Hinge structure and electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model discloses a hinge structure and electronic equipment. The hinge structure comprises a rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is connected with a first positioning seat. The swing arm assembly is rotatably arranged on the rotating shaft in a sleeving manner; the rotating shaft is sleeved with the movable seat, the movable seat is located between the swing arm assembly and the first positioning seat, the movable seat abuts against the swing arm assembly, and the swing arm assembly can drive the movable seat to move in the direction close to the first positioning seat in the rotating process; and the torsional spring is arranged between the movable seat and the first positioning seat, one end of the torsional spring is connected with the movable seat, and the other end of the torsional spring is connected with the first positioning seat. According to the hinge structure and the electronic equipment, enough rebound force can be provided on the premise that the lengths of the spring and the limiting shaft are not increased, the design space of other parts cannot be occupied, and the manufacturing cost of the whole machine is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of foldable electronic devices, and in particular to a hinge structure and electronic devices. Background Art

[0002] The opening and closing experience of foldable electronic devices is a feature that users pay close attention to, such as hovering at any angle during the opening and closing process, the opening and closing damping feel, and the stability of the closed state. The hinge structure is an important component for realizing the folding function of foldable electronic devices, and its quality directly affects the opening and closing experience of users when using foldable electronic devices.

[0003] The existing hinge structure mainly adjusts the opening and closing feel of the foldable electronic device by providing opening and closing damping through a cam compression spring. However, it was found during the manufacturing and use process that due to limited assembly space, the diameter of the gear and the formation of the compression spring were restricted. Therefore, in order to ensure that the spring provides sufficient rebound force, the length of the spring and the limit shaft on which it is mounted need to be increased, which results in occupying the design space of other components inside the foldable electronic device and increasing the manufacturing cost of the whole device. Utility Model Content

[0004] The hinge structure and electronic device provided in the present application can provide sufficient rebound force without increasing the length of the spring and the limiting shaft, will not occupy the design space of other components, and ensure the manufacturing cost of the whole machine.

[0005] The present application provides a hinge structure, wherein the hinge structure comprises:

[0006] A rotating shaft, wherein a first positioning seat is connected to the rotating shaft;

[0007] A swing arm assembly, rotatably sleeved on the rotating shaft;

[0008] A movable seat, sleeved on the rotating shaft and located between the swing arm assembly and the first positioning seat, wherein the movable seat abuts against the swing arm assembly, and the swing arm assembly can drive the movable seat to move toward the first positioning seat during rotation;

[0009] A torsion spring is arranged between the movable seat and the first positioning seat, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the movable seat, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the first positioning seat.

[0010] In the hinge structure as described above, a first abutment protrusion is provided on the side of the movable seat facing the first positioning seat, a second abutment protrusion is provided on the side of the first positioning seat facing the movable seat, the first end of the torsion spring is connected to the first abutment protrusion, and the second end of the torsion spring is connected to the second abutment protrusion.

[0011] As described above, the hinge structure, wherein the rotating shaft and the swing arm assembly are each provided with two, the two rotating shafts are arranged in parallel, the two swing arm assemblies are correspondingly rotatably sleeved on the two rotating shafts, and the first positioning seat and the movable seat are both sleeved on the two rotating shafts.

[0012] The hinge structure as described above, wherein the hinge structure further includes a base plate, and the torsion spring and the first positioning seat are both connected to the base plate.

[0013] In the hinge structure as described above, a first positioning column is provided on the base plate, and the torsion spring is sleeved on the first positioning column.

[0014] In the hinge structure as described above, a second positioning column is further provided on the base plate, the second positioning column and the first positioning column are spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, a positioning hole is provided on the first positioning seat, and the second positioning column is inserted into the positioning hole.

[0015] The hinge structure as described above, wherein the hinge structure also includes two elastic members, each of which is correspondingly sleeved on one of the rotating shafts and located between the first positioning seat and the movable seat, the first end of the elastic member abuts against the first positioning seat, and the second end of the elastic member abuts against the movable seat.

[0016] The hinge structure as described above, wherein the first convex portion and the first concave portion are provided on the side of the swing arm assembly facing the movable seat, and the second convex portion and the second concave portion are provided on the side of the movable seat facing the swing arm assembly;

[0017] The hinge structure has an unfolded state and a folded state. In the unfolded state, the first convex portion abuts against the second convex portion. In the folded state, the first convex portion abuts against the second concave portion, and the second convex portion abuts against the first concave portion.

[0018] The hinge structure as described above, wherein the hinge structure also includes a second positioning seat, the second positioning seat is sleeved on the two rotating shafts, and the second positioning seat and the first positioning seat are spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotating shaft, the second positioning seat abuts against the side of the swing arm assembly away from the movable seat, and the second positioning seat is connected to the base plate.

[0019] The present application also provides an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes the hinge structure as described above.

[0020] The hinge structure and electronic device provided by the present application are characterized in that a torsion spring is arranged between the movable seat and the first positioning seat. When the swing arm assembly drives the movable seat to move in a direction close to the first positioning seat, the two ends of the torsion spring can be compressed, so that the torsion spring is twisted to produce elastic deformation to generate torque. The torque acts between the movable seat and the first positioning seat to form a rebound force, which is transmitted to the swing arm assembly through the movable seat. The friction force received by the swing arm assembly during the swinging process is adjusted as the magnitude of the rebound force changes, thereby adjusting the opening and closing resistance of the hinge structure. Since the overall axial dimension of the torsion spring in the rotating shaft is relatively small, and during the process of elastic deformation of the torsion spring, the axial dimension of the torsion spring along the rotating shaft basically does not change, and a small relative displacement between the two ends of the torsion spring can generate a large torque, which can provide sufficient rebound force without occupying the design space of other components, thereby ensuring the manufacturing cost of the whole machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the following is a brief introduction to the drawings required for use in the embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the hinge structure provided in this application;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the partial structure of the hinge structure provided in this application.

[0024] Description of Figure Numbers:

[0025] 1. Rotating shaft; 2. Swing arm assembly; 21. First protrusion; 22. First recess; 3. Movable seat; 31. First abutting protrusion; 32. Second protrusion; 33. Second recess; 4. First positioning seat; 41. Second abutting protrusion; 42. Positioning hole; 5. Torsion spring; 6. Base plate; 61. First positioning column; 62. Second positioning column; 7. Elastic member; 8. Second positioning seat. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application, and should not be construed as limitations on the present application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0027] The opening and closing experience of foldable electronic devices is a feature that users pay close attention to, such as hovering at any angle during the opening and closing process, the opening and closing damping feel, and the stability of the closed state. The hinge structure is an important component for realizing the folding function of foldable electronic devices, and its quality directly affects the opening and closing experience of users when using foldable electronic devices.

[0028] The existing hinge structure mainly adjusts the opening and closing feel of the foldable electronic device by providing opening and closing damping through a cam compression spring. However, it was found during the manufacturing and use process that due to limited assembly space, the diameter of the gear and the formation of the extrusion spring were restricted. Therefore, in order to ensure that the spring provides sufficient rebound force, it is necessary to increase the length of the spring and the limit shaft on which it is mounted, which results in occupying the design space of other components inside the foldable electronic device, such as the design space of the circuit board, resulting in insufficient width of the circuit board routing, and the need to increase the number of layers of the circuit board, resulting in an increase in the manufacturing cost of the entire device; at the same time, the length of the limit shaft increases, but the radial dimension cannot be increased, which weakens the strength of the limit shaft and increases the risk of failure of the hinge structure.

[0029] In view of the problems existing in the above-mentioned related technologies, the present application provides a hinge structure that can improve the consumer experience while reducing the difficulty and cost of its processing and manufacturing.

[0030] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the present application provides a hinge structure, wherein the hinge structure includes a rotating shaft 1, a swing arm assembly 2, a movable seat 3, a first positioning seat 4 and a torsion spring 5.

[0031] The first positioning seat 4 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 1 , and the first positioning seat 4 is positioned and connected with the rotating shaft 1 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 1 , that is, the relative position between the first positioning seat 4 and the rotating shaft 1 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 1 remains unchanged.

[0032] The swing arm assembly 2 is rotatably mounted on the rotating shaft 1, and the swing arm assembly 2 swings to realize the unfolding and folding of the hinge structure. The swing arm assembly 2 remains relatively stationary with the rotating shaft 1 along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 1, that is, the swing arm assembly 2 can only rotate relative to the rotating shaft 1, but cannot move relative to the rotating shaft 1 along its axial direction.

[0033] The movable seat 3 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 1 and is located between the swing arm assembly 2 and the first positioning seat 4, and the movable seat 3 is abutted against the swing arm assembly 2. The movable seat 3 can reciprocate along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 1. During the rotation of the swing arm assembly 2, the movable seat 3 can be driven to move toward the direction close to the first positioning seat 4.

[0034] The torsion spring 5 is connected between the movable seat 3 and the first positioning seat 4. The first end of the torsion spring 5 is connected to the first positioning seat 4, and the second end of the torsion spring 5 is connected to the movable seat 3. When the swing arm assembly 2 rotates and drives the movable seat 3 to move toward the first positioning seat 4, the torsion spring 5 is compressed and twisted to generate elastic torque, and the elastic torque reacts to the swing arm assembly 2 through the movable seat 3. In this way, the friction force received by the swing arm assembly 2 during the swinging process can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the opening and closing resistance between the hinges.

[0035] The axial direction of the torsion spring 5 is perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotating shaft 1. Since the overall axial dimension of the torsion spring 5 is smaller than that of the rotating shaft 1, and during the elastic deformation of the torsion spring 5, the axial dimension of the torsion spring 5 along the rotating shaft 1 basically does not change, and a small relative displacement between the two ends of the torsion spring 5 can generate a large torsion force, which can provide sufficient rebound force without occupying the design space of other components, thereby ensuring the manufacturing cost of the whole machine.

[0036] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application, wherein the first abutting protrusion 31 is provided on the side of the movable seat 3 facing the first positioning seat 4, the second abutting protrusion 41 is provided on the side of the first positioning seat 4 facing the movable seat 3, the first end of the torsion spring 5 is connected to the first abutting protrusion 31, and the second end of the torsion spring 5 is connected to the second abutting protrusion 41. By providing the first abutting protrusion 31 and the second abutting protrusion 41, the connection with the torsion spring 5 can be effectively achieved, and when the movable seat 3 moves in the direction close to the first positioning seat 4, it is ensured that the first abutting protrusion 31 and the second abutting protrusion 41 can cooperate to compress the torsion spring 5, and other parts of the movable seat 3 will not interfere with the torsion spring 5 and affect the compression effect on the torsion spring 5.

[0037] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application includes two rotating shafts 1 and two swing arm assemblies 2, the two rotating shafts 1 are arranged in parallel, and the two swing arm assemblies 2 are correspondingly rotatably sleeved on the two rotating shafts 1.

[0038] The hinge structure has a folded state and an unfolded state. In the unfolded state, the two swing arm assemblies 2 are laid side by side to roughly form a flat structure. In the folded state, the two swing arm assemblies 2 are stacked. During the switching process from the unfolded state to the folded state, the two swing arm assemblies 2 move toward each other. During the switching process from the folded state to the unfolded state, the two swing arm assemblies 2 move toward each other.

[0039] The first positioning seat 4 and the movable seat 3 are both sleeved on the two rotating shafts 1. The first positioning seat 4, the movable seat 3 and the two rotating shafts 1 cooperate to form a rectangular frame structure, through which the first positioning seat 4 and the movable seat 3 can effectively maintain the distance and parallel state between the two rotating shafts 1, avoiding the angle change between the two rotating shafts 1.

[0040] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application further includes a base plate 6, and the torsion spring 5 and the first positioning seat 4 are connected to the base plate 6. The base plate 6 is a basic component of the hinge structure, and the rotating shaft 1, the swing arm assembly 2, the torsion spring 5 and the first positioning seat 4 are directly or indirectly connected to the base plate 6, and the above components are connected through the base plate 6 to form an integral hinge structure.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application, wherein a first positioning column 61 is provided on the base plate 6, and the torsion spring 5 is sleeved on the first positioning column 61. In this way, the positioning of the torsion spring 5 is achieved, and when the torsion spring 5 is compressed by the first abutting protrusion 31 and the second abutting protrusion 41, the position of the torsion spring 5 is maintained, so that the torsion spring 5 can only be compressed, deformed and twisted, and will not be displaced, thereby ensuring that it can continuously provide effective rebound force.

[0042] like Figure 2 As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application, wherein a second positioning column 62 is also provided on the base plate 6, the second positioning column 62 and the first positioning column 61 are arranged axially with respect to the rotating shaft 1, a positioning hole 42 is provided on the first positioning seat 4, and the second positioning column 62 is inserted into the positioning hole 42, so as to fix the relative position between the first positioning seat 4 and the base plate 6, and also indirectly realize the connection between the rotating shaft 1 and the base plate 6 and between the swing arm assembly 2 and the base plate 6.

[0043] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application further includes two elastic members 7, each elastic member 7 is correspondingly sleeved on a rotating shaft 1, and the elastic member 7 is located between the first positioning seat 4 and the movable seat 3, the first end of the elastic member 7 is in contact with the first positioning seat 4, and the second end of the elastic member 7 is in contact with the movable seat 3. By providing the elastic members 7, when the swing arm assembly 2 drives the movable seat 3 to move in a direction close to the first positioning seat 4, the two elastic members 7 are also compressed and generate a rebound force, so that the two elastic members 7 cooperate with the torsion spring 5 to effectively ensure that sufficient rebound force is provided.

[0044] like Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application, wherein a first protrusion 21 and a first recess 22 are provided on the side of the swing arm assembly 2 facing the movable seat 3, and a second protrusion 32 and a second recess 33 are provided on the side of the movable seat 3 facing the swing arm assembly 2; the first protrusion 21 and the second protrusion 32 both have a convex arc surface, the first recess 22 and the second recess 33 both have a concave arc surface, and the surface of the first protrusion 21 is smoothly transitioned to the surface of the first recess 22, and the surface of the second protrusion 32 is smoothly transitioned to the surface of the second recess 33.

[0045] During the switching process between the unfolded state and the folded state, the first protrusion 21 moves along the surface of the second recess 33 or the second protrusion 32, and the second protrusion 32 moves along the surface of the first recess 22 or the first protrusion 21; in the unfolded state, the first protrusion 21 abuts against the second protrusion 32 to compress the torsion spring 5 and the elastic member 7; in the folded state, the first protrusion 21 abuts against the second recess 33, and the second protrusion 32 abuts against the first recess 22, and the torsion spring 5 and the elastic member 7 are in a slightly compressed state to ensure effective contact between the torsion spring 5 and the movable seat 3, between the torsion spring 5 and the first positioning seat 4, between the elastic member 7 and the movable seat 3, and between the elastic member 7 and the first positioning seat 4, to avoid gaps and abnormal noises; at the same time, a certain positive pressure is provided to the swing arm assembly 2 in the unfolded state to avoid looseness and instability of the hinge structure in the unfolded state.

[0046] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the hinge structure provided by the present application further includes a second positioning seat 8, the second positioning seat 8 is sleeved on the two rotating shafts 1, and the second positioning seat 8 and the first positioning seat 4 are spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 1, the second positioning seat 8 abuts against the side of the swing arm assembly 2 away from the movable seat 3, and the second positioning seat 8 is connected to the base plate 6. By setting the second positioning seat 8, the swing arm assembly 2, the movable seat 3, the torsion spring 5 and the elastic member 7 are limited in position in cooperation with the first positioning seat 4, so as to form a complete hinge structure.

[0047] The present application also provides an electronic device, wherein the electronic device includes the hinge structure as described above.

[0048] The electronic device provided in the present application has a hinge structure in which a torsion spring 5 is arranged between the movable seat 3 and the first positioning seat 4. When the swing arm assembly 2 drives the movable seat 3 to move in a direction close to the first positioning seat 4, the two ends of the torsion spring 5 can be compressed, so that the torsion spring 5 is twisted to produce elastic deformation to generate torque. The torque acts between the movable seat 3 and the first positioning seat 4 to form a rebound force, which is transmitted to the swing arm assembly 2 through the movable seat 3. As the magnitude of the rebound force changes, the friction force received by the swing arm assembly 2 during the swinging process is adjusted, thereby adjusting the opening and closing resistance of the hinge structure. Since the axial dimension of the torsion spring 5 as a whole is relatively small in the rotating shaft 1, and during the process of elastic deformation of the torsion spring 5, the axial dimension of the torsion spring 5 along the rotating shaft 1 basically does not change, and a small relative displacement between the two ends of the torsion spring 5 can generate a large torque, which can provide sufficient rebound force without occupying the design space of other components, thereby ensuring the manufacturing cost of the whole machine.

[0049] The term "first" or "second" in the specification and claims of this application may include one or more of the features explicitly or implicitly. In the description of this application, unless otherwise specified, "plurality" means two or more. In addition, "and / or" in the specification and claims means at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally means that the objects connected before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0050] In the description of the present application, it should be understood that the terms "longitudinal", "lateral", "upper", "lower", "front", "middle", "back", "left", "right", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", etc., indicating orientations or positional relationships, are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0051] 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, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in this application can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0052] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application. Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and simplicity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, modules and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments, and will not be repeated here. It should be understood that the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of various equivalent modifications or replacements within the technical scope disclosed in this application, and these modifications or replacements should be included in the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A hinge structure, characterized in that: The hinge structure comprises: A rotating shaft, wherein a first positioning seat is connected to the rotating shaft; A swing arm assembly, rotatably sleeved on the rotating shaft; A movable seat, sleeved on the rotating shaft and located between the swing arm assembly and the first positioning seat, wherein the movable seat abuts against the swing arm assembly, and the swing arm assembly can drive the movable seat to move toward the first positioning seat during rotation; A torsion spring is arranged between the movable seat and the first positioning seat, one end of the torsion spring is connected to the movable seat, and the other end of the torsion spring is connected to the first positioning seat.

2. The hinge structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The movable seat is provided with a first abutting protrusion on the side facing the first positioning seat, and the first positioning seat is provided with a second abutting protrusion on the side facing the movable seat. The first end of the torsion spring is connected to the first abutting protrusion, and the second end of the torsion spring is connected to the second abutting protrusion.

3. The hinge structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two rotating shafts and two swing arm assemblies, the two rotating shafts are arranged in parallel, the two swing arm assemblies are correspondingly rotatably sleeved on the two rotating shafts, and the first positioning seat and the movable seat are both sleeved on the two rotating shafts.

4. The hinge structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The hinge structure further includes a base plate, and the torsion spring and the first positioning seat are both connected to the base plate.

5. The hinge structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The base plate is provided with a first positioning column, and the torsion spring is sleeved on the first positioning column.

6. The hinge structure according to claim 5, characterized in that: A second positioning column is also provided on the base plate. The second positioning column and the first positioning column are spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. A positioning hole is provided on the first positioning seat. The second positioning column is inserted into the positioning hole.

7. The hinge structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The hinge structure also includes two elastic members, each of which is correspondingly sleeved on one of the rotating shafts and located between the first positioning seat and the movable seat, the first end of the elastic member abuts against the first positioning seat, and the second end of the elastic member abuts against the movable seat.

8. The hinge structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The swing arm assembly is provided with a first convex portion and a first concave portion on a side facing the movable seat, and the movable seat is provided with a second convex portion and a second concave portion on a side facing the swing arm assembly; The hinge structure has an unfolded state and a folded state. In the unfolded state, the first convex portion abuts against the second convex portion. In the folded state, the first convex portion abuts against the second concave portion, and the second convex portion abuts against the first concave portion.

9. The hinge structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The hinge structure also includes a second positioning seat, which is sleeved on the two rotating shafts, and the second positioning seat and the first positioning seat are spaced apart along the axial direction of the rotating shaft. The second positioning seat abuts against a side of the swing arm assembly away from the movable seat, and the second positioning seat is connected to the base plate.

10. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises the hinge structure according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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