Electronic equipment

Abstract

The embodiment of the utility model provides electronic equipment which comprises a first shell and a second shell, and the first shell and the second shell are rotationally connected through a hinge assembly so that the electronic equipment can be switched between an unfolded state and a folded state; the flexible screen is arranged on the surface of one side of the first shell and the surface of one side of the second shell, the position, opposite to the hinge assembly, of the flexible screen is a bent part, the first shell and the second shell are each provided with a buffering piece, and the buffering pieces are symmetrically arranged relative to the hinge assembly; the decorating part is arranged at the edge of the flexible screen and is connected with the first shell and the second shell respectively; the hinge assembly is provided with a bending part and at least two flexible shielding parts, the two flexible shielding parts are arranged at the two ends, in the axial direction of the hinge assembly, of the hinge assembly respectively and are opposite to the bending part, the flexible shielding parts are connected to the buffering part, and the decorating part is connected to the flexible shielding parts.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of communication technology, and specifically relates to an electronic device. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of flexible display technology, foldable electronic devices have been widely used due to their advantages of combining large screens and portability. In related technologies, foldable electronic devices typically include a first housing, a second housing, a flexible screen, and a hinge assembly. The first and second housings are rotatably connected by the hinge assembly. The flexible screen is mounted on both the first and second housings, and the area opposite the flexible screen and the hinge assembly is the bending section. The first and second housings can rotate relative to each other, causing the bending section of the flexible screen to deform, thereby enabling the folding and unfolding of the foldable electronic device.

[0003] However, during the repeated folding or unfolding of foldable electronic devices, the deformation of the flexible screen's bending portion can easily become visible, affecting the overall appearance of the foldable electronic device. Utility Model Content

[0004] This application aims to provide an electronic device to solve the problem that the deformation of the flexible screen's bending portion affects the appearance of existing foldable electronic devices during unfolding or folding.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application is implemented as follows:

[0006] This application discloses an electronic device, the electronic device comprising:

[0007] A first housing and a second housing, which are rotatably connected by a hinge assembly to allow the electronic device to switch between an unfolded state and a folded state;

[0008] A flexible screen is disposed on one side surface of the first housing and the second housing. The flexible screen and the hinge assembly are located at a bending portion. Both the first housing and the second housing are provided with buffer members, which are symmetrically arranged with respect to the hinge assembly.

[0009] Decorative component, wherein the decorative component is disposed on the edge of the flexible screen and is respectively connected to the first housing and the second housing;

[0010] And at least two flexible shielding members, the two flexible shielding members being respectively disposed at both ends of the hinge assembly along its axial direction and opposite to the bending portion, the flexible shielding members being connected to the buffer member, and the decorative member being connected to the flexible shielding members.

[0011] In this embodiment, since the flexible shielding members are respectively disposed at both ends of the hinge assembly along its axial direction and opposite to the bent portion of the flexible screen, during the repeated unfolding or folding of the electronic device, the flexible shielding members can be used to shield the bent portion of the flexible screen, preventing the bent portion of the flexible screen from deforming and being exposed, thereby improving the overall appearance of the electronic device. Furthermore, by connecting the flexible shielding members to the buffer members of the first housing and the second housing, not only can the flexible shielding members shield the buffer members, preventing them from being exposed, but the buffer members can also fix and support the flexible shielding members, avoiding the need for additional connecting members to fix and support the flexible shielding members, thus simplifying the connection operation of the flexible shielding members.

[0012] Additional aspects and advantages of this invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The above and / or additional aspects and advantages of this utility model will become apparent and readily understood from the description of the embodiments taken in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of this application;

[0015] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A detailed structural diagram of the electronic device A shown;

[0016] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device in an unfolded state as described in an embodiment of this application from another angle;

[0017] Figure 4 yes Figure 3 A detailed structural diagram of the electronic device B shown;

[0018] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A detailed structural diagram of the electronic device at position C is shown.

[0019] Figure 6 This is a partial structural diagram of the electronic device described in the embodiments of this application in a folded state;

[0020] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the flexible shielding member in the electronic device described in the embodiments of this application;

[0021] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 The diagram shows the structure of the flexible shielding component from another angle.

[0022] Reference numerals: 10 - First housing, 11 - Second housing, 12 - Hinge assembly, 13 - Flexible screen, 14 - Flexible shielding component, 141 - First connecting part, 142 - Second connecting part, 143 - Deformable part, 1431 - Thickness reduction part, 144 - Avoidance notch, 145 - Guide structure, 15 - Buffer component, 16 - Decorative component. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The embodiments of this utility model will now be described in detail. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain this utility model, and should not be construed as limiting this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments in this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0024] The terms "first" and "second" in the specification and claims of this application may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of this utility model, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0025] 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", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only 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.

[0026] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0027] This application provides an electronic device, which may include, but is not limited to, at least one of mobile phones, tablet computers, and wearable devices. This application illustrates a foldable electronic device as an example; other types of electronic devices can be described similarly.

[0028] Reference Figure 1 This shows a schematic diagram of an electronic device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 2 , showed Figure 1 A detailed structural diagram of the electronic device A shown is provided below. Figure 3 This diagram illustrates a structural schematic of an electronic device in its unfolded state from another angle, according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 , showed Figure 3 A detailed structural diagram of the electronic device B shown is provided below. Figure 5 , showed Figure 4 A detailed structural diagram of the electronic device at position C is shown below. Figure 6 This diagram illustrates a partial structural schematic of the electronic device described in an embodiment of this application in a folded state. (Refer to...) Figure 7 This diagram illustrates the structure of a flexible shielding member in an electronic device according to an embodiment of this application. (Refer to...) Figure 8 , showed Figure 7 The diagram shows the structure of the flexible shielding component from another angle.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the electronic device may specifically include: a first housing 10 and a second housing 11, which are rotatably connected by a hinge assembly 12 to allow the electronic device to switch between an unfolded state and a folded state; a flexible screen 13 disposed on one side surface of the first housing 10 and the second housing 11, with the flexible screen 13 and the hinge assembly 12 forming a bend; both the first housing 10 and the second housing 11 are provided with buffer members 15, which are symmetrically arranged relative to the hinge assembly 12; a decorative member 16 disposed on the edge of the flexible screen 15 and connected to the first housing 10 and the second housing 11 respectively; and at least two flexible shielding members 14, which are disposed at both ends of the hinge assembly 12 along its axial direction and opposite to the bend; the flexible shielding members 14 are connected to the buffer members 15, and the decorative member 16 is connected to the flexible shielding members 14.

[0030] In this embodiment, since the flexible shielding members 14 are respectively disposed at both ends of the hinge assembly 12 along its axial direction and opposite to the bent portion of the flexible screen 13, during the repeated unfolding or folding of the electronic device, the flexible shielding members 14 can be used to shield the bent portion of the flexible screen 13, preventing the bent portion of the flexible screen 13 from deforming and being exposed, thereby improving the overall appearance of the electronic device. Furthermore, by connecting the flexible shielding members 14 to the buffer members 15 of the first housing 10 and the second housing 11, not only can the flexible shielding members 14 shield the buffer members 15, preventing the buffer members 15 from being exposed, but the buffer members 15 can also be used to fix and support the flexible shielding members 14, avoiding the need for additional connecting members to fix and support the flexible shielding members 14, thus simplifying the connection operation of the flexible shielding members 14.

[0031] In this embodiment, the flexible shielding member 14 can be used to shield the bent portion of the flexible screen 13. By linking the flexible shielding member 14 to the buffer member 15 of the first housing 10 and the second housing 11, on the one hand, the flexible shielding member 14 can shield the buffer member 15, preventing the buffer member 15 from being exposed. On the other hand, it can also avoid the operation of embedding a metal insert in the flexible shielding member 14 and welding the metal insert to the hinge assembly 12, thereby avoiding the impact of metal insert welding on the appearance of the flexible shielding member 14, and avoiding appearance marks formed at the metal insert during repeated unfolding or folding of the electronic device. In this way, the overall aesthetic appearance of the electronic device can be greatly improved.

[0032] In specific applications, the buffer 15 can be made of materials with a certain degree of elasticity, such as thermoplastic polyurethane rubber, silicone, or foam. The buffer 15 protrudes at least partially toward the hinge assembly 12, so that in the event of an impact and drop on the electronic device, the buffer 15 can contact the hinge assembly 12 before other components on the first housing 10. Typically, after the buffer 15 contacts the hinge assembly 12, under the rebound force of the buffer 15, it can rebound in the opposite direction of the drop, reducing the displacement of the first housing 10 or the second housing 11 and the compression of the gaps between the various parts of the hinge assembly 12. This protects the hinge assembly 12 from strong impacts and protects the bent portion of the flexible screen 13 from excessive compression, achieving the purpose of protecting the hinge assembly 12 and preventing the flexible screen 13 from failing.

[0033] Specifically, the first housing 10 and the second housing 11 are external protective structures for the electronic device, used to protect internal components, which may include, but are not limited to, a motherboard, battery, camera, speaker, etc. The first housing 10 or the second housing 11 may include multiple sidewalls, which together form a receiving cavity to accommodate internal electronic devices. Receiving grooves may be formed on two sidewalls located opposite to each other along the rotation center axis of the hinge assembly 12. The shape of the receiving grooves is adapted to the shape of the buffer member 15, which can be embedded within the receiving groove. The end of the flexible shielding member 14 extends to the receiving groove and connects to the buffer member 15. In practical applications, by embedding the buffer member 15 within the receiving groove, its position can be effectively fixed, preventing displacement during device folding or unfolding. Furthermore, the buffer member 15 can be partially bonded to the receiving groove with adhesive, further effectively fixing its position.

[0034] In this embodiment, the flexible shielding member 14 can be made of deformable materials such as thermoplastic polyurethane rubber or silicone. Figure 6 As shown, the flexible shielding member 14 can be disposed at the end of the hinge assembly 12 and deform with the bending part of the flexible screen 13 to shield the bending part of the flexible screen 13, prevent the bending part of the flexible screen 13 from being exposed, and improve the overall appearance of the electronic device.

[0035] In existing technologies, a metal insert can be provided inside the flexible shielding member 14, and the metal insert can be welded to the hinge assembly 12 to fix the flexible shielding member. However, during the welding process, the heat generated during welding can easily create "burnt" appearance marks on the flexible shielding member 14. Moreover, as the flexible shielding member 14 unfolds and folds along with the bending part, appearance marks can easily form at the connection with the metal insert, further reducing the overall appearance of the device.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, decorative elements 16 can also be provided on the edges of the first housing 10 and the second housing 11. The decorative elements 16 can be used to cover the portion of the flexible screen 13 located on the first housing 10 and the second housing 11 to prevent the portion of the flexible screen 13 located on the first housing 10 and the portion located on the second housing 11 from being exposed.

[0037] like Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, the flexible shielding member 14 may specifically include a first connecting portion 141, a second connecting portion 142, and a deformable portion 143 located between the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142. The first connecting portion 141, the deformable portion 143, and the second connecting portion 142 are connected sequentially. The first connecting portion 141 is connected to a buffer member 15 on the first housing 10, and the second connecting portion 142 is connected to a buffer member 15 on the second housing 11. This allows the first connecting portion 141 to shield the buffer members 15 on both the first housing 10 and the second housing 11, preventing the buffer members 15 from being exposed and affecting the overall appearance of the electronic device. The deformable portion 143 is opposite to the bent portion and can deform along with the unfolding or folding of the bent portion of the flexible screen 13 to shield the bent portion, preventing its exposure and improving the overall appearance of the electronic device.

[0038] In specific applications, by connecting the first connecting part 141 to the buffer member 15 of the first housing 10 and connecting the second connecting part 142 to the buffer space of the second housing 11, the flexible shielding member 14 can be fixedly installed, avoiding the operation of setting additional metal inserts on the flexible shielding member 14. At the same time, it can also shield the buffer member 15, avoiding the operation of setting additional shielding members to shield the buffer member 15, which greatly simplifies the structure of the electronic device.

[0039] In some optional embodiments of this application, the two ends of the flexible shielding member 14 can be bonded to the buffer member 15 using an adhesive medium; that is, the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142 can be bonded to the buffer member 15. Since bonding is a simple and reliable connection method, when the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142 are bonded to the buffer member 15, the connection operation between the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142 and the buffer member 15 can be simplified, and a reliable connection between the two can be achieved.

[0040] For example, the first connecting part 141 and the second connecting part 142 can be bonded to the buffer 15 by adhesive medium such as glue, tape or double-sided tape. In this embodiment of the application, the bonding method between the first connecting part 141 and the second connecting part 142 and the buffer 15 is not specifically limited.

[0041] In practical applications, since the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142 are bonded to the buffer member 15, the shapes of the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142 are usually fixed. That is, the flexible shielding member 14 only shields the bent portion of the flexible screen 13 by deforming the deformable portion 143 between the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142. During the unfolding or folding of the bent portion, the deformable portion 143 on the flexible shielding member 14 usually changes length along with the bent portion.

[0042] In some alternative embodiments of this application, such as Figure 7 As shown, the deformable portion 143 has a uniform thickness. During the length change of the deformable portion 143, the uniformly thick deformable portion 143 can undergo an overall length change. In practical applications, when the deformable portion 143 has a uniform thickness, its machining is relatively simple.

[0043] In some other alternative embodiments of this application, such as Figure 8 As shown, the deformable portion 143 is provided with a plurality of thickness-reducing portions 1431, the thickness of which is less than the thickness of the first connecting portion 141 and the second connecting portion 142. During the length change of the deformable portion 143, the length change can occur within the thickness-reducing portions 1431. Since the resistance to the length change of the thickness-reducing portions 1431 is small, the presence of thickness-reducing portions 1431 on the deformable portion 143 makes deformation of the deformable portion 143 easier and smoother.

[0044] like Figure 8 As shown, multiple thickness-reducing portions 1431 are spaced apart along the direction from the first connecting portion 141 to the second connecting portion 142. Since the deformation of the thickness-reducing portions 1431 is generally a change in length along the direction from the first connecting portion 141 to the second connecting portion 142, the arrangement of multiple thickness-reducing portions 1431 spaced apart along the direction from the first connecting portion 141 to the second connecting portion 142 facilitates the superposition of the length changes of the multiple thickness-reducing portions 1431, thereby further increasing the deformation smoothness of the deformable portion 143.

[0045] In this embodiment, the hinge assembly 12 includes a rigid support member, and the buffer member 15 protrudes at least partially toward the rigid support member. A gap exists between the flexible shielding member 14 and the rigid support member, the gap being less than or equal to 0.5 mm, to minimize the gap between the flexible shielding member 14 and the rigid support member. This allows the area of ​​the flexible shielding member 14 to be as large as possible, and correspondingly, to maximize the shielding effect of the flexible shielding member 14 on the bent portion of the flexible screen 13.

[0046] In this embodiment, by connecting the flexible shielding member 14 to the buffer member 15, the operation of setting a metal insert on the flexible shielding member 14 and welding the metal insert to the hinge, which can be done in the prior art, is avoided. This reduces the process flow and tolerance accumulation, and the gap between the flexible shielding member 14 and the rigid support member can be controlled to be less than 0.5 mm.

[0047] For example, the gap between the flexible shielding member 14 and the rigid support member can be 0.5 mm, 0.48 mm, 0.47 mm, 0.45 mm, etc. The embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the size of the gap between the flexible shielding member 14 and the rigid support member.

[0048] like Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the flexible shielding member 14 has an avoidance notch 144 at a position opposite to the rigid support member. Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the rigid support member at least partially passes through the clearance notch 144; the clearance notch 144 has edges opposite to the two side edges of the rigid support member, and a guide structure 145 is provided on the edges. In specific applications, the guide structure 145 can prevent the rigid support member from "crossing the threshold," and prevent frictional noise between the rigid support member and the flexible shield 14 during the unfolding and folding of the electronic device, thereby making the unfolding and folding movements of the electronic device smoother.

[0049] Optionally, the surface of the rigid support member opposite to the edge is the first surface, and the guide structure 145 is the first guide surface, the shape of the first guide surface being adapted to the shape of the first surface. This maximizes the area of ​​the flexible shielding member 14, improving the refinement of the appearance, and also makes the movement smoother during folding, avoiding friction noises caused by "overcoming obstacles".

[0050] Specifically, the adaptation of the shape of the first guide surface to the shape of the first surface may include: the shape of the first guide surface being the same as or similar to the shape of the first surface. For example, if the first surface is an arc-shaped surface, the first guide surface may be an arc-shaped surface with the same or similar curvature. Similarly, if the first surface is a slope, the first guide surface may be a slope with the same or similar slope. This application does not specifically limit the shapes of the first guide surface and the first surface.

[0051] Optionally, the surface of the rigid support member opposite to the edge is a first surface, and the guide structure 145 is a second guide surface, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the second guide surface is an inclined plane. This not only makes the movement smoother during folding and avoids friction noise caused by "overcoming obstacles," but also simplifies the structure of the second guide surface, making its processing easier.

[0052] In some optional embodiments of this application, the surface of the flexible shield 14 may also be coated with a lubricant. Since the shield is connected to the buffer 15, the lubricant on the flexible shield 14 can flow between the buffer 15 and the rigid support of the hinge assembly 12 to reduce wear between the buffer 15 and the rigid support, thereby reducing wear loss between the buffer 15 and the rigid support and improving the service life of the buffer 15 and the rigid support.

[0053] In summary, the electronic device described in the embodiments of this application may include at least the following advantages:

[0054] In this embodiment, since the flexible shielding members are respectively disposed at both ends of the hinge assembly along its axial direction and opposite to the bent portion of the flexible screen, during the repeated unfolding or folding of the electronic device, the flexible shielding members can be used to shield the bent portion of the flexible screen, preventing the bent portion of the flexible screen from deforming and being exposed, thereby improving the overall appearance of the electronic device. Furthermore, by connecting the flexible shielding members to the buffer members of the first housing and the second housing, not only can the flexible shielding members shield the buffer members, preventing them from being exposed, but the buffer members can also fix and support the flexible shielding members, avoiding the need for additional connecting members to fix and support the flexible shielding members, thus simplifying the connection operation of the flexible shielding members.

[0055] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0056] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising: The electronic device comprises: a first shell and a second shell, which are rotationally connected by a hinge assembly to switch the electronic device between an unfolded state and a folded state; a flexible screen arranged on one side surface of the first shell and the second shell, an opposite position of the flexible screen and the hinge assembly being a bending part, the first shell and the second shell each being provided with a buffer, the buffers being symmetrically arranged relative to the hinge assembly; a decorative piece arranged on the edge of the flexible screen and connected with the first shell and the second shell respectively; and at least two flexible shielding pieces, the two flexible shielding pieces being arranged at two ends of the hinge assembly along an axial direction and opposite to the bending part, the flexible shielding pieces being connected to the buffers, and the decorative piece being connected to the flexible shielding pieces.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, The flexible shielding piece comprises a first connecting part, a second connecting part and a deformation part between the first connecting part and the second connecting part, the first connecting part, the deformation part and the second connecting part being sequentially connected; wherein the first connecting part is connected to the buffer on the first shell, the second connecting part is connected to the buffer on the second shell, and the deformation part is opposite to the bending part.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein, The deformation part is provided with a plurality of thickness reduction parts, the thickness of the thickness reduction parts being smaller than the thickness of the first connecting part and the second connecting part.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein, The plurality of thickness reduction parts are arranged at intervals in the direction from the first connecting part to the second connecting part.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, The hinge assembly comprises a rigid support, and the buffer at least partially protrudes towards the rigid support; wherein a gap is formed between the flexible shielding piece and the rigid support, and the gap is less than or equal to 0.5 mm.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein, The flexible shielding piece is provided with a relief gap at a position opposite to the rigid support, and the rigid support at least partially passes through the relief gap; The relief gap has an edge arranged opposite to two side edges of the rigid support, and the edge is provided with a guide structure.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein, A surface opposite to the edge of the rigid support is a first surface, the guide structure is a first guide surface, and the shape of the first guide surface is adapted to the shape of the first surface.

8. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein, A surface opposite to the edge of the rigid support is a first surface, the guide structure is a second guide surface, and the second guide surface is an inclined surface.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein, The first shell and the second shell comprise a plurality of side walls, and two side walls arranged away from the center axis of the hinge assembly can be provided with accommodating grooves, the shape of the accommodating grooves being adapted to the shape of the buffer (15), and the buffer is embedded in the accommodating grooves; The end of the flexible shielding piece extends to the accommodating groove and is connected with the buffer.

10. The electronic device of any of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The two ends of the flexible shielding piece are respectively bonded to the buffer by a bonding medium.

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