Hinge device and foldable electronic equipment

Abstract

The utility model provides a hinge device and foldable electronic equipment, and belongs to the technical field of electronics. The hinge device comprises a hinge body and a door plate assembly. The door plate assembly comprises a first door plate piece, a second door plate piece and a third door plate piece. The first door plate piece and the third door plate piece are located on the two opposite sides of the hinge body correspondingly, and the second door plate piece is located on the supporting surface of the hinge body and flexibly connected with the first door plate piece and the third door plate piece correspondingly. According to the hinge device, a complete and smooth supporting surface can be provided for the flexible screen under the condition that the folding performance of the hinge device is not affected, and supporting protection of the hinge device on the flexible screen can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electronic technology, and in particular to a hinge device and a foldable electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] In related technologies, door panel structures are arranged on the hinge device in foldable electronic devices to fill the gaps in the hinge device's support surface for the flexible screen.

[0003] However, the door panel structure is designed to meet the protection requirements of the flexible screen and has a certain strength, which conflicts with the folding action of the hinge device and cannot properly balance the folding and unfolding states of the hinge device. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention provides a hinge device and a foldable electronic device, which can solve the problem that carbon fiber door panels cannot simultaneously accommodate the folded and unfolded states of the hinge device.

[0005] The technical solution is as follows:

[0006] On one hand, a hinge device is provided, the hinge device comprising: a hinge body and a door panel assembly;

[0007] The door panel assembly includes a first door panel component, a second door panel component, and a third door panel component;

[0008] The first door panel and the third door panel are located on opposite sides of the hinge body, and the second door panel is located on the support surface of the hinge body and is flexibly connected to the first door panel and the third door panel, respectively.

[0009] In some embodiments, the second door panel is a flexible structural member; at least a portion of the second door panel is bonded to the supporting surface.

[0010] In some embodiments, the hinge device includes a folded state, in which the first door panel, the second door panel, and the third door panel sequentially form a teardrop-shaped receiving cavity, and the second door panel is located on the symmetry plane of the teardrop-shaped receiving cavity, and the first door panel and the third door panel are symmetrically arranged along the symmetry plane.

[0011] In some embodiments, the second door panel includes a straight line region intersecting the plane of symmetry, the straight line region being bonded to the supporting surface.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first door panel includes at least one first woven fabric layer and at least one first resin layer stacked together, the second door panel includes at least one second woven fabric layer and at least one second resin layer stacked together, and the third door panel includes at least one third woven fabric layer and at least one third resin layer stacked together.

[0013] The at least one first woven fabric layer and the at least one third woven fabric layer are respectively connected to the at least one second woven fabric layer, and the at least one first resin layer and the at least one third resin layer are respectively spaced apart from the at least one second resin layer.

[0014] In some embodiments, at least one first woven fabric layer is located on the surface of the first door panel opposite to the hinge body, at least one second woven fabric layer is located on the surface of the second door panel opposite to the hinge body, and at least one third woven fabric layer is located on the surface of the third door panel opposite to the hinge body.

[0015] In some embodiments, a first redundant fabric layer is provided between the first woven fabric layer and the second woven fabric layer that are connected together; a second redundant fabric layer is provided between the second woven fabric layer and the third woven fabric layer that are connected together.

[0016] When the hinge device includes a folded state, in the folded state, the first woven fabric layer, the first redundant fabric layer, the second woven fabric layer, the second redundant fabric layer and the third woven fabric layer sequentially form a teardrop-shaped receiving cavity.

[0017] In some embodiments, the hinge device further includes an unfolded state, in which the first woven fabric layer, the second woven fabric layer, and the third woven fabric layer are sequentially aligned and spliced ​​to form a screen support plane.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first redundant fabric layer is folded and stored in the gap between the at least one first resin layer and the at least one second resin layer;

[0019] And / or,

[0020] The second redundant fabric layer is folded and stored in the gap between the at least one third resin layer and the at least one second resin layer.

[0021] On the other hand, a foldable electronic device is provided, which employs the hinge device described in this invention.

[0022] The beneficial effects of the technical solution provided by this utility model include at least the following:

[0023] The hinge device of this utility model has a door panel assembly divided into three parts: a first door panel, a second door panel, and a third door panel. The second door panel is arranged on the supporting surface of the hinge body and can cover the perforated area on the hinge body. Moreover, the second door panel is flexibly connected to the first and third door panels, achieving full coverage of the area where the hinge device is located. When the hinge device rotates to switch between the unfolded and folded states, the three door panels can provide a complete and smooth supporting surface for the flexible screen without affecting the folding performance of the hinge device, which is beneficial to improving the support and protection of the flexible screen by the hinge device. Attached Figure Description

[0024] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0025] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device provided in the embodiment of the present invention in the unfolded state;

[0026] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the hinge device provided in the embodiment of the present invention in the folded state;

[0027] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A partial structural diagram at point A in the middle;

[0028] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the local structure at point B;

[0029] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the door panel assembly provided in the embodiment of the present invention in the unfolded state;

[0030] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the foldable electronic device provided in this embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] The reference numerals in the figure are respectively:

[0032] 1. Hinge body;

[0033] 101. Supporting surface;

[0034] 2. Door panel assembly;

[0035] 21. First door panel; 211. First woven fabric layer; 212. First resin layer; 22. Second door panel; 221. Second woven fabric layer; 222. Second resin layer; 23. Third door panel; 231. Third woven fabric layer; 232. Third resin layer; 24. First redundant fabric layer; 25. Second redundant fabric layer;

[0036] 001. Plane of symmetry; 002. Linear region;

[0037] 100. Teardrop-shaped receiving cavity;

[0038] 200. Screen support plane;

[0039] 300. First fuselage;

[0040] 400. Second fuselage;

[0041] 500. Display screen. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Exemplary embodiments will now be described in detail, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, when referring to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numerals in different drawings denote the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with this invention. Rather, they are merely examples of apparatuses and methods consistent with some aspects of this invention as detailed in the appended claims.

[0043] In the description of this utility model, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the appendix. Figure 1 The orientations or positional relationships shown are for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model.

[0044] It should be understood that in this utility model, "connection" and "connected" can both refer to a mechanical connection relationship or a physical connection relationship. That is, A and B being connected or A and B being connected can mean that there are fastening components (such as screws, bolts, rivets, etc.) between A and B, or that A and B are in contact with each other and A and B are difficult to separate.

[0045] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used in the embodiments of this utility model have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the art.

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] On the one hand, combined with Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides a hinge device, which includes a hinge body 1 and a door panel assembly 2.

[0048] The door panel assembly 2 includes a first door panel 21, a second door panel 22, and a third door panel 23.

[0049] The first door panel 21 and the third door panel 23 are located on opposite sides of the hinge body 1, and the second door panel 22 is located on the support surface 101 of the hinge body 1 and is flexibly connected to the first door panel 21 and the third door panel 23 respectively.

[0050] In this embodiment, the hinge device has a door panel assembly 2 consisting of three parts: a first door panel 21, a second door panel 22, and a third door panel 23. The second door panel 22 is arranged on the support surface 101 of the hinge body 1 and can cover the hole area on the hinge body 1. Moreover, the second door panel 22 is flexibly connected to the first door panel 21 and the third door panel 23, achieving full coverage of the area where the hinge device is located. When the hinge device rotates to switch between the unfolded and folded states, the three door panels can provide a complete and smooth support surface 101 for the flexible screen without affecting the folding performance of the hinge device, which is beneficial to improving the support and protection of the flexible screen by the hinge device.

[0051] In some possible implementations, the hinge mechanism includes an unfolded state (see reference). Figure 1 (as shown) and folded state (reference) Figure 2 As shown in the figure, the unfolded state can be applied to the unfolded scenario of the foldable electronic device, and the folded state can be applied to the folded scenario of the foldable electronic device.

[0052] In some possible implementations, the hinge device can be applied to laterally foldable electronic devices or vertically foldable electronic devices.

[0053] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the second door panel 22 is a flexible structural member; at least a portion of the second door panel 22 is bonded to the support surface 101.

[0054] With the above arrangement, the second door panel 22, in the folded state of the hinge device, can be bent according to the shape of the display screen, covering the bottom surface of the display screen and providing good protection. Furthermore, the flexible second door panel 22 will not produce bending noise. In addition, by bonding at least a portion of the second door panel 22 to the support surface 101, misalignment of the second door panel 22 can be prevented, thus not affecting the flattening of the display screen.

[0055] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the hinge device includes a folded state, in which the first door panel 21, the second door panel 22 and the third door panel 23 sequentially form a teardrop-shaped receiving cavity 100, and the second door panel 22 is located on the symmetry plane 001 of the teardrop-shaped receiving cavity 100, and the first door panel 21 and the third door panel 23 are symmetrically arranged along the symmetry plane 001.

[0056] With the above arrangement, when the hinge device is folded, the first door panel 21, the second door panel 22, and the third door panel 23 can form a teardrop-shaped receiving cavity 100 to protect the display screen.

[0057] Combination Figure 2 As shown, in some embodiments, the second door panel 22 includes a straight region 002 that intersects the symmetry plane 001, and the straight region 002 is bonded to the support surface 101.

[0058] With the above arrangement, since the straight area 002 of the second door panel 22 is located in the middle of the second door panel 22, when the hinge device rotates to switch between the unfolded state and the folded state, the relative position of the second door panel 22 with the hinge body 1 is basically different. Therefore, by using the straight area 002 of the second door panel 22 to be tightly bonded to the support surface 101, no interaction force will be generated between the second door panel 22 and the hinge body 1, which can better play the role of fixing the position of the second door panel 22.

[0059] Combination Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments, the first door panel 21 includes at least one first woven fabric layer 211 and at least one first resin layer 212 stacked together, the second door panel 22 includes at least one second woven fabric layer 221 and at least one second resin layer 222 stacked together, and the third door panel 23 includes at least one third woven fabric layer 231 and at least one third resin layer 232 stacked together.

[0060] At least one first woven fabric layer 211 and at least one third woven fabric layer 231 are respectively connected to at least one second woven fabric layer 221, and at least one first resin layer 212 and at least one third resin layer 232 are respectively spaced apart from at least one second resin layer 222.

[0061] With the above arrangement, the first door panel 21, the second door panel 22 and the third door panel 23 have better structural strength, which can meet the support requirements of the display screen. Furthermore, the three door panels are connected by woven fabric layers, which can adapt to the folding and unfolding of the hinge body 1.

[0062] Combination Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, at least one first woven fabric layer 211 is located on the surface of the first door panel 21 facing away from the hinge body 1, at least one second woven fabric layer 221 is located on the surface of the second door panel 22 facing away from the hinge body 1, and at least one third woven fabric layer 231 is located on the surface of the third door panel 23 facing away from the hinge body 1.

[0063] In this embodiment, compared with the resin layer, the woven fabric layer has better continuity and flexibility, which can provide better protection for the display screen. Therefore, in the first door panel 21, the second door panel 22 and the third door panel 23, the first woven fabric layer 211, the second woven fabric layer 221 and the third woven fabric layer 231 are respectively arranged on the surface away from the hinge body 1, that is, the surface close to the display screen, which is beneficial to improving the protective effect of the door panel assembly 2 on the display plane.

[0064] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, a first redundant fabric layer 24 is provided between the connected first woven fabric layer 211 and the second woven fabric layer 221; and a second redundant fabric layer 25 is provided between the connected second woven fabric layer 221 and the third woven fabric layer 231.

[0065] When the hinge device includes a folded state, in the folded state, the first woven fabric layer 211, the first redundant fabric layer 24, the second woven fabric layer 221, the second redundant fabric layer 25 and the third woven fabric layer 231 sequentially form a teardrop-shaped receiving cavity 100.

[0066] Through the above arrangement, the first redundant layer 24 can be used to achieve a flexible connection between the first door panel 21 and the second door panel 22, and the second redundant layer can be used to achieve a flexible connection between the second door panel 22 and the third door panel 23, without interfering with the folding performance of the hinge body 1; and the two redundant layers can be unfolded and folded to adapt to the displacement changes of the first door panel 21 and the second door panel 22 when switching between the folded state and the flat state, and the redundant layers will not push up the display screen after being stored.

[0067] Combination Figure 1 and Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the hinge device also includes an unfolded state, in which the first woven fabric layer 211, the second woven fabric layer 221 and the third woven fabric layer 231 are sequentially aligned and spliced ​​to form a screen support plane 200.

[0068] In the unfolded state, the hinge device of this embodiment is affected by the extension and retraction of the display screen. The first door panel 21 and the third door panel 23 are respectively close to the second door panel 22, so that the first woven fabric layer 211, the second woven fabric layer 221 and the third woven fabric layer 231 are aligned and spliced ​​together, which can provide full coverage, seamless, flat and strong support and protection for the display screen.

[0069] Combination Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, the first redundant fabric layer 24 is folded and housed in the gap between at least one first resin layer 212 and at least one second resin layer 222; and / or, the second redundant fabric layer 25 is folded and housed in the gap between at least one third resin layer 232 and at least one second resin layer 222.

[0070] With the above arrangement, in the unfolded state, the first redundant fabric layer 24 and the second redundant fabric layer 25 can be respectively housed in the gap between the first resin layer 212 and the second resin layer 222, or in the gap between the second resin layer 222 and the third resin layer 232, and will not protrude to the side of the door panel assembly 2 facing the display screen.

[0071] On the other hand, reference Figure 6 As shown, this embodiment provides a foldable electronic device, which employs the hinge device described in this utility model.

[0072] The foldable electronic device of this embodiment adopts the hinge device of this utility model and has all the beneficial technical effects of all embodiments herein.

[0073] Among some possible implementations, refer to Figure 6As shown, the foldable electronic device also includes a first body 300, a second body 400, and a display screen 500. The first body 300 and the second body 400 are located on opposite sides of the hinge body 1, respectively. A first door panel 21 is located on the side where the first body 300 is located, and the outer edge of the first door panel 21 extends onto the first body 300. A second door panel 22 is located on the side where the second body 400 is located, and the outer edge of the second door panel 22 extends onto the second body 400. The display screen 500 is covered on the first body 300, the second body 400, and the hinge body 1.

[0074] The foldable electronic device of this embodiment includes, for example, a smartphone, a tablet computer, an MP3 player (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer III), an MP4 player (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer IV), a laptop computer, or a desktop computer.

[0075] In some possible implementations, the display screen 500 includes a flexible display panel, which is an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display.

[0076] For example, the flexible display panel includes a substrate, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer, and a thin film encapsulation (TFE) layer stacked sequentially.

[0077] In another example, the flexible display panel includes a substrate, a thin film transistor (TFT) layer, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) layer, a thin film encapsulation (TFE) layer, a touch layer, and a polarizer, which are stacked sequentially.

[0078] It should be noted that the layer structure of flexible display panels is not limited to the two structures listed above. Other layer structure forms can also be used to meet the requirements of foldable displays.

[0079] In some possible implementations, the foldable electronic device may include radio frequency (RF) circuitry, a memory including one or more computer-readable storage media, an input unit, a display unit, a sensor, an audio circuit, a Wi-Fi module, a processor including one or more processing cores, and a power supply, among other components.

[0080] It should be noted that in this article, "several" and "at least one" refer to one or more, while "multiple" and "at least two" refer to two or more. "And / or" describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, or B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0081] In the description of this utility model, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this utility model, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0082] Unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0083] In the description of this specification, the references to the terms "certain embodiments", "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiment", "example", "specific example", or "some examples" refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with the embodiments or examples that are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention.

[0084] The above description is merely an embodiment of this utility model and is not intended to limit this utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the principles of this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model.

Claims

1. A hinge device, characterized in that, The hinge device includes: a hinge body (1) and a door panel assembly (2); The door panel assembly (2) includes a first door panel (21), a second door panel (22), and a third door panel (23); The first door panel (21) and the third door panel (23) are located on opposite sides of the hinge body (1), and the second door panel (22) is located on the support surface (101) of the hinge body (1) and is flexibly connected to the first door panel (21) and the third door panel (23) respectively.

2. The hinge device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second door panel (22) is a flexible structural component; at least a portion of the second door panel (22) is bonded to the supporting surface (101).

3. The hinge device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hinge device includes a folded state, in which the first door panel (21), the second door panel (22) and the third door panel (23) sequentially form a teardrop-shaped receiving cavity (100), and the second door panel (22) is located on the symmetry plane (001) of the teardrop-shaped receiving cavity (100), and the first door panel (21) and the third door panel (23) are symmetrically arranged along the symmetry plane (001).

4. The hinge device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The second door panel (22) includes a straight line region (002) that intersects the symmetry plane (001), and the straight line region (002) is bonded to the support surface (101).

5. The hinge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The first door panel (21) includes at least one first woven fabric layer (211) and at least one first resin layer (212) stacked together; the second door panel (22) includes at least one second woven fabric layer (221) and at least one second resin layer (222) stacked together; and the third door panel (23) includes at least one third woven fabric layer (231) and at least one third resin layer (232) stacked together. The at least one first woven fabric layer (211) and the at least one third woven fabric layer (231) are respectively connected to the at least one second woven fabric layer (221), and the at least one first resin layer (212) and the at least one third resin layer (232) are respectively spaced apart from the at least one second resin layer (222).

6. The hinge device according to claim 5, characterized in that, At least one first woven fabric layer (211) is located on the surface of the first door panel (21) away from the hinge body (1), at least one second woven fabric layer (221) is located on the surface of the second door panel (22) away from the hinge body (1), and at least one third woven fabric layer (231) is located on the surface of the third door panel (23) away from the hinge body (1).

7. The hinge device according to claim 5, characterized in that, A first redundant fabric layer (24) is provided between the first woven fabric layer (211) and the second woven fabric layer (221) that are connected; a second redundant fabric layer (25) is provided between the second woven fabric layer (221) and the third woven fabric layer (231) that are connected; When the hinge device includes a folded state, in the folded state, the first woven fabric layer (211), the first redundant fabric layer (24), the second woven fabric layer (221), the second redundant fabric layer (25), and the third woven fabric layer (231) sequentially form a teardrop-shaped receiving cavity (100).

8. The hinge device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The hinge device also includes an unfolded state, in which the first woven fabric layer (211), the second woven fabric layer (221) and the third woven fabric layer (231) are sequentially aligned and spliced ​​to form a screen support plane (200).

9. The hinge device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The first redundant fabric layer (24) is folded and stored in the gap between the at least one first resin layer (212) and the at least one second resin layer (222); And / or, The second redundant fabric layer (25) is folded and stored in the gap between the at least one third resin layer (232) and the at least one second resin layer (222).

10. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that, The foldable electronic device employs the hinge device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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