of the swing arm, the slide rail is slidably engaged with the synchronizing arm, and the end of the synchronizing arm away from the housing connector is rotatably connected to the base through the rotating shaft.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, In the extending direction of the slide groove, the distance between the first end of the slide groove and the housing is greater than the distance between the second end of the slide groove and the housing; When the electronic device is in the unfolded state, the slider is located at the first end of the slide groove, and the distance between the slider and the base is a first distance; When the electronic device is in a folded state, the slider is located at the second end of the slide groove, and the distance between the slider and the base is a second distance, which is smaller than the first distance.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, In the extending direction of the swing arm, the slide has a first groove wall and a second groove wall opposite each other, and the first groove wall is located on the side of the second groove wall away from the base; the electronic device further includes an elastic component, the elastic component is mounted on the first groove wall, and the side surface of the elastic component facing the slider is parallel to the second groove wall. When the electronic device is impacted, the slider can also compress the elastic component and cause the elastic component to undergo elastic deformation, thereby restricting the movement of the slider relative to the groove.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein, The elastic component includes an elastic element, the first groove wall is provided with a limiting groove, the elastic element is installed in the limiting groove, and when the electronic device is impacted, the slider can squeeze the elastic element and cause a part of the slider to extend into the limiting groove to restrict the movement of the slider relative to the groove.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein, In the extending direction of the groove, the surface of the elastic member facing the second groove wall is flush with the surface of the first groove wall.

8. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein, The first groove wall is provided with a clearance notch, and the elastic component includes a baffle that is movably installed in the clearance notch. When the electronic device is impacted, the slider can also squeeze the baffle to limit the movement of the slider relative to the groove.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein, The elastic component also includes a fixing member. The baffle is an elastic structural member. One side of the baffle is fixedly connected to the first groove wall, and the other side of the baffle is fixedly connected to the housing connector through the fixing member.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein, The elastic component also includes a spring, the baffle is a rigid structural component, one side of the baffle is rotatably connected to the first groove wall, and the other side of the baffle is elastically connected to the housing connector through the spring.

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