Hinge and intelligent terminal

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides a hinge and an intelligent terminal. The hinge is used for the intelligent terminal and comprises a rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly comprises a torsion unit, the torsion unit comprises a middle frame connecting piece used for being fixed to a middle frame of the intelligent terminal and a synchronous movement assembly connected with a first part of the middle frame connecting piece in a relative sliding mode, and the hinge further comprises a valve. The valve is connected with the middle frame connecting piece, the synchronous movement assembly is provided with a cylindrical surface, the valve is provided with a track curved surface, and the cylindrical surface is always in contact with the track curved surface and moves relatively in the unfolding or folding process of the hinge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of foldable devices, and in particular, to a hinge and a smart terminal. Background Art

[0002] This section is intended to provide background information relevant to understanding the various technologies described herein. As implied by the title of this section, this is a discussion of related technologies that should not in any way imply that they are necessarily prior art. Therefore, it should be understood that any statement in this section should be read from this perspective, rather than any admission of prior art.

[0003] With the continuous development of display technology, foldable display terminals are gradually becoming a development trend of future mobile electronic products. When unfolded, foldable display terminals can obtain a larger display area to improve the viewing effect. When folded, foldable display terminals can obtain a smaller volume, which is convenient for users to carry. Foldable terminals are getting thinner and thinner, requiring the thickness of the hinge to be extremely thin. In order to provide enough space for components and increase battery capacity, the hinge width direction is required to be as narrow as possible. Utility Model Content

[0004] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided:

[0005] A hinge for a smart terminal, wherein the hinge includes a rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly includes a torsion unit, the torsion unit includes a middle frame connector for fixing to the middle frame of the smart terminal, and a synchronous motion assembly connected to a first portion of the middle frame connector in a relatively slidable manner, the hinge also includes a valve, the valve is connected to the middle frame connector, the synchronous motion assembly is constructed with a cylindrical surface, the valve is constructed with a track curved surface, the cylindrical surface is always in contact with the track curved surface and relative motion occurs during the unfolding or folding process of the hinge.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the valve structure has a limiting column, and the first part of the middle frame connecting member has a limiting notch. When the hinge is flattened, the limiting notch abuts against the limiting column and prevents the valve from further expanding.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the synchronous motion assembly is configured with a valve supporting portion, and when the hinge is flattened, the valve supporting portion supports the valve.

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the hinge further includes a hinge cover, and the rotating shaft assembly is installed on the hinge cover.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hinge also includes a connecting frame, the connecting frame is connected to the rotating shaft assembly, the hinge cover covers the connecting frame, the number of the valves is two, and they are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the connecting frame, and the number of the rotating shaft assemblies is at least two, and they are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the first portion of the middle frame connecting member is configured with a moving space, and the synchronous motion component is configured to move within the moving space along with the rotational movement of the middle frame connecting member.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torsion unit also includes a spring assembly that cooperates with the synchronous motion assembly, and the synchronous motion assembly is configured to be movable along with the rotational movement of the middle frame connector and to change the feedback force of the spring assembly during the movement.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the synchronous motion assembly includes a first synchronous motion member and a second synchronous motion member, and the torsion unit also includes a first cam member, a cam fixing member with a fixed position, and a second cam member, the first side of the first cam member cooperates with the first side cam of the first synchronous motion member, the second side of the first synchronous motion member cooperates with the first side cam of the cam fixing member, the first side of the second synchronous motion member cooperates with the first side cam of the second cam member, and the second side of the second cam member abuts against the spring assembly.

[0013] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the spring assembly includes a square spring and a round spring connected in parallel, and the round spring is arranged between two of the square springs.

[0014] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torque unit also includes a series-connecting shaft, which is sequentially connected in series with the first cam member, the first synchronous moving member, the cam fixing member, the second synchronous moving member, the second cam member and the spring assembly, and the series-connecting shaft head of the series-connecting shaft abuts against the second side of the first cam member.

[0015] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the torsion unit also includes a movable block and a movable retaining spring, the first side of the block abuts against the spring assembly, the second side of the block abuts against the first side of the retaining spring, and the tail of the serial shaft of the serial shaft abuts against the second side of the retaining spring.

[0016] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the flattened position or the folded position of the rotating shaft assembly, the first cam member and the cam fixing member both cooperate with the first synchronous moving member in a non-convex-concave manner, and the second synchronous moving member cooperates with the second cam member in a non-convex-concave manner.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in the transition position between the flattened position and the folded position, the first cam member and the cam fixing member can both convexly cooperate with the first synchronous moving member, and the second synchronous moving member can convexly cooperate with the second cam member.

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the torque unit further includes a synchronous gear, which is disposed between the cam fixing member and the second cam member, and the synchronous gear is meshed with a gear portion of the second synchronous moving member.

[0019] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the hinge assembly also includes a track unit, which includes a rotating member and a bottom cover, the first end of the rotating member is rotatably connected to the second part of the middle frame connecting member, the bottom cover forms a rotation space, the second end of the rotating member is connected in the rotation space, and the second end of the rotating member can rotate in the rotation space.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a smart terminal is provided, wherein the smart terminal includes any one of the above hinges.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the smart terminal further includes the middle frame and a flexible display screen, the middle frame is fixed to the middle frame connector, and the flexible display screen is fixed to the middle frame.

[0022] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there are two middle frames, and the two middle frames are fixed on both sides of the hinge.

[0023] According to an implementation of the present disclosure, when the smart terminal is flattened, the side walls of the two middle frames abut against each other and restrict further movement of the smart terminal along the unfolding direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] The above and other features of the present disclosure will become apparent with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0025] Figure 1 shows an exploded schematic diagram of a hinge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic structural diagram of a rotating shaft assembly in a flattened state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0027] Figure 3 An exploded schematic diagram of a rotating shaft assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0028] Figure 4A schematic structural diagram of a hinge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a flattened state viewed from the back (the hinge cover is hidden);

[0029] Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of a hinge in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0030] Figure 6 A schematic structural diagram of a valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0031] Figure 7 A method based on an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of

[0032] Figure 8 A side cross-sectional view of a hinge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure in a folded state cut based on a second synchronous moving member is shown;

[0033] Fig. 9 A schematic structural diagram of a second synchronous moving member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0034] Fig.10 A schematic diagram showing a valve limit design according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0035] Fig.11 Shown based on Fig.10 Exploded diagram of

[0036] Fig.12 A cross-sectional view based on a first synchronous moving member of a valve limit design according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown;

[0037] Fig.13 A schematic diagram of a middle frame stop design of a smart terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] It is easy to understand that according to the technical solution of the present disclosure, without changing the essential spirit of the present disclosure, a person skilled in the art can propose a variety of interchangeable structural modes and implementation modes. Therefore, the following specific implementation modes and drawings are only exemplary descriptions of the technical solution of the present disclosure, and should not be regarded as the entirety of the present disclosure or as a limitation or restriction to the technical solution of the present disclosure.

[0039] The directional terms such as up, down, left, right, front, back, front, back, top, bottom, etc. mentioned or may be mentioned in this specification are defined relative to the structures shown in the drawings. They are relative concepts and may change accordingly according to their different positions and different usage states. Therefore, these or other directional terms should not be interpreted as restrictive terms. In addition, the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. or similar expressions are only used for description and distinction purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying the relative importance of the corresponding components.

[0040] refer to Figures 1 to 9 , respectively showing an exploded schematic diagram of a hinge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; a structural schematic diagram of a shaft assembly in a flattened state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; an exploded schematic diagram of a shaft assembly according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; a structural schematic diagram of a hinge in a flattened state viewed from the back according to an embodiment of the present disclosure (the hinge cover is hidden); a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a hinge in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; a structural schematic diagram of a valve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; a hinge based on an embodiment of the present disclosure Figure 6 A partially enlarged view; a side sectional view of a hinge in a folded state based on a second synchronous moving member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and a structural schematic diagram showing a second synchronous moving member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] The hinge 1000 of the present disclosure is used for a smart terminal, wherein the hinge 1000 includes a shaft assembly 100, the shaft assembly 100 includes a torsion unit 1, the torsion unit 1 includes a middle frame connector 11 for fixing to the middle frame of the smart terminal, and a synchronous motion assembly 12 connected to a first portion 111 of the middle frame connector 11 in a relatively slidable manner, the hinge 1000 also includes a valve 10002, the valve 10002 is connected to the middle frame connector 11, and the synchronous motion assembly 12 is constructed with a cylindrical surface 1224 (such as Fig. 9 As shown), the valve 10002 is constructed with a track surface 100021, and the cylindrical surface 1224 is always in contact with the track surface 100021 and moves relative to it during the unfolding or folding process of the hinge 1000.

[0042] It should be understood that the smart terminal disclosed in the present invention is foldable, and there is no particular limitation on the specific form of the smart terminal, and smart terminals such as folding mobile phones and folding tablets can all be applicable. There is no particular limitation on the folding method of the smart terminal. For example, it can be folded left and right along the central axis in the longitudinal direction of the terminal, and it can also support folding up and down along the central axis in the transverse direction of the terminal. It only needs to adaptively adjust the features such as the size of the components of the hinge assembly. Similarly, the middle frame described in this article refers to the middle frame of the smart terminal, such as the middle frame of a foldable smartphone. However, although not elaborated in detail herein, the middle frames of other terminal devices, such as the middle frames of foldable tablets or other foldable laptop computers, may also be applicable.

[0043] By the user folding or unfolding the middle frame of the smart terminal, the middle frame connector can be triggered to rotate accordingly, so that the synchronous motion component rotates with the middle frame connector and can slide relative to the middle frame connector. At the same time, the middle frame connector also drives the valve to move. To this end, the valve can be connected to the middle frame connector in a relatively rotatable manner. Similarly, the valve is constructed with a cylindrical mating portion 100023 ( Figure 6 , Figure 7 ), and is connected to the middle frame connecting member through the valve pin 24. Here, the technical solution defines that during the opening and closing process of the hinge, the trajectory curved surface of the valve and the cylindrical surface of the synchronous motion component (such as the second synchronous motion member 122 to be described below) are always in contact and can move relative to each other. Therefore, during the opening and closing process, the specific reference Figure 8 , the valve moves relative to the second synchronous moving part according to the matching structure defined by the trajectory surface and the cylindrical surface, wherein, in the folded position, the cylindrical surface contacts the inner end of the trajectory surface, whereas in the unfolded position, the cylindrical surface contacts the outer end of the trajectory surface. Since the movement of the middle frame connecting member and the second synchronous moving member is determined, the setting of the movement trajectory and position of the valve is achieved in this way. That is to say, the cylindrical feature on the second synchronous moving member cooperates with the trajectory feature of the valve, and during the movement of the hinge, the two rotate relative to each other according to the arc of the trajectory, so that when the hinge is in the unfolded position, the valve is also flattened, and finally the display screen can be flattened. Of course, the shape, size of the cylindrical surface and the curvature of the trajectory surface can be modified according to the actual application and environment. In addition, the cylindrical surface and the trajectory surface can be set to arcs with different curvatures.

[0044] Combination Figures 10 to 12 , respectively show a schematic diagram of a valve limit design according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; based on Fig.10 and a cross-sectional view of a valve limit design based on a first synchronous moving member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] The valve 10002 is configured with a limiting column 100022, and the first portion 111 of the middle frame connector 11 is configured with a limiting notch 1111. When the hinge 1000 is flattened, the limiting notch 1111 abuts against the limiting column 100022 and prevents the valve 10002 from further expanding.

[0046] It should be understood that the flattened position / state herein refers to the position of the hinge assembly or hinge when it is fully opened (see Figure 2 , Figure 4 ), the folded position / state refers to the position when the hinge assembly or hinge is fully closed (see Figure 5 , Figure 8 ), the transition position between them can be called the intermediate position. It should also be understood that in the folded state / position, there is a certain gap between the limit post and the limit notch, but in the flattening process, the gap gradually shrinks until there is no gap, that is, in the unfolded position, the limit post abuts against the limit notch, preventing the valve from further unfolding, thereby allowing the valve to maintain a flattened posture in the unfolded position, achieving the purpose of preventing the valve from tilting back and hitting the screen, which is a flattening stop for the valve. It should also be understood that the number of limit posts and limit notches can be designed to be multiple, for example Figure 6 In the example, the valve is designed with 6 limit posts, so the number of limit notches is also 6. In addition, the track surface and the limit post can be constructed as an integral part or be borne by the shape characteristics of the same component, which can also refer to Figure 6 or reference Figure 7 It can be seen that when the valve is flattened, the synchronous motion components, such as the first and second synchronous motion parts to be introduced below, are also flattened along with the middle frame connecting member. Through the sliding connection, the middle frame connecting member constrains the two synchronous motion parts, which can ensure that the flattening angle is controlled at 180°±1°, playing a role in protecting the screen (wherein the middle frame connecting member is fixed on the middle frame, and the middle frame stop position can be achieved by the cooperation of the surface and the surface, which will be combined with the following Fig.13 The middle frame stop position is illustrated in FIG. 1 , and the valve stop position is at the middle frame connecting piece).

[0047] In order to prevent the valve from tilting back and hitting the screen, a stopper for flattening the valve is added to this design. Specifically, additionally or supplementarily, the synchronous motion assembly 12 is configured with a valve support portion, and when the hinge 1000 is flattened, the valve support portion supports the valve 10002.

[0048] Here, the first synchronous moving member 121 and the second synchronous moving member 122 to be explained below can be respectively configured with respective first valve support parts 1213 and second valve support parts 1225, so as to provide support force for the valve, and better bear the weight of the valve and the display screen thereon, as well as the user's pressing of the display screen. In addition, during the movement from the flat position to the folded position, the driving force of each synchronous moving member to the valve is transmitted through each valve support part, and the posture control effect of the valve is realized in combination with the cylindrical surface and the track surface explained above.

[0049] refer to Figure 1 , the hinge 1000 also includes a hinge cover 10003, and the rotating shaft assembly 100 is installed on the hinge cover 10003. When assembled into a smart terminal or an electronic device, the hinge cover is an appearance protection part visible to the user. Therefore, the outer side of the hinge cover can be constructed into a rectangle with a chamfer to provide a simple aesthetic. The inner side of the hinge cover is adaptively designed according to actual needs. For example, the hinge cover is designed with a plurality of bolt holes to fix the bottom cover, cam fixing part, connecting frame and other parts to be introduced below. Since the hinge cover is not the focus of the present disclosure, it will not be elaborated here.

[0050] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the hinge 1000 also includes a connecting frame 10001, the connecting frame 10001 is connected to the rotating shaft assembly 100, the hinge cover 10003 covers the connecting frame 10001, the number of the valves 10002 is two, and they are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the connecting frame 10001, and the number of the rotating shaft assemblies 100 is at least two, which are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame 10001.

[0051] In particular, when there are multiple shaft assemblies, the connecting frame plays a role in connecting the shaft assemblies and fixing the shaft assemblies to the hinge cover. The directions of the multiple shaft assemblies can also be different, for example, Figure 1 It can be seen that the track units or bottom covers of the rotating shaft assemblies at both ends are outside (for example, considering the anti-fall ability and other reasons), while the middle rotating shaft assembly has a track unit on one side and a torsion unit on the other side. Then, the torsion unit (for example, a retaining spring) of the rotating shaft assembly at one end is oriented toward the track unit (for example, a bottom cover) of the middle rotating shaft assembly, while the retaining spring of the rotating shaft assembly at the other end and the middle rotating shaft assembly are opposite to each other. Therefore, similar to the above, in order to achieve an adaptive connection, it should be known that the design of the connecting frame, the bottom cover and other components can be modified, depending on the relative position and orientation of the rotating shaft assembly. In addition, the connecting frame can also be constructed with a recessed portion 100011 ( Figure 1 ), the valve is constructed with a corresponding protrusion 100024 ( Figure 1 , Figure 6 ). In the flattened position, the protrusion can be engaged with the recessed portion, and in the folded position, the protrusion can be separated from the recessed portion, so that the entire hinge structure can be more compact, stable and have better movement stability. Of course, other numbers of shaft assemblies are also feasible, such as two, four, etc., depending on the length of the hinge or smart terminal in the longitudinal direction to be applied.

[0052] refer to Figure 3 In order to support the movement of the synchronous motion component, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, the first part 111 of the middle frame connecting member 11 is configured with a moving space 1112, and the synchronous motion component 12 (in this case, the first synchronous motion member 121) is configured to move in the moving space 1112 as the middle frame connecting member 11 rotates.

[0053] Therefore, it is feasible that the first part of the middle frame connecting member is provided with opposing grooves, and the first and second synchronous moving members are correspondingly configured with wings matching the shape of the grooves, such as plate-shaped wings, and the wings are inserted into the grooves to provide support for the sliding movement of the two synchronous moving members relative to the middle frame connecting member. At the same time, the spacing between the opposing grooves of the first synchronous moving member or the spacing between the groove walls thereof is configured to be greater than the length of the main part of the first synchronous moving member, so as to configure a moving space of sufficient size to support the left and right movement of the first synchronous moving member (in terms of Figure 2 perspective); relatively speaking, the corresponding accommodating area of ​​the first part of the middle frame connecting member for the second synchronous moving member can be constructed to be slightly smaller to balance the size of the entire component.

[0054] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly with reference to Figure 2 , Figure 3 The torsion unit 1 also includes a spring assembly 13 that cooperates with the synchronous motion assembly 12 (including direct or indirect cooperation), and the synchronous motion assembly 12 is configured to be movable with the rotational movement of the middle frame connecting member 11 and to change the feedback force of the spring assembly 13 during the movement.

[0055] Therefore, the technical solution specifically limits that the synchronous motion component can be movable with the rotation of the middle frame connector (for example, moving along the longitudinal direction or length direction of the hinge), and changes the feedback force of the spring component during the movement. That is to say, at the same time, the synchronous motion component (including a part of it) also moves and triggers the spring component to generate different feedback forces, so as to provide different hand feelings in the unfolded, folded or intermediate state, especially to support the hovering effect and the user can change the state of the hinge from the hovering position without excessive force. It can be seen that the technical solution triggers different force feedback by moving the synchronous motion component and cooperating with the spring component, and can utilize the movement of the synchronous motion component generated during the opening and closing of the hinge, so that it participates in or contributes to the change of force feedback, reducing the burden of the spring component, and the spring component can also be made smaller, but the effect of force feedback can be maintained, which contributes to the thinness and cost-effectiveness of the hinge. This solution provides the following possibility, that is, the design of thickness and width is taken into account, and the design requirements of consumer electronic devices for thin, narrow and strong hinges are met while ensuring the strength of the hinge.

[0056] In a specific embodiment, the synchronous motion component 12 includes a first synchronous motion member 121 and a second synchronous motion member 122, and the torsion unit 1 also includes a first cam member 14, a fixed cam fixing member 15 and a second cam member 16, the first side 141 of the first cam member 14 is cam-matched with the first side 1211 of the first synchronous motion member 121, the second side 1212 of the first synchronous motion member 121 is cam-matched with the first side 151 of the cam fixing member 15, the first side 1221 of the second synchronous motion member 122 is cam-matched with the first side 161 of the second cam member 16, and the second side 162 of the second cam member 16 is in contact with the spring assembly 13.

[0057] Here, illustratively, the first synchronous moving part assumes the movable function of the synchronous moving assembly, while the second synchronous moving part can be made into a form of movement without movement but only rotation, for illustration, and the opposite configuration can also be adopted. This example also provides a specific implementation method for realizing movement and cooperating with the spring assembly, wherein the cam fixing part is configured to be fixed in position. It should be understood that this means that the cam fixing part is fixed in position in the hinge and will not change position with the opening and closing movement of the hinge. Therefore, the movement and interaction of each part during the opening and closing process can be judged based on the cam fixing part. Figure 2For example, when the hinge is folded, the middle frame connecting member rotates, driving the first and second synchronous moving members to rotate, and the two synchronous moving members slide relative to the middle frame connecting member. Since the cam fixing member is fixed in position, the cam of the first synchronous moving member moves to the left due to the interaction with the cam of the cam fixing member, and due to the interaction between the cam on the other side of the first synchronous moving member and the cam of the first cam member, the first cam member also moves to the left. As will be explained below, this leftward movement will eventually develop into compression of the right end of the spring assembly to achieve the adjustment of the force feedback size. On the other hand, since the cam fixing member is fixed in position and there is no cam matching between it and the second synchronous moving member, the second synchronous moving member only rotates. On this basis, since the second synchronous moving member has a cam matching with the second cam member, the rotation of the second synchronous moving member is converted into the second cam member moving to the right through this cam matching, so that the left end of the spring assembly is compressed accordingly, achieving the adjustment of the force feedback size. This embodiment specifically explains how to skillfully utilize the movement of the synchronous motion component to achieve coordination with the spring component and thereby adjust the hand feel, and can achieve the technical effects mentioned above.

[0058] from Figure 2 It can also be seen that the second side 152 of the cam fixing member 15 is fitted with the second side 1222 of the second synchronous moving member 122. Therefore, combined with the above explanation of the working relationship of these components, it can be understood that during the rotation of the second synchronous moving member, it can rub against the cam fixing member due to this fitting design, thereby also making a certain contribution to the feedback force, and can also achieve the effect of relieving the burden of the spring assembly, but the effect of force feedback can be maintained, contributing to the thinness and cost-effectiveness of the hinge. The specific friction force can be set according to actual needs, and can be flexibly and flexibly adjusted by parameters such as the degree of compression, material (which determines the friction coefficient), and fitting area of ​​the two.

[0059] As for the specific implementation of the spring assembly, exemplarily, the spring assembly 13 includes a square spring 131 and a round spring 132 connected in parallel, and the round spring 132 is arranged between the two square springs 131 .

[0060] It should be understood that square springs and round springs refer to square springs and round springs, respectively. The characteristics of square springs include: good shock absorption and vibration isolation effects; the square spring has a unique shape and can provide elastic deformation effects different from round springs; the wire diameter is relatively large and the load-bearing capacity is stronger. The characteristics of round springs include: good toughness, especially for use in some harsh environments, and good adaptability to high temperature, harsh media, etc.; usually a circular cross-section, a relatively small wire diameter, and a simple manufacturing process. In this case, the two outer square springs are constructed larger and mainly contribute to the feedback force, and the round springs are constructed smaller to provide feedback force as an auxiliary. At the same time, the smaller size can reduce the floor space and achieve a balance in the space occupancy of the overall parts. Those skilled in the art know that the size, shape, type, material, stiffness coefficient, connection method (series, parallel, mixed), layout position, quantity and other characteristics of the spring can be adjusted according to actual needs.

[0061] As already mentioned briefly above, the first cam member is moved to the left (by Figure 2 From the perspective of the present invention, the movement of the torsion unit 1 (from the perspective of the present invention) can cause the compression of the right end of the spring assembly by some means. A feasible implementation method is given here, that is, the torsion unit 1 also includes a series connection shaft 17, and the series connection shaft 17 is sequentially connected in series with the first cam member 14, the first synchronous moving member 121, the cam fixing member 15, the second synchronous moving member 122, the second cam member 16 and the spring assembly 13, and the series connection shaft head 171 of the series connection shaft 17 abuts (including directly or indirectly abuts) the second side 142 of the first cam member 14. In addition, the torsion unit 1 also includes a movable stopper 18 and a movable retaining spring 19, the first side 181 of the stopper 18 abuts the spring assembly 13, the second side 182 of the stopper 18 abuts the first side 191 of the retaining spring 19, and the series connection shaft tail 172 of the series connection shaft 17 abuts the second side 192 of the retaining spring 19.

[0062] It can be seen that the head of the serial connection shaft abuts against the second side ( Figure 2The left side is the left side in the middle), so that the leftward movement of the first cam member can be converted into the leftward movement of the serial shaft, and the tail of the serial shaft also moves to the left. Since the tail of the serial shaft abuts against the retaining spring, the retaining spring abuts against the block, and the block abuts against the spring assembly, the leftward movement of the tail of the serial shaft will be converted into the leftward movement of the retaining spring and the block in turn, and thus the right end of the spring assembly will be compressed. Combined with the design explained above, the movement of the second synchronous moving member ultimately compresses the left end of the spring assembly, and the two ends of the spring assembly are compressed, and the displacement generated by the moving member will be absorbed by the spring assembly, further achieving the technical effect mentioned above. Therefore, in this example, three groups of cams and friction surfaces are used, among which the cam group composed of the first synchronous moving part and the first cam part is a moving part, which can achieve the expected force feedback and feel, especially the larger feedback force (peak feel) in the late stage of the deployment process and the late stage of the merging process. At the same time, due to the design of the cam group into three groups and the sharing of the spring assembly, the cam and spring assemblies can be made smaller, meeting the requirements of ultra-thin hinges, and at the same time can control the number of parts, costs, and reduce the assembly steps of parts, and still achieve the aforementioned peak feel.

[0063] The serial connection can be realized, for example, by making holes at the corresponding parts of the parts involved, and the serial connection shaft passes through the holes to realize the serial connection of the parts involved. In the case where the spring assembly is a spring group, since the springs of the spring group are usually empty in the middle, the space can be used for serial connection. In addition, in order to cooperate with the spring assembly (such as a spring group) and the serial connection shaft, the block can be constructed with an opening for the serial connection shaft, and a support surface is reserved for supporting one end of the spring assembly. A cylinder extending toward the direction of the spring assembly can also be constructed in the middle of the block. The cylinder can extend into the middle space formed by the round spring of the spring assembly, so as to provide a certain position fixing and motion guiding effect for the round spring, so that during the opening and closing process, the shape or position change of the round spring during compression or extension can be limited by the cylinder, and can have a higher degree of restoration. In terms of square springs, the above technical effects are achieved by the serial connection shaft. In addition, the block is also constructed with a mask portion to provide a certain degree of protection for the spring group. Of course, the shape and size of the mask portion should not affect the arrangement and operation of the spring group, and a certain amount of space should be left with the second cam member to leave room for the movement of the second cam member. In terms of the design of the retaining spring, in order to cooperate with the serial shaft, corresponding openings can be opened at both ends for the serial shaft to pass through. In addition, it can be seen from the above explanation of the technical solution disclosed in the present invention that during the opening and closing process, the leftward movement of the tail of the serial shaft will be converted into the leftward movement of the retaining spring, so the retaining spring is a movable part. However, with regard to the fixation of the hinge, in this example, the cam fixing part is fixed to the hinge cover by means of threaded fasteners 25 such as bolts or screws, and the bottom cover which will be explained below is fixed to the hinge cover by means of bolts alone or together with the connecting frame, and the retaining spring and the connecting frame are fixed to the hinge cover by means of bolts, so as to complete the fixation of the internal parts of the hinge. Therefore, in order to support the movement of the retaining spring, the space 193 for the bolt to pass through the retaining spring is set to be larger than the outer diameter of the screw rod of the bolt used, so as to achieve the fixation between the connecting frame and the hinge cover while supporting the left and right movement of the retaining spring during the opening and closing process.

[0064] With respect to the mutual cooperation mode of the above-mentioned cam designs, in some embodiments of the present disclosure, in the flattened position or the folded position of the rotating shaft assembly 100, the first cam member 14 and the cam fixing member 15 are both non-convex-convexly matched with the first synchronous moving member 121, and the second synchronous moving member 122 is non-convex-convexly matched with the second cam member 16. Moreover, in the transition position between the flattened position and the folded position, the first cam member 14 and the cam fixing member 15 are both able to convex-convexly match with the first synchronous moving member 121, and the second synchronous moving member 122 is able to convex-convexly match with the second cam member 16.

[0065] The technical solution defines the cam matching situation of the extreme position (flattened, folded position) of the rotating shaft assembly as non-convex-convex matching, that is, it can be concave-convex matching or convex-concave matching. Of course, the concave-convex and convex-concave matching here does not require the top of one cam to completely extend into the concave part of the other cam. There is a convex-convex matching at the transition position. That is to say, from an extreme position, during the opening and closing process, the non-convex-convex matching will be transformed into a convex-convex matching, and the feedback force will gradually increase to prompt the user that the opening and closing state of the smart terminal is about to change, thereby achieving the compression effect of the spring group and providing corresponding force feedback and feel. In the process of convex-convex matching, the force feedback changes very little or does not change, and before or when reaching another extreme position, it will be transformed into a non-convex-convex matching again, releasing the compression of the spring group, and the spring force will become a driving force to promote the current opening and closing movement, so it will give the user a feeling of reaching the extreme position smoothly, and give the user a completion signal that the extreme position has been reached. It should be understood that the setting of the feedback force and the size of the hand feeling, as well as the time point when the feedback force changes or the corresponding relationship with the current position of the shaft assembly, can be adjusted by designing the cam shape, such as the height and length of the cam protrusion, the slope of the cam bevel, etc. In this example, in the unfolded state, the cooperation of each cam group is that the bevels of the two cams abut each other, so when closing the shaft assembly from the unfolded state to the folded state, the feedback force will increase, and therefore the required force will also increase, which is equivalent to providing a hovering effect. The convex-convex cooperation of the cam in the middle position will also provide a similar hovering effect, and provide the above-mentioned following effect before or when changing to the folded position, and vice versa. Figuratively speaking, during the opening and closing process, there will be climbing, parallel, and downhill processes and feelings.

[0066] In some embodiments of the present disclosure, the torque unit 1 further includes a synchronous gear 20 , which is disposed between the cam fixing member 15 and the second cam member 16 , and the synchronous gear 20 is meshed with the gear portion 1223 of the second synchronous moving member 122 .

[0067] The design of the synchronous gear and its meshing with the gear part enable multiple second synchronous motion parts to move synchronously. For example, when the shaft assembly has two sets of synchronous motion parts on both sides along the longitudinal direction, even if the user only operates the synchronous motion parts on one side, the synchronous rotation of both sides can still be achieved, which is more suitable for the common foldable electronic devices at present. In this design, it should be known that two synchronous gears that mesh with each other can be set and mesh with the second synchronous motion parts on one side respectively to achieve synchronous transmission of opening and closing movements.

[0068] It should be noted that, combined with Figures 2 to 5The hinge assembly 100 also includes a track unit 2, which includes a rotating member 21 and a bottom cover 22. The first end 211 of the rotating member 21 is rotatably connected to the second portion 112 of the middle frame connecting member 11. The bottom cover 22 forms a rotation space 221. The second end 212 of the rotating member 21 is connected to the rotation space 221, and the second end 212 of the rotating member 21 can rotate in the rotation space 221.

[0069] Through the design of the rotatable connection between the rotating moving part and the middle frame connecting part, the linkage effect between the middle frame connecting part and the synchronous motion component and the rotating moving part is realized. That is, while the middle frame connecting part rotates and slides relative to the synchronous motion component, there is also a relative rotational movement between the middle frame connecting part and the rotating moving part. Therefore, the entire shaft assembly can be regarded as a multi-link mechanism with a slider (multi-link slider mechanism), which provides a possibility that the relative sliding amplitude between the middle frame connecting part and the synchronous motion component can be indirectly defined by the rotation range of the rotating moving part in the rotation space of the bottom cover. This definition method is relatively convenient and cost-effective. The rotation angle of the rotating shaft assembly can be limited by designing the rotating moving part and the bottom cover without changing the structure or position relationship between the middle frame connecting part and the synchronous motion component, thereby ensuring the stability of core components such as the middle frame connecting part and the synchronous motion component. Specifically, in order to facilitate rotation, the second end of the rotating moving part is configured with an arc portion, and the rotation space of the bottom cover is correspondingly configured with or configured as an arc-shaped accommodating portion, and the size of the arc circumference of the two can be determined according to the angle range to be rotated.

[0070] In order to support the rotation of the rotating member relative to the middle frame connecting member, illustratively, the first end of the rotating member is configured with an opening, and the second part of the middle frame connecting member is configured with a receiving portion for receiving the first end and a hole corresponding to the opening of the first end, thereby, these holes are connected by the track pin 23 ( Figure 3 ) through, thereby supporting this relative rotational movement. In addition, as briefly mentioned above, the bottom cover is provided with an opening for the passage of a bolt, for example, depending on the position of the shaft assembly in the hinge, the bolt is used to connect the bottom cover to the hinge cover, or to fix the bottom cover to the connecting frame to the hinge cover. According to different positional relationships or connection methods, the shape of the bottom cover can also be adaptively modified or adjusted. In a similar manner, the middle frame connecting member (for example, its second part) can also be rotatably connected to the rotating moving member and the valve at the same time through the track pin 23.

[0071] In addition, in an optional embodiment, the second side 152 of the cam fixing member 15 is configured with a first limiting portion, and the second side 1222 of the second synchronous moving member 122 is configured with a second limiting portion. During the rotation of the rotating shaft assembly 100, the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion can abut against each other and limit the further rotation of the rotating shaft assembly 100. Therefore, this example provides an implementation of a hard limit to form a terminal position stop of the rotating shaft assembly. The two limiting portions can be exemplarily configured as an arc body, extending on the second side with a certain arc length, and the arc length defines the rotatable range of the rotating shaft assembly, and the stop is achieved by abutting between the ends of the limiting portions.

[0072] The present disclosure also relates to a smart terminal, wherein the smart terminal includes any of the above-mentioned hinges 1000, and thus covers various specific implementations derived from such hinges and various technical effects that can be achieved. As mentioned above, the smart terminal can be a foldable mobile phone or a foldable tablet computer, and there is no restriction on the folding method, such as left-right folding along the central axis of the longitudinal direction of the device, up-and-down folding along the central axis of the transverse direction of the device, etc. After understanding the technical spirit of the present disclosure, those skilled in the art can adaptively modify the number, shape, layout position and other features of the hinge components as needed to meet actual needs.

[0073] In some embodiments, the smart terminal further includes the middle frame and a flexible display screen, the middle frame is fixed to the middle frame connector 11, and the flexible display screen is fixed to the middle frame.

[0074] It should be understood that the user can operate the display screen or the middle frame to realize the opening and closing movement of the electronic device, and the movement of the middle frame will drive the middle frame connector to make corresponding opening and closing movements, thereby realizing various technical functions and technical effects according to the principles explained above. Figure 8It can be seen that according to the hinge realized by the present disclosure, in the folded state, the middle part of the display screen is constrained by the valve to form a teardrop shape, or the inner contour formed by the valve, the synchronous motion component, the cam fixing component, and the first and second cam components forms a teardrop shape. This teardrop shape can be achieved by controlling the plane structure and posture of the valve surface of the valve in the folded state, as well as the arc-shaped features of the outer surfaces of the above-mentioned parts (the surface opposite to the outer side of the hinge cover). This scheme solves the problem of insufficient flattening force of ultra-thin hinges by using this teardrop method and synchronous cam displacement. When using three rotating shaft assemblies, the number of parts is reduced under the condition that the 9 groups of cams of the hinge cooperate, and the number of parts of the entire hinge is controlled to about 70 to 90, which greatly reduces the cost, saves space, and improves the utilization rate of space. With the reduction in the number of parts, the volume of the entire hinge is reduced, and the weight is reduced (for example, the hinge is finally 15 to 16 grams), which solves the difficulty of weight reduction, and the expected technical effect is maintained. Therefore, combined with Figure 8 It can also be seen that when the electronic device is closed, the middle frame connector moves. At the same time, affected by the tension of the screen, the valve may open to a certain angle, and the size of the angle depends on the shape of the water droplets on the screen; in the process of unfolding the electronic device, the valve will be squeezed by the second synchronous moving part (for example, through its cylindrical surface or the valve support part) to unfold to a surface parallel to the middle frame, thereby supporting the screen and avoiding falling and possible collision.

[0075] refer to Fig.13 , which shows a schematic diagram of a middle frame stop design of a smart terminal according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0076] In some other embodiments, the number of the middle frames is two, and the two middle frames are fixed on both sides of the hinge 1000, which is compatible with the middle frame layout of currently commonly used electronic devices. In addition, it can be seen that when the smart terminal is flattened, the side walls of the two middle frames abut against each other and limit the further movement of the smart terminal along the unfolding direction. This design scheme can be understood as a design of a middle frame flattening stop. By abutting the side walls of the two middle frames in the flattened state, it can also limit the further movement of the shaft assembly along the unfolding direction, avoiding the risk of valves, rotating moving parts and other components causing damage to the display screen due to excessive unfolding. This design method also makes good use of the linear characteristics of the side walls of the middle frame.

[0077] It should be understood that all of the above preferred embodiments are illustrative rather than restrictive, and that various modifications or variations made by those skilled in the art to the specific embodiments described above under the concept of the present disclosure should be within the legal protection scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A hinge for a smart terminal, characterized in that: The hinge includes a rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly includes a torsion unit, the torsion unit includes a middle frame connector for fixing to the middle frame of the smart terminal, and a synchronous motion assembly connected to a first portion of the middle frame connector in a relatively slidable manner. The hinge also includes a valve connected to the middle frame connector. The synchronous motion assembly is constructed with a cylindrical surface, and the valve is constructed with a track curved surface. The cylindrical surface is always in contact with the track curved surface and relative motion occurs during the unfolding or folding process of the hinge.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The valve structure has a limiting column, and the first part of the middle frame connecting member has a limiting notch. When the hinge is flattened, the limiting notch abuts against the limiting column and prevents the valve from further expanding.

3. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The synchronous motion assembly is configured with a shutter support portion, which supports the shutter when the hinge is flattened.

4. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hinge further comprises a hinge cover, and the rotating shaft assembly is mounted on the hinge cover.

5. The hinge according to claim 4, characterized in that: The hinge also includes a connecting frame, which is connected to the rotating shaft assembly. The hinge cover covers the connecting frame. The number of the valves is two and they are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the connecting frame. The number of the rotating shaft assemblies is at least two and they are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the connecting frame.

6. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first portion of the middle frame connecting member is configured with a moving space, and the synchronous motion component is configured to move in the moving space along with the rotational movement of the middle frame connecting member.

7. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that: The torsion unit also includes a spring component that cooperates with the synchronous motion component. The synchronous motion component is configured to be movable along with the rotational movement of the middle frame connecting member and to change the feedback force of the spring component during the movement.

8. The hinge according to claim 7, characterized in that: The synchronous motion component includes a first synchronous motion member and a second synchronous motion member, and the torsion unit also includes a first cam member, a cam fixing member and a second cam member whose position is fixed, wherein a first side of the first cam member cooperates with a first side cam of the first synchronous motion member, a second side of the first synchronous motion member cooperates with a first side cam of the cam fixing member, a first side of the second synchronous motion member cooperates with a first side cam of the second cam member, and a second side of the second cam member abuts against the spring assembly.

9. The hinge according to claim 7, characterized in that: The spring assembly includes a square spring and a round spring connected in parallel, and the round spring is arranged between two square springs.

10. The hinge according to claim 8, characterized in that The torque unit also includes a series connecting shaft, which sequentially connects the first cam member, the first synchronous moving member, the cam fixing member, the second synchronous moving member, the second cam member and the spring assembly, and the series connecting shaft head of the series connecting shaft abuts against the second side of the first cam member.

11. The hinge according to claim 10, characterized in that The torsion unit also includes a movable stopper and a movable retaining spring, wherein the first side of the stopper abuts against the spring assembly, the second side of the stopper abuts against the first side of the retaining spring, and the tail of the serial shaft abuts against the second side of the retaining spring.

12. The hinge according to claim 8, characterized in that In the flattened position or the folded position of the rotating shaft assembly, the first cam member and the cam fixing member are both in non-convex-convex cooperation with the first synchronous moving member, and the second synchronous moving member is in non-convex-convex cooperation with the second cam member.

13. The hinge according to claim 12, characterized in that In the transition position between the flattened position and the folded position, the first cam member and the cam fixing member can both convexly cooperate with the first synchronous moving member, and the second synchronous moving member can convexly cooperate with the second cam member.

14. The hinge according to claim 8, characterized in that The torque unit further includes a synchronous gear disposed between the cam fixing member and the second cam member, and the synchronous gear is meshed with a gear portion of the second synchronous moving member.

15. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that The hinge assembly also includes a track unit, which includes a rotating member and a bottom cover, the first end of the rotating member is rotatably connected to the second part of the middle frame connecting member, the bottom cover forms a rotation space, the second end of the rotating member is connected in the rotation space, and the second end of the rotating member can rotate in the rotation space.

16. An intelligent terminal, characterized in that: The smart terminal comprises the hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. The intelligent terminal according to claim 16, characterized in that: The smart terminal further includes the middle frame and a flexible display screen, the middle frame is fixed to the middle frame connector, and the flexible display screen is fixed to the middle frame.

18. The intelligent terminal according to claim 17, characterized in that: The number of the middle frames is two, and the two middle frames are fixed on both sides of the hinge.

19. The intelligent terminal according to claim 18, characterized in that: When the smart terminal is flattened, the side walls of the two middle frames abut against each other and restrict further movement of the smart terminal along the unfolding direction.

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