Hinge mechanism, folding device and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a hinge mechanism, a folding device and foldable electronic equipment. The hinge mechanism comprises a middle beam, a first rotating shaft assembly and a second rotating shaft assembly, wherein the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly are arranged on the two sides of the middle beam. Each rotating shaft assembly comprises a first swing arm, a fixing support and a supporting plate. One end of the first swing arm is connected with the middle beam and can rotate relative to the middle beam, and the other end is connected with the fixing support. The boss part on the supporting plate is in sliding connection with the first swing arm through a sliding structure, the sliding structure comprises a sliding shaft and a sliding groove formed in the boss part, and the sliding shaft penetrates through the first swing arm and the sliding groove and is in sliding connection with the sliding groove so that the supporting plate can rotate relative to the fixed support. At least one rotating shaft assembly is provided with a positioning part, and when the sliding shaft is assembled, the positioning part has a positioning effect on the sliding shaft, so that the sliding shaft can be inserted into the shaft hole and the sliding groove from the shaft hole of the first swing arm in the first direction. Therefore, the sliding shaft is convenient to assemble, the assembling efficiency is high, the space utilization rate of the hinge mechanism is high, and the structural strength is high.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of electronic equipment, and in particular to a hinge mechanism, a folding device and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of electronic devices, foldable electronic devices (for example, foldable screen mobile phones) are becoming more and more popular. The characteristic of foldable electronic devices is that they can be switched between the unfolded state and the closed state at will. When the foldable electronic device is unfolded, the display screen is in a full-screen display state. Compared with the existing non-folding electronic devices, it can achieve a larger display area, which can provide users with a better visual experience. When the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the display screen can be folded and stored, making the foldable electronic device smaller in size and easier for users to carry and transport.

[0003] Among them, the hinge mechanism, as an important component of the foldable electronic device, usually includes a middle beam and a first shaft assembly and a second shaft assembly arranged on both sides of the middle beam. Each shaft assembly in the first shaft assembly and the second shaft assembly includes a swing arm (which can be a main swing arm or a secondary swing arm), a fixed bracket and a support plate, and the two ends of the swing arm are respectively connected to the middle beam and the fixed bracket, and the support plate is arranged on one side of the fixed bracket. Among them, a sliding shaft is arranged between the swing arm and the support plate, and the sliding shaft is passed through the shaft hole on the swing arm and the slide groove on the support plate, and can slide along the slide groove, so that when the swing arm rotates, it can drive the support plate to rotate relative to the fixed bracket, thereby adjusting the tilt angle of the support plate relative to the fixed bracket. When the foldable electronic device is in the unfolded state, the supporting surface of the support plate (i.e., the surface of the support plate facing away from the fixed bracket) can support the bendable part of the display screen. When the foldable electronic device is in the folded state, the supporting surface of the support plate can better guide the bendable part of the display screen to bend (for example, it can be naturally bent into a water drop shape or a partial water drop shape, etc.), so that the bendable part of the display screen has smaller creases and a longer service life, thereby improving the impact resistance of the foldable electronic device and greatly extending the service life of the foldable electronic device.

[0004] In order to assemble the sliding shaft to the shaft hole on the swing arm and the slide groove on the support plate, it is necessary to set an avoidance space in the area on one side of the swing arm in the width direction of the rotating shaft assembly, so as to provide installation space for the sliding shaft. During the assembly process, the sliding shaft can be placed in the avoidance space and inserted into the shaft hole on one side of the swing arm from the avoidance space, and finally the sliding shaft is assembled to the shaft hole of the swing arm and the slide groove of the support plate. Therefore, this structure also brings some problems: on the one hand, during the assembly process, when the sliding shaft is placed in the avoidance space, it is difficult to align the sliding shaft with the shaft hole of the swing arm and the slide groove of the support plate, so that it cannot be smoothly inserted into the shaft hole of the swing arm from one side of the swing arm, resulting in low assembly efficiency and inconvenience for large-scale production. On the other hand, in order to provide installation space for the sliding shaft, the avoidance space is set in the area on one side of the swing arm in the rotating shaft assembly (or it can be understood that no physical structure can be set in this area), so that the structural setting of the fixed bracket and the support plate needs to avoid this area, which will cause the structure of the fixed bracket to not extend to this area, and the thickness of the support plate in this area is also thin. This in turn reduces the space for designing the hinge mechanism, which not only causes inconvenience in the design of the hinge mechanism, but also leads to poor structural strength due to the lack of a physical structure, which in turn becomes a weak point of the hinge mechanism, weakening the impact resistance of the foldable electronic device. Therefore, in order to strengthen the structural strength, it is necessary to add reinforcement structures at other locations inside the foldable electronic device, which has a certain impact on the miniaturization and thinness of the foldable electronic device.

[0005] In summary, the sliding shaft in the hinge mechanism of the prior art is inconvenient to assemble, the assembly efficiency is low, and the space utilization rate of the hinge mechanism is low and the structural strength is poor. Utility Model Content

[0006] The embodiments of the present application provide a hinge mechanism, a folding device and a foldable electronic device, which solve the problems in the prior art of inconvenient assembly of the sliding shaft in the hinge mechanism of the electronic device, low assembly efficiency, low space utilization rate and poor structural strength of the hinge mechanism.

[0007] The embodiment of the present application provides a hinge mechanism, including a center beam, a first rotating shaft assembly and a second rotating shaft assembly, wherein the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly are respectively arranged on both sides of the center beam and are rotatably connected to the center beam, and each rotating shaft assembly in the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly includes a first swing arm, a fixed bracket and a support plate. One end of the first swing arm is connected to the center beam so that the first swing arm can rotate relative to the center beam around a first axis. The fixed bracket is connected to the other end of the first swing arm. The support plate is arranged on one side of the fixed bracket and can rotate relative to the fixed bracket, and a boss portion is provided on the surface of the support plate facing the fixed bracket, and the boss portion is slidably connected to the first swing arm through a sliding structure, and the sliding structure includes a sliding shaft and a slide groove that are slidably connected to each other, the sliding shaft is penetrated through the shaft hole of the first swing arm along its axis direction, the slide groove is arranged on the boss portion of the support plate, and the sliding shaft is slidably connected to the slide groove along the extension direction of the slide groove, so that when the first swing arm rotates relative to the center beam, the corresponding support plate can be driven to rotate relative to the fixed bracket.

[0008] At least one of the first and second rotating shaft assemblies further includes a positioning portion, which is disposed on a surface of the support plate facing the fixed bracket and / or the fixed bracket, and is configured as follows: when the first swing arm is located at a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket and the support plate to assemble the sliding shaft, the positioning portion can be used to place and position the sliding shaft, and the sliding shaft placed on the positioning portion can be inserted into the shaft hole and the slide groove of the support plate from one end of the shaft hole of the first swing arm along a first direction under the action of an external force; wherein the first direction is or is parallel to the direction of the axis of the shaft hole of the first swing arm.

[0009] In the present application, on the one hand, by providing a positioning portion, when assembling the sliding shaft, after the first swing arm is rotated to a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket and the support plate, it is only necessary to place the sliding shaft on the positioning portion to ensure that the sliding shaft can be inserted from one end of the shaft hole of the first swing arm into the shaft hole and the slide groove of the support plate along the first direction (or it can be understood that along the axis direction of the sliding shaft) from the axis hole of the first swing arm into the shaft hole and the slide groove of the support plate (or it can be understood that the axis of the sliding shaft coincides with the axis of the shaft hole of the first swing arm at this time), without adjusting the position of the sliding shaft relative to the first swing arm on the plane perpendicular to the first direction. It can be seen that in the process of assembling the sliding shaft, the present application can more easily align the sliding shaft with the shaft hole of the first swing arm and the slide groove of the support plate, and then more smoothly insert the sliding shaft into the shaft hole of the first swing arm from one side of the first swing arm, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembly and improving the efficiency of assembly.

[0010] On the other hand, a positioning portion is provided in the area at one end of the shaft hole of the first swing arm, or it can be understood that, in the installation space for placing and installing the sliding shaft at one end of the shaft hole of the first swing arm, the area except the positioning portion (or the area including the positioning portion) can be provided with a physical structure. The physical structure can belong to the fixed bracket and / or the support plate. By adding this part of the physical structure, the structure of the fixed bracket can be extended to this area, and the thickness of the support plate in this area can be thickened. Thereby, the structural strength of the fixed bracket and / or the support plate in the area at one end of the shaft hole of the first swing arm is strengthened, so as to avoid this area from becoming a weak point of the hinge mechanism, and also increase the overall structural strength of the hinge mechanism. It also makes it unnecessary to have a separate reinforcement structure in the hinge mechanism. When the structural strength of the foldable electronic device remains unchanged, it is conducive to the thinning and miniaturization of the foldable electronic device; when the thickness of the foldable electronic device remains unchanged, it is conducive to the improvement of the structural strength of the foldable electronic device and its service life is longer.

[0011] In summary, the sliding shaft in the hinge mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application is easy to assemble, has high assembly efficiency, has high space utilization rate of the hinge mechanism, and has great structural strength.

[0012] In some embodiments, the positioning portion extends along a first direction and is configured as follows: when the first swing arm is assembled with the sliding shaft in a predetermined position, the sliding shaft placed on the positioning portion can slide in the positioning portion along the first direction toward the axial hole close to the first swing arm under the action of external force; when the sliding shaft slides to a position that is separated from the positioning portion, the sliding shaft is at least located in the axial hole of the first swing arm.

[0013] Here, it can be understood that: further, a guiding function is added to the positioning portion, so that the sliding shaft can slide along a preset track in the positioning portion. During assembly, the sliding shaft can be directly pushed to reach the installation position, and it is not easy to deviate during the sliding process.

[0014] In some embodiments, when the sliding shaft slides to a position where it is separated from the positioning portion, the sliding shaft is at least located in the shaft hole of the first swing arm and the slide groove of the support plate. By increasing the length of the positioning portion, when the sliding shaft is separated from the positioning portion, at least part of the sliding shaft is already located in the shaft hole of the first swing arm and the slide groove of the support plate, further improving the guiding effect of the positioning portion.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first swing arm is provided with: an avoidance hole for the boss portion of the support plate to pass through, the shaft hole of the first swing arm includes a first sub-shaft hole and a second sub-shaft hole that are coaxial and spaced apart in the axial direction thereof, the avoidance hole is located between the first sub-shaft hole and the second sub-shaft hole, the end of the first sub-shaft hole away from the second sub-shaft hole constitutes one end of the shaft hole, and the end of the second sub-shaft hole away from the first sub-shaft hole constitutes the other end of the shaft hole, and the sliding shaft is sequentially penetrated through the first sub-shaft hole of the first swing arm, the slide groove of the support plate, and the second sub-shaft hole of the first swing arm along its axial direction. When the sliding shaft slides to a position that is separated from the positioning portion, the sliding shaft is at least located in the first sub-shaft hole of the first swing arm, the slide groove of the support plate, and the second sub-shaft hole of the first swing arm. When the sliding shaft is separated from the positioning portion, it is already completely located in the shaft hole of the first swing arm and the slide groove of the support plate, or it can be understood that the sliding shaft is guided by the positioning portion throughout the sliding process, thereby maximizing the guiding effect. This also simplifies the installation to the greatest extent.

[0016] In some embodiments, the positioning portion is a positioning groove, and the notch of the positioning groove faces the direction away from the support surface of the support plate, and the support surface of the support plate is the surface of the support plate away from the fixed bracket. By setting the positioning portion as a positioning groove, when the sliding shaft is placed in the positioning groove, the positioning groove can better limit the sliding shaft (for example, when the sliding shaft slides relative to the positioning groove along a first direction, the position of the sliding shaft relative to the positioning groove on a plane perpendicular to the first direction will not change), thereby making the sliding shaft more controllable when sliding.

[0017] In some embodiments, the positioning groove has a first groove portion, and the first groove portion is set as an arc groove; the groove bottom of the arc groove constitutes the groove bottom of the positioning groove, and is configured to: the sliding shaft can be clamped inside to limit the sliding shaft from rotating relative to the arc groove along its circumferential direction, and the sliding shaft can slide relative to the arc groove along its axial direction. Further, by providing an arc groove, it can better conform to the shape of the sliding shaft, better match the structure of the sliding shaft, and make the sliding shaft slide more smoothly in the positioning groove.

[0018] In some embodiments, the positioning groove further has a second groove portion, the groove bottom of the second groove portion is connected to the groove opening of the first groove portion, and the groove opening of the second groove portion constitutes the groove opening of the positioning groove. The wall surface of the second groove portion is configured as: a plane extending in the first direction and the second direction, and tangent to the wall surface of the first groove portion, and the sliding shaft in its radial direction can be partially or entirely embedded in the positioning groove. The second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0019] By further providing the positioning groove with a second groove portion, during assembly, the sliding shaft only needs to be placed in the positioning groove, and the sliding shaft will be relatively firmly restricted in the positioning groove, preventing the sliding shaft from falling out during the sliding process, making the sliding shaft assembly smoother.

[0020] In some embodiments, the fixing bracket includes a main body and an extension. The extension and the main body are connected in sequence in a third direction and are relatively fixed. The third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. The positioning groove includes a first positioning groove and a second positioning groove arranged along its extension direction. At least a portion of the first positioning groove is recessed inward from the surface of the extension of the fixing bracket away from the support plate, and at least a portion of the second positioning groove is recessed inward from the support plate toward the surface of the fixing bracket.

[0021] Here, it can be understood that a part of the sliding shaft installation space on one side of the first swing arm is provided with an extension of the fixed bracket, and a first positioning groove is provided on the extension. By providing the extension, the volume of the physical structure of the fixed bracket is increased at the sliding shaft installation space on one side of the first swing arm, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the fixed bracket. The other part of the sliding shaft installation space on one side of the first swing arm is provided with a support plate, and the second positioning groove is recessed inward from the support plate toward the surface of the fixed bracket. This can also be understood as thickening the support plate at this point in the second direction, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the support plate. The first positioning groove and the second positioning groove together constitute the positioning groove, so a complementary design of the fixed bracket and the support plate is formed at the sliding shaft installation space on one side of the first swing arm, which improves the space utilization of the hinge mechanism, improves the structural strength of both, and achieves a better comprehensive structural strength, which further strengthens the overall structural strength of the hinge mechanism.

[0022] In some embodiments, one end of the extension portion away from the shaft hole of the first swing arm is also connected to the main body, and in the first direction, the first swing arm, the extension portion and the main body are arranged in sequence, so that the extension portion is extended to the maximum extent in the first direction, and the space utilization rate of the sliding shaft installation space on one side of the first swing arm is improved as much as possible, and the structural strength of the fixing bracket is further enhanced.

[0023] In some embodiments, the fixed bracket includes a main body and an extension, and the extension is connected to the main body in sequence in the third direction and relatively fixed. The positioning groove is recessed inward from the surface of the extension of the fixed bracket away from the support plate. Here, it can be understood that the sliding shaft installation space on one side of the first swing arm is only provided with the extension of the fixed bracket, thereby maximizing the volume of the physical structure of the extension, and also maximizing the structural strength of the fixed bracket.

[0024] In some embodiments, the positioning groove is recessed inward from the surface of the support plate toward the fixed bracket. Here, it can be understood that only the positioning groove is provided in the installation space of the rotating shaft on one side of the first swing arm, thereby maximizing the volume of the physical structure of the support plate, and also maximizing the structural strength of the support plate.

[0025] In some embodiments, the fixing bracket adopts an integrated structure, which reduces the number of parts, reduces the difficulty of assembly, and improves the structural strength of the fixing bracket to a certain extent.

[0026] In some embodiments, each of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly includes a positioning portion, thereby improving the structural strength of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly, simplifying the installation of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly, and improving the space utilization of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly.

[0027] In some embodiments, the predetermined position is: the position of the first swing arm relative to the fixed bracket and the support plate when the hinge mechanism is in a folded state. One end of the first swing arm is slidably connected to the middle beam through an arc-shaped sliding structure so that the first swing arm rotates relative to the middle beam around the first axis, and the other end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the fixed bracket through a first connecting shaft. The hinge mechanism also includes a second swing arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the middle beam through a second connecting shaft, and the other end is slidably connected to the fixed bracket. By providing a second swing arm slidably connected to the fixed bracket, the movement trajectory of the hinge mechanism when opening and closing can be made more controllable, and an installation platform is provided for further increasing the function of the hinge mechanism (for example, the second swing arm is set as a damping swing arm to make the hinge mechanism feel better when opening and closing, etc.).

[0028] The embodiment of the present application further provides a folding device, comprising a first shell, a second shell, and a hinge mechanism provided in any of the above embodiments. The first shell and the second shell are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism so that the first shell and the second shell are relatively folded or relatively unfolded, wherein the first shell is fixedly connected to a fixed bracket of the first rotating shaft assembly, and the second shell is fixedly connected to a fixed bracket of the second rotating shaft assembly.

[0029] Adopting the hinge mechanism provided by any of the above-mentioned embodiments in the folding device of the present application is beneficial to simplifying the assembly of the folding device, improving its assembly efficiency, increasing the space utilization of the folding device, and also beneficial to increasing the structural strength of the folding device.

[0030] The embodiment of the present application also provides a foldable electronic device, comprising a display screen and a folding device provided in any of the above embodiments, wherein the display screen is laid on one side of the folding device. When the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the folding device surrounds the outer side of the display screen.

[0031] Using the folding device provided by any of the above embodiments in the foldable electronic device of the present application can reduce the difficulty of assembling the foldable electronic device, improve the assembly efficiency, facilitate large-scale production, and also improve the overall structural strength of the foldable electronic device, increase the service life of the foldable electronic device, and also facilitate its miniaturization and thinness. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1a It is a structural schematic diagram of the connection between the main swing arm, the connecting block and the door panel in the hinge mechanism of some solutions;

[0033] Figure 1b for Figure 1a A magnified image of area A;

[0034] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device in the unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0035] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device in the folded state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0036] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the foldable electronic device in the unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the local structure of the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application when it is in an unfolded state;

[0038] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the local structure of the hinge mechanism in the folded state of the embodiment of the present application;

[0039] Figure 7a It is a schematic diagram of a partial explosion structure of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

[0040] Figure 7b for Figure 7a Enlarged view of area D in the middle;

[0041] Figure 7c A schematic diagram of a partially exploded structure of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0042] Figure 7d for Figure 7c Enlarged view of the middle E area;

[0043] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the coordination of the first swing arm, the fixed bracket and the support plate in the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application;

[0044] Figure 9a This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the first swing arm, the fixed bracket and the support plate in the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application;

[0045] Figure 9b for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the middle DD direction;

[0046] Fig.9c for Figure 8Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the EE direction;

[0047] Fig.10a for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the AA direction;

[0048] Fig.10b for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the middle BB direction;

[0049] Fig.10c for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the CC direction;

[0050] Fig.11a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fixed bracket in the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

[0051] Fig.11b for Fig.11a Enlarged view of area B;

[0052] Fig.12a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a support plate in a hinge mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0053] Figure 12b for Fig.12a Enlarged view of the middle C area;

[0054] Figure 13a-Figure 13c This is a schematic diagram of the assembly steps of the sliding shaft in the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application;

[0055] Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a first swing arm, a fixed bracket and a support plate of another implementation manner of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

[0056] Fig.15 It is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a support plate of another implementation manner of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

[0057] Fig.16 This is a schematic diagram of the coordination of a first swing arm, a fixed bracket and a support plate of another implementation manner of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

[0058] Fig.17 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a fixing bracket of another implementation manner of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application.

[0059] Description of reference numerals:

[0060] Some solutions:

[0061] 1', hinge mechanism; 11', first rotating shaft assembly; 13', middle beam; 10A', avoidance space;

[0062] 2', swing arm; 21', shaft hole;

[0063] 3', fixed bracket;

[0064] 4', support plate; 41', slideway;

[0065] 5', sliding shaft.

[0066] This application:

[0067] 1. Foldable electronic device; 10. Folding device; 11. First housing; 12. Second housing;

[0068] 2. Display screen; 21. Bending area; 22. Non-bending area;

[0069] 3. Hinge mechanism; 31. First rotating shaft assembly; 32. Second rotating shaft assembly; 33. Middle beam; 34. Installation space;

[0070] 4. first swing arm; 42. first connecting shaft; 43. avoidance hole; 44. shaft hole; 44A. first sub-shaft hole; 44B. second sub-shaft hole;

[0071] 45. first arc-shaped sliding structure; 451. arc-shaped sliding bar; 452. arc-shaped sliding groove;

[0072] 5. second swing arm; 51. second connecting shaft; 52. slide rail;

[0073] 6. Fixed bracket; 61. Groove; 62. Sliding groove; 63. Main body; 64. Extension;

[0074] 65. Second arc-shaped sliding structure; 651. Arc-shaped slide bar; 652. Arc-shaped slide groove;

[0075] 7. Support plate; 70. Boss portion; 711. Slide groove;

[0076] 8. Sliding shaft;

[0077] 9, positioning portion; 90, positioning groove; 91, first groove portion; 92, second groove portion; 9A, first positioning groove; 9B, second positioning groove;

[0078] x, first direction; y, second direction; z, third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0079] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present application, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present application from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present application will be introduced in conjunction with some embodiments, this does not mean that the features of this application are limited to the implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the application in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present application. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present application, the following description will include many specific details. The present application can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present application, some specific details will be omitted in the description. It should be noted that the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0080] It should be noted that in this specification, similar reference numerals and letters denote similar items in the following drawings, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in the subsequent drawings.

[0081] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application. In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0082] In the description of this application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection, or it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0083] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that "electrical connection" in the present application can be understood as physical contact and electrical conduction between components; it can also be understood as a form in which different components in a circuit structure are connected through physical lines such as printed circuit board (PCB) copper foil or wires that can transmit electrical signals.

[0084] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that the mutual perpendicularity in the present application is not absolute perpendicularity, and the approximate perpendicularity caused by processing errors and assembly errors (for example, the angle between the two structural features is 89.9°) is also within the scope of the mutual perpendicularity in the present application. The mutual parallelism in the present application is also not absolute parallelism, and the approximate parallelism caused by processing errors and assembly errors (for example, the angle between the two structural features is 0.1°) is also within the scope of the mutual parallelism in the present application. The present application does not make specific limitations on this.

[0085] In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of the present application clearer, the implementation methods of the present application will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0086] With the continuous development of electronic devices, foldable electronic devices (for example, foldable screen mobile phones) are becoming more and more popular. The characteristic of foldable electronic devices is that they can be switched between the unfolded state and the closed state at will. When the foldable electronic device is unfolded, the display screen is in a full-screen display state. Compared with the existing non-folding electronic devices, it can achieve a larger display area, which can provide users with a better visual experience. When the foldable electronic device is in a closed state, the display screen can be folded and stored, so that the foldable electronic device is smaller in size and convenient for users to carry and transport. Among them, the hinge mechanism is an important component of the foldable electronic device, and its structural setting is very important. The following is a detailed description of the hinge mechanism in some schemes with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0087] See also Figure 1a-1b , Figure 1a It is a structural schematic diagram of the connection between the main swing arm, the connecting block and the door panel in the hinge mechanism of some solutions; Figure 1b for Figure 1a Magnified view of area A.

[0088] like Figure 1a-1bAs shown, the hinge mechanism 1' includes a center beam 13' and a first rotating shaft assembly 11' and a second rotating shaft assembly (not shown in the figure) arranged on both sides of the center beam 13'. Each rotating shaft assembly in the first rotating shaft assembly 11' and the second rotating shaft assembly includes a swing arm 2' (which can be a main swing arm or a secondary swing arm), a fixed bracket 3' and a support plate 4'. The two ends of the swing arm 2' are respectively connected to the center beam 13' and the fixed bracket 3', and the support plate 4' is arranged on one side of the fixed bracket 3'. Among them, a sliding shaft 5' is arranged between the swing arm 2' and the support plate 4'. The sliding shaft 5' passes through the shaft hole 21' on the swing arm 2' and the slide groove 41' on the support plate 4', and can slide along the slide groove 41', so that when the swing arm 2' rotates, it can drive the support plate 4' to rotate relative to the fixed bracket 3', thereby adjusting the inclination angle of the support plate 4' relative to the fixed bracket 3'. When the foldable electronic device is in the unfolded state, the supporting surface of the support plate 4' (i.e., the surface of the support plate 4' facing away from the fixed bracket 3') can support the bendable part of the display screen. When the foldable electronic device is in the folded state, the supporting surface of the support plate 4' can better guide the bendable part of the display screen to bend (for example, it can be naturally bent into a water drop shape or a partial water drop shape, etc.), so that the bendable part of the display screen has smaller creases and a longer service life, thereby improving the impact resistance of the foldable electronic device and greatly extending the service life of the foldable electronic device.

[0089] In order to assemble the sliding shaft 5' to the shaft hole 21' on the swing arm 2' and the slide groove 41' on the support plate 4', it is necessary to set an avoidance space 10A' in the area on one side of the swing arm 2' in the width direction of the rotating shaft assembly, so as to provide installation space for the sliding shaft 5'. During the assembly process, the sliding shaft 5' can be placed in the avoidance space 10A', and inserted into the shaft hole 21' on one side of the swing arm 2' from the avoidance space 10A', and finally the sliding shaft 5' is assembled to the shaft hole 21' of the swing arm 2' and the slide groove 41' of the support plate 4'. Therefore, this structure also brings some problems: on the one hand, during the assembly process, when the sliding shaft 5' is placed in the avoidance space 10A', it is difficult to align the sliding shaft 5' with the shaft hole 21' of the swing arm 2' and the slide groove of the support plate 4', so that it cannot be smoothly inserted into the shaft hole 21' of the swing arm 2' from one side of the swing arm 2', resulting in low assembly efficiency and inconvenience for large-scale production. On the other hand, in order to provide installation space for the sliding shaft 5', an avoidance space 10A' is set in the area on one side of the swing arm 2' in the width direction of the rotating shaft assembly (or it can be understood that no physical structure can be set in this area), so that the structural setting of the fixed bracket 3' and the support plate 4' needs to avoid this area, which will result in the structure of the fixed bracket 3' not being able to extend to this area, and the thickness of the support plate 4' in this area is also relatively thin. This will reduce the space for the designable structure of the hinge mechanism 1' in disguise, which will not only cause inconvenience to the design of the hinge mechanism 1', but also lead to poor structural strength due to the lack of a physical structure, which will become a weak point of the hinge mechanism 1', and weaken the impact resistance of the foldable electronic device. Therefore, in order to strengthen the structural strength, it is also necessary to add reinforcement structures at other locations inside the foldable electronic device, which has a certain impact on the miniaturization and thinness of the foldable electronic device.

[0090] In summary, the sliding shaft in the hinge mechanism of the prior art is inconvenient to assemble, the assembly efficiency is low, and the space utilization rate of the hinge mechanism is low and the structural strength is poor.

[0091] Based on this, the present application provides a hinge mechanism, in which the sliding shaft is easy to assemble and has high assembly efficiency, and the hinge mechanism has high space utilization and great structural strength.

[0092] The present application also provides a foldable electronic device, which uses the above-mentioned hinge mechanism. It should be noted that the foldable electronic device can be, but is not limited to, foldable electronic products such as mobile phones, tablet computers, laptop computers, wearable devices, etc. The embodiments of the present application do not impose any special restrictions on the specific form of the above-mentioned foldable electronic device. For the convenience of description, the foldable electronic device is described below as a mobile phone.

[0093] See also Figure 2-Figure 4 , Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device in the unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device in the folded state according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the foldable electronic device in the unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0094] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the foldable electronic device 1 includes a display screen 2 and a folding device 10. The display screen 2 is laid on one side of the folding device 10, or it can be understood that the folding device 10 is used to carry the display screen 2, and the folding device 10 can drive the display screen 2 to fold or unfold. The folding device 10 includes a first shell 11, a second shell 12 and a hinge mechanism 3, and the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are rotatably connected by the hinge mechanism 3 so that the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are relatively folded or relatively unfolded. The foldable electronic device 1, the folding device 10 and the hinge mechanism 3 have an unfolded state and a folded state respectively. Among them, when the foldable electronic device 1 is in the folded state, the folding device 10 surrounds the outside of the display screen 2.

[0095] In one embodiment, if Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, the display screen 2 is laid on the front of the folding device 10, and covers the first shell 11, the second shell 12 and the hinge mechanism 3 at the same time, wherein the area of ​​the display screen 2 corresponding to the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 is the non-bending area 22, and the area corresponding to the hinge mechanism 3 is the bending area 21. The backs of the two non-bending areas 22 of the display screen 2 are fixedly connected to the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 respectively, and in the process of relative unfolding or relative folding of the display screen 2, the two non-bending areas 22 of the display screen 2 are kept in a flat state in contact with the first shell 11 and the second shell 12. The bending area 21 of the display screen 2 corresponds to the hinge mechanism 3, and when the display screen 2 is unfolded, the hinge mechanism 3 applies a supporting force to the bending area 21 of the display screen 2, on the one hand, ensuring that the bending area 21 of the display screen 2 is in a flat state, and it is not easy to have creases to affect the display effect of the display screen 2; on the other hand, the strength of the bending area 21 of the display screen 2 is improved, so that the bending area 21 of the display screen 2 is not easy to be dented, deformed or damaged when being squeezed, touched and clicked.

[0096] like Figures 2 to 4As shown, when the foldable electronic device 1 is in the unfolded state, the display screen 2 unfolds to form a plane with a larger display area. At this time, the hinge mechanism 3 lifts up to support the bending area 21 of the display screen 2, so that the bending area 21 of the display screen 2 is further flattened, thereby achieving a better display effect. At this time, the opening angle of the foldable electronic device 1 is 180°, that is, the angle between the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 is 180°. It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the opening angle of the foldable electronic device 1 can also be 90°, 120°, 210°, etc., and this application does not limit this, and the angles illustrated in this application are allowed to have a small deviation. For example, when the foldable electronic device 1 is in the unfolded state, its opening angle can be 180°, or it can be about 180°, such as 170°, 175°, 185° or 190°, etc., and the same understanding can be made for other angles in the following text. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in a folded state, the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 are folded relative to each other and fit together, so that the non-bending area 22 of the display screen 2 is overlapped or close to each other and parallel. At this time, the angle between the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 can be approximately regarded as 0°.

[0097] Those skilled in the art can understand that the present application does not limit the specific structure of the foldable electronic device 1. For example, the foldable electronic device 1 can also include various electronic components. The folding device 10 composed of the first housing 11, the second housing 12 and the hinge mechanism 3 provides protection and support for various electronic components and other structures. The following is an exemplary description of the possible structure.

[0098] In one embodiment, the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 may have a storage space inside to accommodate some electronic components (not shown in the figure). The electronic components include but are not limited to circuit boards, batteries, camera modules, microphones, speakers, etc., which are not limited in this application. Exemplarily, a circuit board may be provided in the first shell 11 and the second shell 12, and the electrical connection between the devices in the two shells is achieved through the circuit boards in the two shells; the battery for powering the device may be provided only in the first shell 11 or the second shell 12, or the battery may be provided in both the first shell 11 and the second shell 12; as for other devices such as camera modules, microphones, speakers, etc., they may be concentrated in the first shell 11 or the second shell 12, or some devices may be provided in the first shell 11 and some devices may be provided in the second shell 12.

[0099] The first shell 11 and the second shell 12 can be middle frames, and the foldable electronic device 1 can also include a back cover (not shown in the figure) arranged corresponding to each middle frame. The middle frame is connected between the display screen 2 and the back cover. The side surface of the middle frame facing the display screen 2 forms the above-mentioned support surface. The display screen 2 can be mounted on the side surface of the middle frame. The back cover is connected to the side of the middle frame away from the display screen 2. The middle frame and the back cover together enclose a storage space for installing devices.

[0100] The above systematically explains the structure of the foldable electronic device provided in the embodiment of the present application, the functions of each component, and the functional effects of the foldable electronic device in the unfolded state and the folded state. The following introduces the structural composition of the hinge mechanism and the functions of each component in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0101] See also Figure 5-7d , Figure 5 It is a schematic diagram of the local structure of the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application when it is in an unfolded state; Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of the local structure of the hinge mechanism in the folded state of the embodiment of the present application; Figure 7a It is a schematic diagram of a partial explosion structure of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application; Figure 7b for Figure 7a Enlarged view of area D in the middle; Figure 7c A schematic diagram of a partially exploded structure of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application from another perspective; Figure 7d for Figure 7c Magnified view of area E in the middle.

[0102] like Figure 5-Figure 6 As shown, combined with Figure 2-Figure 4 It is understood that the hinge mechanism 3 includes a middle beam 33, a first shaft assembly 31 and a second shaft assembly 32, and the first shaft assembly 31 and the second shaft assembly 32 are respectively arranged on both sides of the middle beam 33 in the width direction and are rotatably connected to the middle beam 33. The first shaft assembly 31 is connected to the first shell 11 of the foldable electronic device 1, and the second shaft assembly 32 is connected to the second shell 12. Each shaft assembly rotates relative to the middle beam 33, so that the first shaft assembly 31 and the second shaft assembly 32 rotate relative to each other.

[0103] The width direction of the middle beam 33 may be the thickness direction of the foldable electronic device 1 in the folded state. It can be understood that the middle beam 33 also has a length direction and a thickness direction, and the length direction of the middle beam 33, the width direction of the middle beam 33, and the thickness direction of the middle beam 33 are perpendicular to each other. The length direction of the middle beam 33 may be, for example, the width direction of the foldable electronic device 1 in the unfolded state, and the thickness direction of the middle beam 33 may be, for example, the thickness direction of the foldable electronic device 1 in the unfolded state.

[0104] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the number of the first shaft assembly 31 and the second shaft assembly 32 is not limited, and can be 1, 2, 3 or more, and the number of the first shaft assembly 31 and the second shaft assembly 32 can be equal or unequal. In one example, the hinge mechanism 3 includes three first shaft assemblies 31 and three second shaft assemblies 32 spaced apart in the length direction of the center beam 33, and the three first shaft assemblies 31 and the three second shaft assemblies 32 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. In another example, the hinge mechanism 3 may also be provided with two first shaft assemblies 31 and two second shaft assemblies 32, which is not limited in the present application. Providing multiple shaft assemblies can make the foldable electronic device 1 more evenly stressed during the unfolding and folding process, and keep the rotation feel consistent everywhere.

[0105] It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the structure of the shaft assembly is not limited. Figure 7a-7d As shown, combined with Fig.10a and Fig.10b It is understood that each of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32 includes a fixed bracket 6 and a first swing arm 4. One end of the first swing arm 4 is connected to the middle beam 33 so that the first swing arm 4 can rotate relative to the middle beam 33 around the first axis. The other end of the first swing arm 4 is connected to the fixed bracket 6 so that the fixed bracket 6 is rotatably connected to the middle beam 33 through the first swing arm 4. Among them, the fixed bracket 6 is fixedly connected to the shell of the foldable electronic device 1, so that the foldable electronic device 1 can be folded and unfolded by rotating the fixed bracket 6. In an example scenario, the fixed bracket 6 of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 is fixedly connected to the first shell 11 of the foldable electronic device 1, and the fixed bracket 6 of the second rotating shaft assembly 32 is fixedly connected to the second shell 12 of the foldable electronic device 1. When the user moves the first shell 11 during use, the first shell 11 can be rotated relative to the middle beam 33 through the fixed bracket 6 of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the first swing arm 4, and the same is true when the second shell 12 is moved.

[0106] It should be noted that the manner in which the first swing arm 4 is connected to the middle beam 33 is not limited. Figure 7b and Fig.10aAs shown, in one embodiment, one end of the first swing arm 4 (the end close to the middle beam 33) is slidably connected to the middle beam 33 through a first arc-shaped sliding structure 45, so that the first swing arm 4 can rotate relative to the middle beam 33 around the first axis. Specifically, the first arc-shaped sliding structure 45 includes an arc-shaped slide bar 451 provided on the first swing arm 4, and an arc-shaped slide groove 452 provided on the middle beam 33, the arc-shaped slide bar 451 is engaged in the arc-shaped slide groove 452, and can slide in the arc-shaped slide groove 452, so that the first swing arm 4 can rotate relative to the middle beam 33 around the first axis. Or it can be understood that the middle beam 33 and the first swing arm 4 are rotationally connected through a virtual axis. In an alternative embodiment, the middle beam 33 and the first swing arm 4 can also be rotationally connected through a real axis. For example, an axis can be provided on the middle beam 33, and one end of the first swing arm 4 is sleeved on the axis and can rotate around the axis.

[0107] It should be noted that the connection mode between the other end of the first swing arm 4 and the fixed bracket 6 is not limited, and can be a rotational connection or a sliding connection. Those skilled in the art can design it according to specific needs. Exemplarily, the other end of the first swing arm 4 is rotationally connected to the fixed bracket 6.

[0108] Furthermore, there is no limit to the rotational connection method between the other end of the first swing arm 4 and the fixed bracket 6. The other end of the first swing arm 4 can be rotationally connected to the fixed bracket 6 through a real axis structure, or it can be rotationally connected through the cooperation of an arc-shaped slide bar and an arc-shaped slide groove (or it can be understood as a virtual axis structure).

[0109] In one embodiment, if Figure 7b and Fig.10a As shown, the other end of the first swing arm 4 is rotatably connected to the fixed bracket 6 via a first connecting shaft 42. Alternatively, it can be understood that the first swing arm 4 and the fixed bracket 6 are rotatably connected via a real shaft structure.

[0110] The above is an explanation of the first swing arm in the hinge mechanism and its coordination relationship with other components. The hinge mechanism may also include a second swing arm to achieve functions such as limiting the motion trajectory of the hinge mechanism when opening and closing and improving the hand feel. The second swing arm and other structures that may be included in the hinge mechanism will be explained below.

[0111] like Figure 7a-7dAs shown, in one embodiment, the hinge mechanism 3 further includes a second swing arm 5, one end of which is rotatably connected to the middle beam 33, and the other end of which is slidably connected to the fixed bracket 6. When the hinge mechanism 3 switches between the unfolded state and the folded state, the fixed bracket 6 can slide relative to the second swing arm 5. The direction of relative sliding can be, for example, the width direction of the fixed bracket 6. In one embodiment, when each rotating shaft assembly is unfolded relative to the middle beam 33, the width direction of the fixed bracket 6 is parallel to the width direction of the middle beam 33. When each rotating shaft assembly is folded relative to the middle beam 33, the width direction of the fixed bracket 6 is perpendicular to the width direction of the middle beam 33.

[0112] It should be noted that the manner in which the second swing arm 5 is rotatably connected to the middle beam 33 is not limited. Figure 7a-7d As shown, in one embodiment, one end of the second swing arm 5 is rotatably connected to the center beam 33 via a second connecting shaft 51 .

[0113] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the manner in which the second swing arm 5 is slidably connected to the fixed bracket 6 is not limited. Figure 5-7d As shown, in one embodiment, the other end of the second swing arm 5 is configured as a slide rail structure along both sides of the width direction thereof, and the other end of the second swing arm 5 is slidably connected to the fixed bracket 6 through the slide rail structure. This is beneficial to improve the sliding stability of the second swing arm 5 and the fixed bracket 6.

[0114] Furthermore, if Figure 7a-Figure 7b As shown, the fixed bracket 6 is provided with a groove 61, and sliding grooves 62 are provided on the two side walls of the groove 61 along the first direction x, and the other end of the second swing arm 5 is provided with slide rails 52 on both sides along the width direction thereof, and the slide rails 52 on both sides of the other end of the second swing arm 5 cooperate with the slide grooves 62 on both sides of the groove 61 of the fixed bracket 6 to form a slide rail structure, so that the other end of the second swing arm 5 is slidably connected with the fixed bracket 6 through the slide rail structure. This solution can improve the compactness of the cooperation between the second swing arm 5 and the fixed bracket 6, reduce the thickness of the shaft assembly, and further reduce the thickness of the foldable electronic device 1.

[0115] It can be understood by those skilled in the art that the specific type of the second swing arm 5 is not limited. In one embodiment, the second swing arm 5 can be a damping swing arm to provide damping when the hinge mechanism 3 is opened and closed, improve the opening and closing feel of the hinge mechanism 3, and thus enhance the user experience when opening and closing the foldable electronic device 1. In another alternative embodiment, it can also be a synchronous swing arm. To ensure that the first shaft assembly 31 and the second shaft assembly 32 can rotate synchronously at the same angle without setting a separate synchronization mechanism at other positions of the hinge mechanism 3, thereby saving space for the hinge mechanism 3 and simplifying the overall structure of the hinge mechanism 3. Those skilled in the art can make a choice according to design requirements.

[0116] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the number of the first swing arms and the second swing arms included in each of the above-mentioned shaft assemblies is not limited, for example, a shaft assembly may include one, two or more first swing arms. A shaft assembly may also include one, two or more second swing arms. This application does not impose any limitation on this.

[0117] It should be noted that the hinge mechanism 3 may also include a damping structure (not shown in the figure) that cooperates with the damping swing arm and provides damping. In addition, the damping swing arm transmits the damping force provided by the damping structure in any manner. Those skilled in the art may design it according to specific circumstances.

[0118] The hinge mechanism 3 may also include a separately arranged synchronization component (not shown in the figure), which can realize the synchronous rotation of the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 in the folding device 10, thereby realizing the synchronous rotation of the foldable electronic device. When the hinge mechanism 3 rotates, the first swing arm 4 in the first rotating shaft component 31 and the first swing arm 4 in the second rotating shaft component 32 can synchronously drive the first shell 11 and the second shell 12 to rotate, or one of the two first swing arms 4 can first drive one shell to rotate, and the other first swing arm 4 can then drive the other shell to rotate.

[0119] In one embodiment, the synchronization components rotate synchronously in opposite directions, so that the first swing arms 4 of the hinge mechanism 3 can rotate synchronously, which greatly improves the user experience. The structure of the synchronization component is not limited, and the installation method on the hinge mechanism 3 is not limited.

[0120] It should be noted that the types of the first swing arm 4 and the second swing arm 5 described herein are not limited. In one embodiment, the first swing arm 4 is a main swing arm, and the second swing arm 5 is an auxiliary swing arm. In another alternative embodiment, the first swing arm 4 is an auxiliary swing arm, and the second swing arm 5 is a main swing arm, and this application does not limit this.

[0121] like Figures 5 to 7dAs shown, in one embodiment, each of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32 further includes a support plate 7, which is arranged on one side of the fixed bracket 6 and can rotate relative to the fixed bracket 6, and the support plate 7 is slidably connected to the first swing arm 4, so that the movement trajectory of the support plate 7 is controlled by the fixed bracket 6 and the first swing arm 4. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in the unfolded state, the upper surface (i.e., the supporting surface) of the support plate 7 of each rotating shaft assembly is in a horizontal state, which is used to support the unfolded display screen 2. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in the folded state, the support plate 7 of each rotating shaft assembly rotates relative to the fixed bracket 6, and slides relative to the first swing arm 4 in a direction away from the middle beam 33 to guide the bending area 21 of the display screen 2 to bend, so as to adapt to the length difference between the display screen 2 and the folding device 10 in the folded state. In one embodiment, a cover plate (not shown in the figure) can also be arranged above the middle beam 33. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in the unfolded state, the support plate 7 of each rotating shaft assembly is connected to the upper surface of the cover plate to form a flat surface, and jointly support the display screen 2.

[0122] It should be noted that when there are multiple first rotating shaft assemblies 31, the matching method of the multiple supporting plates 7 included therein is not limited. Figure 7a As shown, combined with Figure 5 It is understood that the multiple support plates 7 can be configured as an integrated structure to reduce the number of parts, thereby simplifying the structure. In another alternative embodiment, the multiple support plates 7 can also be configured as a split structure, which is not limited in this application. When there are multiple second shaft assemblies 32, the structure of the multiple support plates 7 included therein can refer to the design of the support plates 7 corresponding to the first shaft assembly, and will not be repeated here.

[0123] It should be noted that the coordination mode among the first swing arm 4, the support plate 7 and the fixing bracket 6 is not limited. Some exemplary structures will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0124] See also Figure 8-12b , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the coordination of the first swing arm, the fixed bracket and the support plate in the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application; Figure 9a This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the first swing arm, the fixed bracket and the support plate in the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application; Figure 9b for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the middle DD direction; Fig.9c for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the EE direction;

[0125] Fig.10a for Figure 8 Sectional view in the AA direction; Fig.10b for Figure 8 Cross-sectional view in the BB direction; Fig.10c for Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure in the CC direction; Fig.11a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a fixed bracket in the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application; Fig.11b for Fig.11a Enlarged view of area B; Fig.12a This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a support plate in a hinge mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application; Figure 12b for Fig.12a Magnified view of area C.

[0126] The support plate 7 and the fixed bracket 6 are rotatably connected in any manner, such as Figure 7c-7d As shown, in one embodiment, the support plate 7 is rotatably connected to the fixed bracket 6 via a second arc-shaped sliding structure 65. Specifically, the second arc-shaped sliding structure 65 includes an arc-shaped slide bar 651 disposed on the support plate 7 and an arc-shaped slide groove 652 disposed on the fixed bracket 6. The arc-shaped slide bar 651 is installed in the arc-shaped slide groove 652 and can slide in the arc-shaped slide groove 652. In an alternative embodiment, the arc-shaped slide bar 651 can also be disposed on the fixed bracket 6, and the arc-shaped slide groove 652 can also be disposed on the support plate 7, and the present application does not limit this. It should be noted that the number of the second arc-shaped sliding structures 65 is not limited, and can be 1, 2 or more.

[0127] It should be noted that the manner in which the support plate 7 is slidably connected to the first swing arm 4 is not limited, such as Figures 8 to 10c As shown, combined with Figure 7d It is understood that in one embodiment, a boss portion 70 is provided on the surface of the support plate 7 facing the fixed bracket 6, and the boss portion 70 is slidably connected to the first swing arm 4 through a sliding structure. The sliding structure includes a sliding shaft 8 and a sliding groove 711 that are slidably connected to each other. The sliding shaft 8 is penetrated through the axial hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 along its axial direction, and the sliding groove 711 is provided on the boss portion 70 of the support plate 7. The sliding shaft 8 is slidably connected to the sliding groove 711 along the extension direction of the sliding groove 711, so that when the first swing arm 4 rotates relative to the middle beam 33, it can drive the corresponding support plate 7 to rotate relative to the fixed bracket 6.

[0128] It can be understood here that, in order to make the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7 rotate relative to each other, a boss portion 70 is provided on the surface of the support plate 7 close to the fixed bracket 6, and a slide groove 711 is provided on the boss portion 70 (it should be noted that both ends of the slide groove 711 along its extension direction are closed ends). The sliding shaft 8 passes through the shaft hole 44 and the slide groove 711 of the first swing arm 4 in sequence, and slides in the slide groove 711. This allows the first swing arm 4 to drive the sliding shaft 8 to slide in the slide groove 711 when rotating relative to the middle beam 33, thereby driving the support plate 7 to rotate relative to the fixed bracket 6.

[0129] like Figure 8-9aAs shown, combined with Figure 10a-Figure 10b It is understood that in one embodiment, the first swing arm 4 is provided with: an avoidance hole 43 for the boss portion 70 of the support plate 7 to pass through, the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 includes a first sub-shaft hole 44A and a second sub-shaft hole 44B that are coaxial and spaced apart in the axial direction thereof, the avoidance hole 43 is located between the first sub-shaft hole 44A and the second sub-shaft hole 44B, the end of the first sub-shaft hole 44A away from the second sub-shaft hole 44B constitutes one end of the shaft hole 44, and the end of the second sub-shaft hole 44B away from the first sub-shaft hole 44A constitutes the other end of the shaft hole 44, and the sliding shaft 8 is sequentially penetrated through the first sub-shaft hole 44A of the first swing arm 4, the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7, and the second sub-shaft hole 44B of the first swing arm 4 along its axial direction. Here, it may be understood that: in the first direction x, the first sub-shaft hole 44A, the avoidance hole 43, and the second sub-shaft hole 44B are arranged in sequence. The sliding shaft 8 is inserted into the slide groove 711 of the boss portion 70 in the avoidance hole 43, with one end located in the first sub-shaft hole 44A and the other end located in the second sub-shaft hole 44B. With such a structure, the running track of the sliding shaft 8 in the slide groove 711 can be more controllable and the sliding is more stable.

[0130] During installation, the first swing arm 4 needs to be rotated to a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7, and the sliding shaft 8 needs to be passed through the first sub-shaft hole 44A, the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7, and the second sub-shaft hole 44B in sequence. Therefore, in the width direction of the first swing arm 4 (or can be understood as the first direction x), a space needs to be provided in the area on one side of the first sub-shaft hole 44A to accommodate the sliding shaft 8 and enable it to slide in the first direction x (similar to the avoidance space in the prior art). For the sake of simplicity, this space is hereinafter referred to as the installation space 34.

[0131] It should be noted that the predetermined position described herein is not limited, and only needs to facilitate the installation of the sliding shaft. In one embodiment, the predetermined position refers to the position of the first swing arm 4 relative to the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7 when the hinge mechanism 3 is in a folded state. This application does not make any limitation here.

[0132] like Figure 8-Figure 9a As shown, combined with Figure 10a-Figure 10cIt is understood that at least one of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32 further includes a positioning portion 9. The positioning portion 9 is disposed on the surface of the support plate 7 facing the fixed bracket 6 and / or the fixed bracket 6, and is configured as follows: when the first swing arm 4 is located at a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7 to assemble the sliding shaft 8, the positioning portion 9 can be used to place and position the sliding shaft 8, and the sliding shaft 8 placed on the positioning portion 9 can be inserted into the shaft hole 44 and the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7 from one end of the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 along the first direction x under the action of an external force. The first direction x is or is parallel to the direction in which the axis of the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 is located. In one example, when the first swing arm 4 is located at a predetermined position, the first direction x is the direction in which the axis of the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 is located, and when the first swing arm 4 is located at other positions, the first direction x is parallel to the direction in which the axis of the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 is located. It should be noted that the first direction x may be, for example, the width direction of the first swing arm 4 , or the length direction of the fixing bracket 6 , or the length direction of the support plate 7 .

[0133] Here, it can be understood that: the rotating shaft assembly also includes a positioning portion 9 arranged on the support plate 7 and / or the fixed bracket 6. The positioning portion 9 has a positioning function for the sliding shaft 8. During assembly, the sliding shaft 8 is placed on the positioning portion 9 so that the axis of the sliding shaft 8 is positioned to coincide with the axis of the shaft hole 44, and the axis passes through the slide groove 711. Then, the sliding shaft 8 is slid along the first direction x to complete the installation.

[0134] In the present application, on the one hand, by providing a positioning portion 9, when assembling the sliding shaft 8, after the first swing arm 4 is rotated to a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7, it is only necessary to place the sliding shaft 8 on the positioning portion 9 to ensure that the sliding shaft 8 can be inserted from one end of the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 into the shaft hole 44 and the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7 along the first direction x (or it can be understood that, along the axial direction of the sliding shaft 8), without adjusting the position of the sliding shaft 8 relative to the first swing arm 4 on the plane perpendicular to the first direction x. It can be seen that in the process of assembling the sliding shaft 8, the present application can more easily align the sliding shaft 8 with the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 and the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7, and then more smoothly insert the sliding shaft 8 into the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 from one side of the first swing arm 4, thereby reducing the difficulty of assembly and improving the assembly efficiency.

[0135] On the other hand, a positioning portion 9 is provided in the area at one end of the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4, or it can be understood that in the installation space 34, the area except the positioning portion 9 (or the area including the positioning portion) can be provided with a physical structure. The physical structure can belong to the fixed bracket 6 and / or the support plate 7. By adding this part of the physical structure, the structure of the fixed bracket 6 can be extended to the installation space 34, and the part of the support plate 7 in the installation space 34 can be thickened. This also strengthens the structural strength of the fixed bracket 6 and / or the support plate 7 in the installation space 34, avoids this place from becoming a weak point of the hinge mechanism 3, and increases the overall structural strength of the hinge mechanism 3. It also makes it unnecessary to have a separate reinforcement structure in the hinge mechanism 3. When the structural strength of the foldable electronic device remains unchanged, it is conducive to the thinning and miniaturization of the foldable electronic device 1; when the thickness of the foldable electronic device 1 remains unchanged, it is conducive to the improvement of the structural strength of the foldable electronic device 1 and its service life.

[0136] In summary, the sliding shaft in the hinge mechanism provided in the embodiment of the present application is easy to assemble, has high assembly efficiency, has high space utilization rate of the hinge mechanism, and has great structural strength.

[0137] It should be noted that at least one of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32 includes a positioning portion 9. Specifically, the first rotating shaft assembly 31 may include the positioning portion 9, or the second rotating shaft assembly 32 may include the positioning portion 9, or both the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32 may be provided with the positioning portion 9, thereby improving the structural strength of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32, simplifying the installation of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32, and improving the space utilization of the first rotating shaft assembly 31 and the second rotating shaft assembly 32. This application is not limited here.

[0138] The above is an explanation of the basic concept of the positioning part of the embodiment of the present application. Various possible implementation methods will be explained below.

[0139] First, the extending length of the positioning portion in the first direction is not limited.

[0140] like Figure 8-Figure 9a and Fig.10c As shown, combined with Figure 10a-Figure 10bIt is understood that in one embodiment, the positioning portion 9 extends along the first direction x and is configured as follows: when the first swing arm 4 is assembled with the sliding shaft 8 at a predetermined position, the sliding shaft 8 placed on the positioning portion 9 can slide in the positioning portion 9 along the first direction x toward the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 under the action of an external force, and when the sliding shaft 8 slides to a position away from the positioning portion 9, the sliding shaft 8 is at least located in the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4. It may be understood here that: further, a guiding function is added to the positioning portion 9, so that the sliding shaft 8 can slide along a preset track in the positioning portion 9. And it is not easy to deviate during the sliding process.

[0141] Furthermore, the positioning portion 9 can also be configured such that when the sliding shaft 8 slides to a position away from the positioning portion 9, the sliding shaft 8 is at least located in the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 and the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7. Here, it can be understood that when the sliding shaft 8 slides to a position away from the positioning portion 9, the sliding shaft 8 is at least partially located in the slide groove 711, that is, the installation is preliminarily completed. By increasing the length of the guide structure, the guiding effect of the positioning portion 9 is further improved.

[0142] Furthermore, in one embodiment, when the first swing arm 4 is provided with the first sub-axis hole 44A and the second sub-axis hole 44B, the positioning portion 9 can be further configured such that when the sliding shaft 8 slides to a position away from the positioning portion 9, the sliding shaft 8 is at least located in the first sub-axis hole 44A of the first swing arm 4, in the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7, and in the second sub-axis hole 44B of the first swing arm 4. When the sliding shaft 8 is away from the positioning portion 9, it is completely located in the axis hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 and the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7, or it can be understood that the sliding shaft 8 is guided by the positioning portion 9 throughout the sliding process, thereby maximizing the guiding effect. This also simplifies the installation to the greatest extent.

[0143] Secondly, the specific structure of the positioning part is not limited.

[0144] like Figure 8-Figure 9a As shown, combined with Figure 2-Figure 4 It is understood that, in one embodiment, the positioning portion 9 is a positioning groove 90, and the notch of the positioning groove 90 is oriented in the direction away from the support surface of the support plate 7. Among them, the support surface of the support plate 7 is the surface of the support plate 7 away from the fixed bracket 6, which is used to support the bending area 21 of the display screen 2. Therefore, it can also be understood here that: the notch of the positioning groove 90 is opened in the direction away from the display screen 2. By setting the positioning portion 9 as the positioning groove 90, when the sliding shaft 8 is placed in the positioning groove 90, the positioning groove 90 can better limit the sliding shaft 8 (for example, when the sliding shaft 8 slides relative to the positioning groove 90 along the first direction x, on the plane relatively perpendicular to the first direction x, the position of the sliding shaft 8 relative to the positioning groove 90 will not change), so that the sliding shaft 8 is more controllable when sliding.

[0145] In another alternative embodiment, the positioning portion 9 can also be configured as a guide surface extending in the first direction x and the second direction y, and the guide surface is not located on the same surface (for example, the same plane or the same curved surface) as other peripheral surfaces in the installation space, and the present application does not impose any restrictions thereon.

[0146] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific structure of the positioning groove is also not limited.

[0147] like Figure 9a-9c and Fig.10c As shown, combined with Figure 8 It is understood that in one embodiment, the positioning groove 90 has a first groove portion 91, and the first groove portion 91 is set as an arc groove. The groove bottom of the arc groove constitutes the groove bottom of the positioning groove 90, and is configured to: the sliding shaft 8 can be clamped inside to limit the sliding shaft 8 from rotating relative to the arc groove along its circumferential direction, and the sliding shaft 8 can slide relative to the arc groove along its axial direction. By setting the first groove portion 91 as an arc groove, it can be more in line with the shape of the sliding shaft 8, so as to better match the structure of the sliding shaft 8, so that the sliding shaft 8 can slide more smoothly in the positioning groove 90.

[0148] In order to further simplify the installation of the sliding shaft 8, the positioning groove 90 may also have a second groove portion 92, the groove bottom of the second groove portion 92 is connected to the groove opening of the first groove portion 91, and the groove opening of the second groove portion 92 constitutes the groove opening of the positioning groove 90. The wall surface of the second groove portion 92 is configured as: a plane extending in the first direction x and the second direction y, and tangent to the wall surface of the first groove portion 91, and the sliding shaft 8 in its radial direction or the whole can be embedded in the positioning groove 90. Here, it can be understood that: the positioning groove 90 forms a "U"-shaped structure as a whole. Among them, the arc-shaped groove portion at the bottom is the first groove portion 91, and the two straight segments connected to the top of the arc-shaped groove portion are the second groove portion 92. By further providing the positioning groove 90 with the second groove portion 92, when assembling, when the sliding shaft 8 is placed in the positioning groove 90, the sliding shaft 8 is relatively firmly restricted in the positioning groove 90, preventing the sliding shaft 8 from falling out during the sliding process, so that the sliding shaft 8 is assembled more smoothly.

[0149] It should be noted that the first groove portion and the second groove portion are formed in any manner. Fig.10c As shown, in one embodiment, part of the first slot portion 91 is disposed on the fixed bracket 6, and part is disposed on the support plate 7. The second slot portion 92 is entirely disposed on the fixed bracket 6. In another alternative embodiment, the first slot portion 91 and the second slot portion 92 may both be disposed on the fixed bracket 6, or both be disposed on the support plate 7. This application is not limited here.

[0150] The second direction y is perpendicular to the first direction x. The second direction y may be, for example, a thickness direction of the fixing bracket 6 or a thickness direction of the supporting plate 7, which is not limited in the present application.

[0151] The above is an explanation of the specific structure of the positioning part. It should be noted that the specific connection method between the positioning part and other components is also not limited.

[0152] Continue to refer to Figure 8-12b In one embodiment, the fixing bracket 6 includes a main body 63 and an extension 64. The extension 64 and the main body 63 are sequentially connected and relatively fixed in the third direction z. In one example, the third direction z is perpendicular to the first direction x and the second direction y. It should be noted that the third direction z can be, for example, the width direction of the fixing bracket 6.

[0153] The positioning groove 90 includes a first positioning groove 9A and a second positioning groove 9B arranged along its extension direction. At least a portion of the first positioning groove 9A (which can be understood as a portion or the entirety of the first positioning groove 9A, for example, the first groove portion 91 of the first positioning groove 9A, or the first groove portion 91 and the second groove portion 92 of the first positioning groove 9A) is recessed inward from the extension portion 64 of the fixed bracket 6 away from the surface of the support plate 7, and at least a portion of the second positioning groove 9B (for example, the first groove portion 91 of the second positioning groove 9B, or the first groove portion 91 and the second groove portion 92 of the second positioning groove 9B) is recessed inward from the support plate 7 toward the surface of the fixed bracket 6. Fig.10c As shown, in one example, the second groove portion 92 of the second positioning groove 9B and the entirety of the first positioning groove 9A are formed by the fixing bracket 6. The first groove portion 91 of the second positioning groove 9B is formed by the supporting plate 7.

[0154] This may be understood as: Fig.10cAs shown, a portion of the installation space 34 is provided with an extension portion 64 of the fixing bracket 6, and the extension portion 64 is provided with a first positioning groove 9A and a second groove portion 92 of the second positioning groove 9B. By providing the extension portion 64, the fixing bracket 6 can extend into the installation space 34, thereby increasing the volume of the physical structure of the fixing bracket 6, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the fixing bracket 6. The other portion of the installation space 34 is provided with a support plate 7, and the first groove portion 91 of the second positioning groove 9B is formed by the surface of the support plate 7 facing the fixing bracket 6 being recessed inward. Compared with the prior art, it is equivalent to thickening the support plate 7 portion in the installation space 34 in the second direction y, thereby enhancing the structural strength of the support plate 7 at the installation space 34, and also increasing the overall structural strength of the support plate 7. The first positioning groove 9A and the second positioning groove 9B together constitute the positioning groove 90, so a complementary design of the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7 is formed at the installation space 34, which improves the space utilization of the hinge mechanism 3, improves the structural strength of both, and achieves a better comprehensive structural strength, thereby further strengthening the overall structural strength of the hinge mechanism 3.

[0155] Further, such as Figure 9a and Figure 11a-Figure 11b As shown, combined with Figure 8 It is understood that, in one embodiment, the extension portion 64 can also be arranged so that one end away from the shaft hole 44 of the first swing arm 4 is connected to the main body 63. In the first direction x, the first swing arm 4, the extension portion 64 and the main body 63 are arranged in sequence. The extension portion 64 is connected to the main body 63 not only in the third direction z, but also in the first direction x. Or it can be understood that the extension portion 64 is arranged in the notch formed by the main body 63, so that the extension portion 64 extends to the maximum extent in the first direction x, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the installation space 34 as much as possible, and further strengthening the structural strength of the fixing bracket 6.

[0156] It should be noted that the connection method of the extension part 64 and the main part 63 is also not limited. In one embodiment, the fixing bracket 6 can adopt an integrated structure, and the extension part 64 and the main part 63 are an integrated structure formed in one piece to enhance the structural strength, reduce the number of parts, and reduce the difficulty of processing. In another alternative embodiment, the extension part 64 and the main part 63 can be a split structure fixed to each other.

[0157] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific numbers of the first positioning grooves 9A and the second positioning grooves 9B described herein are not limited.

[0158] In one embodiment, the positioning groove 90 may include one or more first positioning grooves 9A and second positioning grooves 9B. For example, the positioning groove may include one first positioning groove 9A and one second positioning groove 9B, or may include two first positioning grooves 9A and one second positioning groove 9B, or may include two first positioning grooves 9A and two second positioning grooves 9B. In actual design, the specific design may be based on the structural strength requirements of each structure, and this application does not limit this.

[0159] The positional relationship between the first positioning grooves 9A and the second positioning grooves 9B is also not limited.

[0160] In one embodiment, the first positioning groove 9A and the second positioning groove 9B can be arranged in contact with each other to increase the volume of the physical structure of the support plate 7 and the fixing bracket 6 in the installation space 34 as much as possible, so as to enhance the structural strength of the hinge mechanism 3. Fig.10c As shown, in another embodiment, the first positioning groove 9A and the second positioning groove 9B may also be arranged at intervals to avoid interference between the fixing bracket 6 and the support plate 7 during rotation to the greatest extent. The present application is also not limited here.

[0161] The above is an explanation of the specific structure of the positioning part and the connection method between it and other components. In order to better illustrate the role of the positioning groove during assembly, the assembly process of the sliding shaft will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0162] See also Figure 13a-Figure 13c , Figure 13a-Figure 13c It is a schematic diagram of the assembly steps of the sliding shaft in the hinge mechanism of the embodiment of the present application.

[0163] like Figure 13a-Figure 13c As shown, combined with Figure 8-Figure 10c It is understood that during assembly, the first swing arm 4 is first rotated to a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7. Then the sliding shaft 8 is placed in the positioning groove 90 (for example, in the second positioning groove 9B, or in the first positioning groove 9A, or in the first positioning groove 9A and the second positioning groove 9B), and then the sliding shaft 8 slides along the positioning groove 90 (for example, slides through the second positioning groove 9B and the first positioning groove 9A in sequence), and finally slides until it is completely out of the positioning groove 90. At this time, the sliding shaft 8 is located in the first sub-axis hole 44A of the first swing arm 4, the slide groove 711 of the support plate 7, and the second sub-axis hole 44B of the first swing arm 4 (or it can be understood that: the sliding shaft 8 is inserted into the slide groove 711, and the two ends are respectively located in the first sub-axis hole 44A and the second sub-axis hole 44B). Thereby, the installation of the sliding shaft 8 is completed.

[0164] Those skilled in the art can understand that the positioning groove 90 can also be provided only on the support plate 7 or the fixing bracket 6 to strengthen a single component to the greatest extent, and the present application does not limit this. The following specifically describes the situation where the positioning groove 90 is provided only on the support plate 7 or the fixing bracket 6 in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0165] See also Figure 14-15 , Fig.14 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of a first swing arm, a fixed bracket and a support plate of another implementation manner of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application; Fig.15 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a support plate of another implementation of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application.

[0166] like Figure 14-15 As shown, combined with Figure 8-Figure 9a It is understood that in another alternative embodiment, the positioning groove 90 can also be only provided on the support plate 7 (the specific structure of the positioning groove 90 can be referred to above and will not be repeated here). The positioning groove 90 is recessed inward from the surface of the support plate 7 toward the fixing bracket 6. In this case, it can be understood that the support plate 7 portion in the installation space 34 is in the second direction y ( Fig.14 In the embodiment of the present invention, the fixing bracket 6 is thickened in the direction of the paper (in the y direction, the y direction is the direction perpendicular to the paper surface), and the thickened part is recessed inward to form a positioning portion 9 (for example, a positioning groove 90). Accordingly, the fixing bracket 6 is set as a space-avoiding structure in the region of the positioning portion 9 (or can be understood as in the installation space 34) to avoid interference with the support plate 7 during relative rotation. At this time, only the support plate 7 is set in the installation space 34, thereby maximizing the physical structure volume of the support plate 7, and further maximizing the structural strength of the support plate 7.

[0167] like Figure 14-15 As shown, combined with Figure 13a-Figure 13c It is understood that, correspondingly, the assembly steps at this time are: first, the first swing arm 4 is rotated to a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7. Then, the sliding shaft 8 is placed in the positioning groove 90, and then the sliding shaft 8 slides along the positioning groove 90. After the sliding shaft 8 slides out of the positioning groove 90, the installation of the sliding shaft 8 is completed.

[0168] See also Figure 16-17 , Fig.16 This is a schematic diagram of the coordination of a first swing arm, a fixed bracket and a support plate of another implementation manner of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application; Fig.17 This is a schematic diagram of the partial structure of a fixing bracket of another implementation manner of the hinge mechanism of an embodiment of the present application.

[0169] like Figure 16-17 As shown, combined with Figure 8-Figure 9aIt is understood that in another alternative embodiment, the positioning groove 90 can also be only provided on the fixed bracket 6. In this case, the fixed bracket 6 includes a main body 63 and an extension portion 64 (the structure of the fixed bracket 6 can be referred to above and will not be repeated here). The positioning groove 90 is recessed inward from the surface of the extension portion 64 of the fixed bracket 6 away from the support plate 7. In this case, it can be understood that only the extension portion 64 of the fixed bracket 6 is provided in the installation space 34, and the extension portion 64 is recessed inward to form the positioning portion 9 (for example, the positioning groove 90). Accordingly, the support plate 7 at this time is provided as an air avoidance structure in the area of ​​the positioning portion 9 (or can be understood as in the installation space 34) to avoid interference with the fixed bracket 6 during relative rotation. In this case, only the fixed bracket 6 is provided in the installation space 34, thereby maximizing the physical structure volume of the fixed bracket 6, thereby maximizing the structural strength of the fixed bracket 6.

[0170] like Figure 16-17 As shown, combined with Figure 13a-Figure 13c It is understood that, correspondingly, the assembly steps at this time are: first, the first swing arm 4 is rotated to a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket 6 and the support plate 7. Then, the sliding shaft 8 is placed in the positioning groove 90, and then the sliding shaft 8 slides along the positioning groove 90. After the sliding shaft 8 slides out of the positioning groove 90, the installation of the sliding shaft 8 is completed.

[0171] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications to the present application without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. Thus, if these modifications and variations of the present application fall within the scope of the claims of the present application and their equivalents, the present application is also intended to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A hinge mechanism, comprising a middle beam, a first rotating shaft assembly and a second rotating shaft assembly, wherein the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly are respectively arranged on both sides of the middle beam and are rotatably connected to the middle beam, characterized in that: Each of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly comprises: a first swing arm, one end of which is connected to the middle beam so that the first swing arm can rotate relative to the middle beam around a first axis; A fixed bracket connected to the other end of the first swing arm; A support plate, wherein the support plate is arranged on one side of the fixed bracket and can rotate relative to the fixed bracket, and a boss portion is provided on the surface of the support plate facing the fixed bracket, and the boss portion is slidably connected to the first swing arm through a sliding structure, and the sliding structure includes a sliding shaft and a sliding groove that are slidably connected to each other, and the sliding shaft is penetrated through the shaft hole of the first swing arm along its axial direction, and the sliding groove is arranged on the boss portion of the support plate, and the sliding shaft is slidably connected to the sliding groove along the extension direction of the sliding groove, so that when the first swing arm rotates relative to the middle beam, the corresponding support plate can be driven to rotate relative to the fixed bracket; At least one of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly also includes a positioning portion, which is arranged on the surface of the support plate facing the fixed bracket and / or the fixed bracket, and is configured as follows: when the first swing arm is located at a predetermined position relative to the fixed bracket and the support plate to assemble the sliding shaft, the positioning portion can be used to place and position the sliding shaft, and the sliding shaft placed on the positioning portion can be inserted into the shaft hole and the slide groove of the support plate from one end of the shaft hole of the first swing arm along a first direction under the action of external force; wherein, the first direction is or is parallel to the direction of the axis of the shaft hole of the first swing arm.

2. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The positioning portion extends along the first direction and is configured as follows: when the first swing arm is assembled with the sliding shaft at the predetermined position, the sliding shaft placed on the positioning portion can slide in the positioning portion along the first direction toward the axial hole close to the first swing arm under the action of external force; when the sliding shaft slides to a position that is separated from the positioning portion, the sliding shaft is at least located in the axial hole of the first swing arm.

3. The hinge mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the sliding shaft slides to a position away from the positioning portion, the sliding shaft is at least located in the shaft hole of the first swing arm and in the sliding groove of the support plate.

4. The hinge mechanism according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first swing arm is provided with: an avoidance hole for the boss portion of the support plate to pass through, the axial hole of the first swing arm comprises a first sub-axial hole and a second sub-axial hole that are coaxial and spaced apart in the axial direction thereof, the avoidance hole is located between the first sub-axial hole and the second sub-axial hole, an end of the first sub-axial hole away from the second sub-axial hole constitutes one end of the axial hole, and an end of the second sub-axial hole away from the first sub-axial hole constitutes the other end of the axial hole, and the sliding shaft is sequentially penetrated through the first sub-axial hole of the first swing arm, the slide groove of the support plate and the second sub-axial hole of the first swing arm along the axial direction thereof; When the sliding shaft slides to a position disengaged from the positioning portion, the sliding shaft is located at least in the first sub-shaft hole of the first swing arm, in the sliding groove of the support plate, and in the second sub-shaft hole of the first swing arm.

5. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The positioning portion is a positioning groove, and the notch of the positioning groove faces the direction away from the supporting surface of the supporting plate, and the supporting surface of the supporting plate is the surface of the supporting plate away from the fixing bracket.

6. The hinge mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The positioning groove has a first groove portion, which is set as an arc-shaped groove; the groove bottom of the arc-shaped groove constitutes the groove bottom of the positioning groove, and is configured so that the sliding shaft can be clamped inside to limit the rotation of the sliding shaft along its circumferential direction relative to the arc-shaped groove, and the sliding shaft can slide relative to the arc-shaped groove along its axial direction.

7. The hinge mechanism according to claim 6, characterized in that: The positioning groove further comprises a second groove portion, the groove bottom of the second groove portion is connected to the groove opening of the first groove portion, and the groove opening of the second groove portion constitutes the groove opening of the positioning groove; The wall surface of the second groove portion is configured as: a plane extending in the first direction and the second direction and tangent to the wall surface of the first groove portion, and part or the whole of the sliding axis in its radial direction can be embedded in the positioning groove; wherein, the second direction is perpendicular to the first direction.

8. The hinge mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fixing bracket comprises a main body and an extension portion; the extension portion and the main body are sequentially connected and relatively fixed in a third direction; the third direction is perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction; The positioning groove includes a first positioning groove and a second positioning groove arranged along its extension direction; at least a portion of the first positioning groove is recessed inward from the extension portion of the fixed bracket away from the surface of the support plate, and at least a portion of the second positioning groove is recessed inward from the support plate toward the surface of the fixed bracket.

9. The hinge mechanism according to claim 8, characterized in that: One end of the extension portion away from the shaft hole of the first swing arm is also connected to the main body. In the first direction, the first swing arm, the extension portion and the main body are arranged in sequence.

10. The hinge mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The fixing bracket comprises a main body and an extension part, wherein the extension part and the main body are sequentially connected in the third direction and relatively fixed; The positioning groove is recessed inwardly from a surface of the extending portion of the fixing bracket away from the supporting plate.

11. The hinge mechanism according to claim 5, characterized in that: The positioning groove is recessed inwardly from the support plate toward the surface of the fixing bracket.

12. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The fixing bracket adopts an integrated structure.

13. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: Each of the first rotating shaft assembly and the second rotating shaft assembly includes the positioning portion.

14. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The predetermined position is: the position of the first swing arm relative to the fixed bracket and the support plate when the hinge mechanism is in a folded state; One end of the first swing arm is slidably connected to the middle beam through an arc-shaped sliding structure, so that the first swing arm rotates relative to the middle beam around the first axis, and the other end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the fixed bracket through a first connecting shaft; The hinge mechanism also includes a second swing arm, one end of which is rotatably connected to the middle beam through a second connecting shaft, and the other end of which is slidably connected to the fixed bracket.

15. A folding device, comprising a first shell and a second shell, characterized in that: It also includes a hinge mechanism as described in any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the first shell and the second shell are rotatably connected via the hinge mechanism so that the first shell and the second shell can be relatively folded or relatively unfolded, wherein the first shell is fixedly connected to the fixed bracket of the first rotating shaft assembly, and the second shell is fixedly connected to the fixed bracket of the second rotating shaft assembly.

16. A foldable electronic device, comprising a display screen, characterized in that: Also includes the folding device as claimed in claim 15, wherein the display screen is laid on one side of the folding device; When the foldable electronic device is in a folded state, the folding device surrounds the outer side of the display screen.

Images