Hinge assembly and folding electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model relates to a hinge assembly and folding electronic equipment, the hinge assembly is applied to the folding electronic equipment, and the hinge assembly comprises a body, a sliding rod assembly and a control assembly; the sliding rod assembly is connected with the body. The control assembly is in transmission connection with the sliding rod assembly and used for controlling the sliding rod assembly to be switched from the first position state to the second position state. When the sliding rod assembly is in the first position state, the sliding rod assembly is connected with the body in a clamped mode, and when the sliding rod assembly is in the second position state, the body is rotationally connected. By adopting the method and the device, the convenience of opening the folding electronic equipment by a user can be improved, and the user experience is further improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of electronic devices, and in particular to a hinge assembly and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] Foldable electronic devices (such as foldable screen mobile phones, foldable screen computers, etc.) have gradually become the mainstream choice.

[0003] At present, in foldable electronic devices, the hinge assembly is provided with a sliding rod, which is rotatably connected to the connecting plate and connected to the flexible screen. A cam structure is provided at one end of the sliding rod, and a cam plate and an elastic member are also provided in the connecting plate to apply a damping force to the rotation of the sliding rod.

[0004] However, in the above structure, when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, since the main screen and the sub-screen are in contact with each other, the user needs to grasp the main screen and the sub-screen separately and manually open them to a certain angle before the foldable electronic device can be opened more conveniently, resulting in a poor user experience. Utility Model Content

[0005] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a hinge assembly and a foldable electronic device, which can solve the technical problems existing in the related art. The technical solutions are as follows:

[0006] In a first aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly is applied to a foldable electronic device, the hinge assembly includes a body, a slide bar assembly and a control assembly;

[0007] The slide bar assembly is connected to the body;

[0008] The control assembly is in transmission connection with the slide bar assembly and is used to control the slide bar assembly to switch from a first position state to a second position state;

[0009] Wherein, when the slide bar assembly is in a first position state, the slide bar assembly is engaged with the body, and when the slide bar assembly is in a second position state, the body is rotationally connected.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the slide bar assembly includes a slide bar, a cam and a clutch;

[0011] The sliding rod is rotatably connected to the body;

[0012] The cam is connected to the body in a damping rotation manner;

[0013] The control assembly is used to control the engagement or disengagement of the slide bar and the cam through the clutch. When the slide bar is engaged with the cam, the slide bar assembly is in the first position state; when the slide bar is disengaged from the cam, the slide bar assembly is in the second position state.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the slide bar is connected to the flexible screen of the foldable electronic device, and when the slide bar is separated from the cam, the slide bar rotates relative to the body under the elastic force of the flexible screen.

[0015] In a possible implementation, a side of the slide bar close to the cam has a first accommodating groove;

[0016] The cam has a first engaging groove on one side close to the slide bar;

[0017] The clutch member is at least partially located in the first receiving groove, and the clutch member has a first engaging protrusion on a side away from the groove bottom of the first receiving groove. When the first engaging protrusion is located in the first engaging groove, the slide bar is engaged with the cam, and when the first engaging protrusion is located outside the first engaging groove, the slide bar is separated from the cam.

[0018] The control assembly is connected to the clutch member and is used to control the clutch member to move in a first direction or a second direction. The first direction is the direction in which the notch of the first accommodating groove points to the groove bottom, and the second direction is the opposite direction of the first direction.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the control assembly includes a clutch push plate, a first elastic member and a control push button;

[0020] The clutch push plate is connected to the clutch member;

[0021] The two ends of the first elastic member are respectively connected to the body and the clutch push plate;

[0022] The control push button is located on a side of the clutch push plate away from the first elastic member and is connected to the clutch push plate. The control push button is used to control the clutch push plate to move along the first direction or the second direction.

[0023] In a possible implementation manner, the first elastic member is a spring.

[0024] In a possible implementation, a side of the sliding rod close to the cam has a second limiting protrusion, and the second limiting protrusion is a fan-shaped protrusion;

[0025] The cam is coaxially arranged with the slide bar, and a side of the cam close to the slide bar has a first limiting groove, the first limiting groove is a fan-shaped groove, and a first central angle corresponding to the first limiting groove is greater than a second central angle corresponding to the second limiting protrusion.

[0026] In a possible implementation manner, a difference between the first center angle and the second center angle is within a preset range, and the preset range is [5°, 15°].

[0027] In a possible implementation, the body includes a rotating shaft cover, a rotating shaft, a limiting plate, a cam plate, and a second elastic member, the rotating shaft cover has a first limiting protrusion, the first limiting protrusion has a slide groove structure, the rotating shaft is located in the slide groove structure and is slidably connected to the slide groove structure, the limiting plate is connected to the rotating shaft, the cam plate is located on a side of the first limiting protrusion away from the limiting plate, and is connected to the rotating shaft, and two ends of the second elastic member are respectively connected to the limiting plate and the first limiting protrusion;

[0028] The slide rod is sleeved on the outer ring of the rotating shaft and is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft. The cam is sleeved on the outer ring of the rotating shaft. The cam is located between the slide rod and the cam plate, and one end of the cam is against the cam plate and is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft.

[0029] In a possible implementation, the hinge assembly includes a plurality of slide bar assemblies;

[0030] The control component is connected to the plurality of slide bar components and is used to control the plurality of slide bar components to switch between a first position state and a second position state.

[0031] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a foldable electronic device, which includes a hinge assembly as in the first aspect and possible implementations thereof.

[0032] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes at least the following beneficial effects:

[0033] The disclosed embodiment provides a hinge assembly, wherein the control assembly is used to switch the connection between the slide bar assembly and the body from a snap connection to a rotation connection. In this way, when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the user can switch the connection mode between the slide bar assembly and the body through the control assembly. After the slide bar assembly and the body are switched from a snap connection to a rotation connection, the main screen and the secondary screen of the electronic device can rotate relative to each other under the action of gravity, so that a gap is left between the main screen and the secondary screen. Through the gap, the user can open the foldable electronic device very conveniently, thereby improving the convenience of the user in opening the foldable electronic device, thereby improving the user's experience.

[0034] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0036] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge assembly shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0037] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge assembly shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0038] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a sliding rod assembly shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a sliding rod assembly shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 5 is a structural schematic diagram of a sliding bar shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a clutch member shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0042] Figure 7 is a structural schematic diagram of a cam shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0043] Figure 8 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge assembly shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0044] Fig. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a hinge assembly shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0045] Fig.10 It is an exploded schematic diagram of a hinge assembly shown in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] Legend

[0047] 1. Ontology;

[0048] 11. rotating shaft cover; 12. rotating shaft; 13. limiting plate; 14. cam plate; 15. second elastic member;

[0049] 111, first limiting protrusion; 112, flange structure; 100, first accommodating space; 121, annular protrusion; 141, first cam structure;

[0050] 1111, chute structure;

[0051] 2. Slider assembly;

[0052] 21. Sliding rod; 22. Cam; 23. Clutch;

[0053] 21a, rotating part; 21b, connecting part; 211, first receiving groove; 212, second limiting protrusion; 200, second receiving space;

[0054] 221, first clamping groove; 222, first limiting groove; 223, second cam structure;

[0055] 231, first clamping protrusion; 232, second clamping protrusion;

[0056] 3. Control components;

[0057] 31. Clutch push plate; 32. First elastic member; 33. Control push button;

[0058] 311, second receiving tank;

[0059] 331. Push button body; 332. Connecting column. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present disclosure more clear, the embodiments of the present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] Nowadays, in terms of the development trend of electronic products, foldable electronic devices (such as foldable screen mobile phones, foldable screen computers, etc.) have gradually become the mainstream choice of users. The hinge assembly in foldable electronic devices is very important. The performance of the hinge directly affects the function of the whole machine and the user experience. Taking the foldable screen mobile phone as an example, a slide bar is provided in the hinge assembly, and the slide bar is connected to the connecting plate with damping rotation. However, for the current foldable electronic devices, when the foldable electronic devices are in the closed state, since the main screen and the sub-screen are attached to each other, the user needs to grasp the main screen and the sub-screen separately and manually open the two to a certain angle, or, need to put the fingernails between the main screen and the sub-screen, so that the main screen and the sub-screen rotate to form a gap, before the foldable electronic device can be opened more conveniently, and the user experience is poor.

[0062] The present disclosure provides a hinge assembly, which is applied to a foldable electronic device, such as Figure 1As shown, the hinge assembly includes a main body 1, a slide bar assembly 2 and a control assembly 3, the slide bar assembly 2 is connected to the main body 1, and the control assembly 3 is transmission-connected to the slide bar assembly 2 for controlling the slide bar assembly 2 to switch from a first position state to a second position state, wherein when the slide bar assembly 2 is in the first position state, the slide bar assembly 2 is clamped with the main body 1, and when the slide bar assembly 2 is in the second position state, the main body 1 is rotationally connected.

[0063] In this way, when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the user can switch the slide bar assembly 2 from the first position state to the second position state through the control component 3. After the slide bar assembly 2 switches to the second state, the connection mode between the slide bar assembly 2 and the main body 1 is switched to a rotating connection, so that the main screen and the sub-screen of the electronic device can rotate relative to each other under the action of gravity, so that a gap is left between the main screen and the sub-screen. Through the gap, the user can open the foldable electronic device very conveniently, which improves the convenience of the user in opening the foldable electronic device and thus improves the user experience.

[0064] Below, the various parts of the hinge assembly are introduced separately:

[0065] 1. Ontology 1

[0066] The body 1 is a component in the hinge assembly used to connect with the screen of the foldable electronic device.

[0067] In some possible embodiments, the body 1 includes a rotating shaft cover 11 , a rotating shaft 12 , a limiting plate 13 , a cam plate 14 and a second elastic member 15 .

[0068] Shaft cover 11

[0069] The hinge cover 11 is a component in the body 1 for accommodating other components of the hinge assembly.

[0070] like Figure 8 As shown, the shaft cover 11 has a rectangular plate structure, and a flange structure 112 is provided at the edge of the shaft cover 11. The flange structure 112 surrounds a first accommodating space 100 with an open end. The first accommodating space 100 is used to accommodate the shaft 12, the limit plate 13, the cam plate 14, the second elastic member 15, the slide rod assembly 2 and the control assembly 3.

[0071] refer to Figure 8, the shaft cover 11 has a first limiting protrusion 111. The first limiting protrusion 111 has a cubic structure, is disposed inside the first accommodating space 100, and is connected to the shaft cover 11. The first limiting protrusion 111 has a slide groove structure 1111 extending along a first direction, and the slide groove structure 1111 is used to accommodate the shaft 12. The slide groove structure 1111 can be an arc-shaped through groove, and the diameter of the inner wall of the slide groove structure 1111 can be equal to the outer diameter of the shaft 12.

[0072] Optionally, there may be a clearance fit between the slide groove structure 1111 and the rotating shaft 12. In this way, the positioning accuracy between the rotating shaft 12 and the slide groove structure 1111 can be improved.

[0073] The shaft cover 11 may be formed by a stamping process, a cutting process, or an injection molding process. The embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit the processing method of the shaft cover 11 .

[0074] Shaft 12

[0075] The rotating shaft 12 is a component in the body 1 for circumferentially positioning the slide rod assembly 2 .

[0076] like Figure 8 As shown, the rotating shaft 12 has a cylindrical structure, and the rotating shaft 12 is located in the first receiving space 100 of the rotating shaft cover 11, and is slidably connected with the above-mentioned sliding groove structure 1111. Figure 8 , the length of the first limiting protrusion 111 in the first direction (i.e., the axial direction of the rotating shaft 12) can be smaller than the axial length of the rotating shaft 12, and the rotating shaft 12 is partially located in the slide groove structure 1111 and is slidably connected to the slide groove structure 1111. In practice, if the length of the slide groove structure 1111 is too long, the accumulated straightness tolerance of the slide groove structure 1111 may cause the rotating shaft 12 to be unable to slide smoothly in the slide groove structure 1111. Therefore, the length of the slide groove structure 1111 can be set to be much smaller than the length of the rotating shaft 12. For example, the length L1 of the slide groove structure 1111 and the length L2 of the rotating shaft 12 satisfy: 20L1<L2. In this way, the sliding stability of the rotating shaft 12 in the slide groove structure 1111 can be improved.

[0077] The limiting plate 13, the cam plate 14 and the second elastic member 15

[0078] The limiting plate 13 , the cam plate 14 and the second elastic member 15 are components in the body 1 for applying a damping force to the slide bar assembly 2 .

[0079] like Figure 8As shown, the limiting plate 13 is located in the first accommodating space 100 and is connected to one end of the rotating shaft 12. The cam plate 14 is located in the first accommodating space and is located on the side of the rotating shaft 12 away from the limiting plate 13 and is connected to the other end of the rotating shaft 12. The second elastic member 15 is located between the first limiting protrusion 111 and the limiting plate 13, and its two ends are respectively connected to the limiting plate 13 and the first limiting protrusion 111.

[0080] like Fig.10 ( Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , the cam plate 14 and the limit plate 13 are both provided with a circular through hole structure, and an annular protrusion 121 is provided at one end of the rotating shaft 12. The annular protrusion 121 is used to abut against the wall of the cam plate 14 away from the limit plate 13, and limit the cam plate 14 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 12. The cam plate 14 at least partially abuts against the rotating shaft cover 11 to achieve the limitation in the circumferential direction. The side of the cam plate 14 close to the limit plate 13 has a first cam structure 141.

[0081] refer to Figure 8 The cam plate 14, the second elastic member 15 and the limit plate 13 are sequentially sleeved on the outer ring of the rotating shaft 12. The rotating shaft 12 is installed in the slide groove structure 1111 of the first limit protrusion 111, and the two ends of the second elastic member 15 are respectively against the first limit protrusion 111 and the limit plate 13. The slide bar assembly 2 is assembled between the first limit protrusion 111 and the cam plate 14, and sleeved on the outer ring of the rotating shaft 12. The slide bar assembly 2 has a second cam structure 223 matched with the first cam structure 141 on the side close to the cam plate 14.

[0082] In practice, the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the top of the cam of the first cam structure 141 is against the bottom of the cam of the second cam structure 223, and the user grasps the main screen and the auxiliary screen to rotate and drive the slide assembly 2 to rotate. Under the rotation of the slide assembly 2, due to the circumferential limitation of the cam plate 14, the cam plate 14 drives the rotating shaft 12 and the limiting plate 13 to move along the second direction, and the limiting plate 13 squeezes the second elastic member 15 during the movement, that is, the second elastic member 15 has a force on the limiting plate 13, the rotating shaft 12 and the cam plate 14 pointing to the first direction, and the force is not a constant value, but increases with the increase of the force applied by the user to rotate the main screen and the auxiliary screen, and the force applied to the slide assembly 2 is reflected as a damping force that hinders the rotation of the slide assembly 2. That is to say, the damping force between the first cam structure 141 and the second cam structure 223 is not a constant value. The damping force between the first cam structure 141 and the second cam structure 223 increases with the increase of the force applied by the user to rotate the main screen and the sub-screen. The damping force between the first cam structure 141 and the second cam structure 223 when the user applies just enough force to rotate the main screen and the sub-screen is called the peak damping force.

[0083] Optionally, the cam top and cam bottom of the first cam structure 141 and the second cam structure 223 may have a smooth transition, so that the noise during the rotation of the slide bar assembly 2 can be reduced.

[0084] In some possible embodiments, Fig. 9 As shown, the hinge assembly includes a plurality of slide bar assemblies 2. The control assembly 3 is connected to the plurality of slide bar assemblies 2 and is used to control the plurality of slide bar assemblies 2 to switch between a first position state and a second position state.

[0085] In an example, the body 1 includes a plurality of rotating shafts 12 , a plurality of second elastic members 15 , and the hinge assembly includes a plurality of sliding rod assemblies 2 .

[0086] like Figure 8 As shown, the body 1 includes two rotating shafts 12, both of which are arranged in the first accommodating space 100. Two slide groove structures 1111 are arranged on the first limiting protrusion 111 of the rotating shaft cover 11. The two slide groove structures 1111 are parallel to each other. Each rotating shaft 12 is correspondingly arranged in a slide groove structure 1111 and is slidably connected with the slide groove structure 1111. The cam plate 14 has a strip plate structure, and the cam plate 14 has two circular through holes, which correspond to the two rotating shafts 12 one by one. The outer ring of each circular through hole corresponds to a first cam structure 141. Correspondingly, the limiting plate 13 also has two circular through holes, which correspond to the two rotating shafts 12 one by one. The body 1 includes two second elastic members 15, which are springs, and each second elastic member 15 is correspondingly sleeved on the outer ring of a rotating shaft 12.

[0087] In practice, the hinge assembly is provided with two slide bar assemblies 2, each slide bar assembly 2 is connected to a corresponding rotating shaft 12 for damping rotation, and the rotation directions of the two slide bar assemblies 2 are opposite. The two slide bar assemblies 2 are respectively used to rotate the main screen and the auxiliary screen in the foldable electronic device.

[0088] 2. Slider assembly 2

[0089] In some possible embodiments, the slide bar assembly 2 includes a slide bar 21, a cam 22 and a clutch 23. The slide bar 21, the cam 22 and the clutch 23 are all mounted on the rotating shaft 12, wherein the slide bar 21 and the clutch 23 are respectively connected to the rotating shaft 12 for rotation, and the cam 22 is connected to the rotating shaft 12 for damping rotation.

[0090] Slider 21

[0091] like Figure 2 As shown, the slide rod 21 is rotatably connected to the body 1 .

[0092] In one example, the slide bar 21 is connected to a flexible screen of a foldable electronic device.

[0093] See also Figure 5 The slide bar 21 includes a rotating portion 21a and a connecting portion 21b. The rotating portion 21a has a hollow cylindrical structure. The rotating portion 21a has a second accommodating space 200 inside. The rotating portion 21a has a circular through hole extending along the first direction. The inner diameter of the circular through hole is equal to the outer diameter of the rotating shaft 12. Figure 5 and Figure 8 The rotating portion 21a is sleeved on the outer ring of the rotating shaft 12 and is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 12. The connecting portion 21b has a plate-like structure and is connected to the outer wall of the rotating portion 21a. The connecting portion 21b is used to connect to the flexible screen of the foldable electronic device. The connection between the connecting portion 21b and the flexible screen can be bonding or snap-on, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0094] Optionally, the slide bar 21 may be an integrally formed component, so that the overall strength of the slide bar 21 can be improved.

[0095] Cam 22

[0096] The cam 22 is a component in the slide rod assembly 2 for transmitting the damping force.

[0097] like Figure 5 As shown, the cam 22 has a cylindrical structure, and the cam 22 is provided with a circular through hole, which is coaxially arranged with the cam 22. The cam 22 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 12 and is rotatably connected with the rotating shaft 12.

[0098] refer to Figure 8 The cam 22 has a second cam structure 223 on one side close to the cam plate 14, and the second cam structure 223 is abutted against the first cam structure 141 on the cam plate 14. The cam 22 and the cam plate 14 are connected in a damped rotation manner through the second elastic member 15 and the limit plate 13 in the body 1. The specific principle of the damped rotation connection between the cam 22 and the cam plate 14 can be referred to the above introduction and will not be repeated here.

[0099] In practice, the cam 22 is in transmission connection with the slide bar 21. When the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the deformation of the flexible screen is the largest, and the elastic force corresponding to the flexible screen is at a peak value (i.e., peak elastic force). It can be understood that the peak elastic force is less than the peak damping force between the cam 22 and the cam plate 14. Therefore, the torque generated under the action of the peak elastic force is not enough to overcome the peak damping force between the cam 22 and the cam plate 14. Therefore, no matter what state the foldable electronic device is in, the cam plate 14, the rotating shaft 12, the limit plate 13 and the second elastic member 15 can provide a damping force equal to that of the flexible screen, so that the foldable electronic device can remain in a closed state without external force.

[0100] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the cam 22 has a first engaging groove 221 on one side close to the slide bar 21 .

[0101] Clutch 23

[0102] The clutch 23 is a component in the slide bar assembly 2 for controlling the slide bar 21 to engage or disengage with the cam 22. The clutch 23 is slidably connected with the slide bar 21 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 12, and the clutch 23 and the slide bar 21 rotate synchronously in the circumferential direction of the rotating shaft 12.

[0103] like Figure 6 As shown, the clutch 23 is located in the second accommodation space 200, and at least partially located in the first accommodation groove 211. Specifically, the clutch 23 has a cylindrical structure, and the clutch 23 has a first engaging protrusion 231 matched with the first engaging groove 221 on one side close to the cam 22, and a second engaging protrusion 232 matched with the first accommodation groove 211 on the outer wall of the clutch 23.

[0104] In practice, the outer wall of the clutch 23 is in contact with the inner wall of the rotating portion 21a, and the second engaging protrusion 232 is at least partially located in the first receiving groove 211, thereby circumferentially limiting the clutch 23 and the slide bar 21, and the clutch 23 and the slide bar 21 rotate synchronously. At the same time, the clutch 23 and the slide bar 21 are both mounted on the rotating shaft 12, and the clutch 23 can slide relative to the slide bar 21 in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 12.

[0105] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3 When the clutch 23 slides along the second direction until the first engaging protrusion 231 is located inside the first engaging groove 221, the cam 22 engages with the slide bar 21, that is, the damping force from the cam plate 14 received by the cam 22 can be transmitted to the slide bar 21 through the clutch 23. At this time, the slide bar assembly 2 and the body 1 cannot freely rotate relative to each other, and the slide bar assembly 2 is engaged with the body 1. The second direction is the direction from the bottom of the first receiving groove 211 to the notch of the first receiving groove 211.

[0106] refer to Figure 2 and Figure 4 When the clutch 23 slides along the first direction until the first engaging protrusion 231 is outside the first engaging groove 221, the cam 22 is separated from the slide bar 21, that is, the damping force from the cam plate 14 applied to the cam 22 cannot be transmitted to the slide bar 21 through the clutch 23. At this time, the slide bar assembly 2 and the body 1 can freely rotate relative to each other, and the slide bar assembly 2 is rotationally connected to the body 1. The first direction is the direction of the second direction.

[0107] In one example, if Figure 5 As shown, the side of the slide bar 21 close to the cam 22 has a second limiting protrusion 212, and the second limiting protrusion 212 is a fan-shaped protrusion. Figure 7 As shown, the cam 22 is coaxially arranged with the slide bar 21 , and the cam 22 has a first limiting groove 222 on one side close to the slide bar 21 . The first limiting groove 222 is a fan-shaped groove, and the first central angle corresponding to the first limiting groove 222 is greater than the second central angle corresponding to the second limiting protrusion 212 .

[0108] In one example, when the slide bar 21 is separated from the cam 22 , since the slide bar 21 is connected to the flexible screen of the foldable electronic device, the slide bar 21 rotates relative to the body 1 under the elastic force of the flexible screen.

[0109] In implementation, Figure 4 As shown, after the slide bar 21 and the cam 22 are separated by the control component 3, under the elastic force of the flexible screen, the slide bar 21 rotates around the rotating shaft 12 while the cam 22 does not rotate, until the second limiting protrusion 212 fits with the wall of the first limiting groove 222. At this time, due to the blocking effect of the wall of the first limiting groove 222, the slide bar 21 stops rotating, and the main screen and the auxiliary screen in the foldable electronic device rotate relative to each other by a certain angle, which is convenient for the user to fold the foldable electronic device to an open state.

[0110] In this way, under specific working conditions, such as when the foldable electronic device is placed horizontally on a desktop, the elastic force of the flexible screen can cause the main screen and the secondary screen of the foldable electronic device to rotate relative to each other, so that a gap is left between the main screen and the secondary screen. Through the gap, the user can open the foldable electronic device very conveniently, thereby improving the convenience of the user in opening the foldable electronic device and thereby improving the user experience.

[0111] It can be understood that the number of the second limiting protrusions 212 and the first limiting grooves 222 are equal and correspond one to one. The specific number of the second limiting protrusions 212 and the first limiting grooves 222 is not limited in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and technicians can set them according to actual needs.

[0112] Optionally, a difference between the first center angle and the second center angle is within a preset range, which is [5°, 15°].

[0113] In this way, when the slide bar 21 stops rotating, the relative rotation angle between the main screen and the auxiliary screen can be controlled to be between 10° and 30°.

[0114] 3. Control Components 3

[0115] The control component 3 is a component in the hinge component used to control the slide bar component 2 to switch the position state.

[0116] In some possible embodiments, the slide bar assembly 2 includes a slide bar 21 , a cam 22 and a clutch 23 , and the control assembly 3 controls the movement of the clutch 23 to switch the position state of the slide bar assembly 2 .

[0117] like Figure 2 As shown, the control assembly 3 includes a clutch push plate 31 , a first elastic member 32 and a control push button 33 .

[0118] Clutch push plate 31

[0119] The clutch push plate 31 is a component in the control assembly 3 connected to the clutch member 23 .

[0120] like Figure 2 As shown, the clutch push plate 31 has a plate-shaped structure, is located in the first accommodating space 100 , and is connected to the clutch member 23 .

[0121] In one example, reference Figure 2 and Figure 6 The clutch push plate 31 has a second receiving groove 311 on one side close to the clutch member 23 . The second receiving groove 311 is a through groove extending along a third direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The second receiving groove 311 is used to receive the second clamping protrusion 232 .

[0122] In implementation, the second locking protrusion 232 of the clutch member 23 is located in the second accommodating groove 311. When the clutch push plate 31 moves in the first direction or the second direction, under the cooperation between the second locking protrusion 232 and the second accommodating groove 311, the clutch member 23 follows the clutch push plate 31 to move in the first direction or the second direction. At the same time, the second locking protrusion 232 slides inside the second accommodating groove 311.

[0123] Optionally, the second receiving groove 311 has a first wall surface and a second wall surface that are opposite to each other in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 12, and the second engaging protrusion 232 has a third wall surface and a fourth wall surface that are opposite to each other in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 12, and the first wall surface can be attached to the third wall surface, and the second wall surface can be attached to the fourth wall surface. In this way, the connection stability between the clutch push plate 31 and the clutch member 23 can be improved.

[0124] The first elastic member 32

[0125] The first elastic member 32 is a component in the control assembly 3 for resetting the control button 33 .

[0126] like Figure 2 and Figure 8As shown, the first elastic member 32 is located in the first accommodating space 100 and between the clutch push plate 31 and the first limiting protrusion 111 , and both ends of the first elastic member 32 are connected to the body 1 and the clutch push plate 31 respectively.

[0127] Exemplarily, the first elastic member 32 may be a spring.

[0128] In practice, when the clutch push plate 31 receives an external force and moves toward the first direction, the clutch push plate 31 will drive the clutch member 23 to move toward the first direction, so that the cam 22 and the slide bar 21 are in a separated state. During the process of the clutch push plate 31 moving toward the first direction, the first elastic member 32 will be continuously squeezed, so that the first elastic member 32 has a force on the clutch push plate 31 in the second direction. Then, when the external force driving the clutch push plate 31 disappears, under the action of the first elastic member 32, the clutch push plate 31 can drive the clutch member to move in the second direction, so that the cam 22 and the slide bar 21 are restored to the combined state, so that the angle between the main screen and the auxiliary screen in the foldable electronic device remains stable.

[0129] Control button 33

[0130] The control push button 33 is a component in the control assembly 3 for pushing the clutch push plate 31 .

[0131] like Figure 2 As shown, the control push button 33 is located on a side of the clutch push plate 31 away from the first elastic member 32 and is connected to the clutch push plate 31 . The control push button 33 is used to control the clutch push plate 31 to move in the first direction or the second direction.

[0132] In one example, if Figure 2 As shown, the control push button 33 includes a push button body 331 and a connecting column 332, the connecting column 332 is located on the side of the clutch push plate 31 away from the first elastic member 32, and is connected to the clutch push plate 31, the push button body 331 is located on the side of the connecting column 332 away from the first elastic member 32, and is connected to the connecting column 332, and a receiving through hole (not shown) is provided on the side wall of the rotating shaft cover 11, and the push button body 331 is at least partially located in the receiving through hole and is slidably connected to the receiving through hole. In this way, the overall weight of the control push button 33 can be reduced.

[0133] The specific number of the connecting columns 332 can be set according to actual needs, and the embodiment of the present disclosure does not limit this.

[0134] The technical solution provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure includes at least the following beneficial effects:

[0135] The disclosed embodiment provides a hinge assembly, in which the control assembly 3 is used to switch the connection between the slide bar assembly 2 and the body 1 from a snap connection to a rotation connection. In this way, when the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the user can switch the connection mode between the slide bar assembly 2 and the body 1 through the control assembly 3. After the slide bar assembly 2 and the body 1 are switched from a snap connection to a rotation connection, the main screen and the secondary screen of the electronic device can rotate relative to each other under the action of gravity, so that a gap is left between the main screen and the secondary screen. Through the gap, the user can open the foldable electronic device very conveniently, which improves the convenience of the user in opening the foldable electronic device, thereby improving the user's experience.

[0136] Based on the same concept, an embodiment of the present disclosure further provides an electronic device, which includes a hinge assembly as described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0137] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the electronic device may be a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a wearable device (for example, a smart watch, a smart bracelet), a handheld device with a camera, or a professional shooting device such as a camera, a micro-single camera, a gimbal camera, a sports camera, a drone, or the like, or it may be a field-specific shooting equipment such as an industrial camera and a security camera. The present disclosure does not specifically limit the specific technology and specific device form adopted by the electronic device.

[0138] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "certain embodiments", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiments or examples are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present disclosure.

[0139] It is to be understood that in the present disclosure, "plurality" refers to two or more than two, and other quantifiers are similar. "And / or" describes the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a", "the" and "the" are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

[0140] It is further understood that the terms "first", "second", etc. are used to describe various information, but such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish the same type of information from each other, and do not indicate a specific order or degree of importance. In fact, the expressions "first", "second", etc. can be used interchangeably. For example, without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the first information can also be referred to as the second information, and similarly, the second information can also be referred to as the first information.

[0141] It can be further understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "front", "rear", "up", "down", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", and "circumferential" are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present embodiment and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.

[0142] It is further understood that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral molding; it can be a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or can communicate with each other; it can be a direct connection without other components between the two, or it can be an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this disclosure can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0143] It is further understood that, although the operations are described in a specific order in the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure, it should not be understood as requiring the operations to be performed in the specific order shown or in a serial order, or requiring the execution of all the operations shown to obtain the desired results. In certain environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.

[0144] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the scheme disclosed herein. The present disclosure is intended to cover any variation, use or adaptation of the present disclosure, which follows the general principles of the present disclosure and includes common knowledge or customary technical means in the art that are not disclosed in the present disclosure. The specification and examples are considered to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure are indicated by the following scope of rights.

[0145] It should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present disclosure is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hinge assembly, characterized in that: The hinge assembly is applied to a foldable electronic device, and comprises a body (1), a slide bar assembly (2) and a control assembly (3); The slide bar assembly (2) is connected to the body (1); The control component (3) is in transmission connection with the slide bar component (2) and is used to control the slide bar component (2) to switch from a first position state to a second position state; Wherein, when the slide bar assembly (2) is in a first position state, the slide bar assembly (2) is snap-connected with the body (1), and when the slide bar assembly (2) is in a second position state, the body (1) is rotationally connected.

2. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The slide bar assembly (2) comprises a slide bar (21), a cam (22) and a clutch member (23); The sliding rod (21) is rotatably connected to the body (1); The cam (22) is connected to the body (1) in a damping rotation manner; The control assembly (3) is used to control the engagement or disengagement of the slide bar (21) and the cam (22) through the clutch (23); when the slide bar (21) and the cam (22) are engaged, the slide bar assembly (2) is in the first position state; when the slide bar (21) and the cam (22) are disengaged, the slide bar assembly (2) is in the second position state.

3. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: The slide bar (21) is connected to the flexible screen of the foldable electronic device. When the slide bar (21) is separated from the cam (22), the slide bar (21) rotates relative to the body (1) under the elastic force of the flexible screen.

4. The hinge assembly according to claim 2, characterized in that: A first receiving groove (211) is provided on one side of the slide bar (21) close to the cam (22); The cam (22) has a first engaging groove (221) on one side close to the slide bar (21); The clutch member (23) is at least partially located in the first receiving groove (211), and a first clamping protrusion (231) is provided on a side of the clutch member (23) away from the groove bottom of the first receiving groove (211); when the first clamping protrusion (231) is located in the first clamping groove (221), the slide bar (21) is engaged with the cam (22); when the first clamping protrusion (231) is located outside the first clamping groove (221), the slide bar (21) is separated from the cam (22); The control component (3) is connected to the clutch member (23) and is used to control the clutch member (23) to move in a first direction or a second direction, the first direction being the direction in which the slot opening of the first accommodating slot (211) points to the slot bottom, and the second direction being the opposite direction of the first direction.

5. The hinge assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The control assembly (3) comprises a clutch push plate (31), a first elastic member (32) and a control push button (33); The clutch push plate (31) is connected to the clutch member (23); Two ends of the first elastic member (32) are respectively connected to the body (1) and the clutch push plate (31); The control push button (33) is located on a side of the clutch push plate (31) away from the first elastic member (32) and is connected to the clutch push plate (31). The control push button (33) is used to control the clutch push plate (31) to move along the first direction or the second direction.

6. The hinge assembly according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first elastic member (32) is a spring.

7. The hinge assembly according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sliding rod (21) has a second limiting protrusion (212) on one side close to the cam (22), and the second limiting protrusion (212) is a fan-shaped protrusion; The cam (22) is coaxially arranged with the slide bar (21), and a first limiting groove (222) is provided on a side of the cam (22) close to the slide bar (21), wherein the first limiting groove (222) is a fan-shaped groove, and a first central angle corresponding to the first limiting groove (222) is greater than a second central angle corresponding to the second limiting protrusion (212).

8. The hinge assembly according to claim 7, characterized in that: A difference between the first center angle and the second center angle is within a preset range, and the preset range is [5°, 15°].

9. The hinge assembly according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that: The body (1) comprises a rotating shaft cover (11), a rotating shaft (12), a limiting plate (13), a cam plate (14) and a second elastic member (15); the rotating shaft cover (11) has a first limiting protrusion (111); the first limiting protrusion (111) has a slide groove structure (1111); the rotating shaft (12) is located in the slide groove structure (1111) and is slidably connected to the slide groove structure (1111); the limiting plate (13) is connected to the rotating shaft (12); the cam plate (14) is located on a side of the first limiting protrusion (111) away from the limiting plate (13) and is connected to the rotating shaft (12); and two ends of the second elastic member (15) are respectively connected to the limiting plate (13) and the first limiting protrusion (111); The slide bar (21) is sleeved on the outer ring of the rotating shaft (12) and is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft (12). The cam (22) is sleeved on the outer ring of the rotating shaft (12). The cam (22) is located between the slide bar (21) and the cam plate (14), and one end of the cam is against the cam plate (14), and is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft (12).

10. The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge assembly comprises a plurality of slide rod assemblies (2); The control component (3) is connected to the multiple slide bar components (2) and is used to control the multiple slide bar components (2) to switch from a first position state to a second position state.

11. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that: The foldable electronic device comprises the hinge assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.

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