FPC assembly and foldable electronic device
By designing multiple FPC units with gradually decreasing stiffness in the FPC component, the problem of abnormal noise when folding a foldable screen phone was solved, improving the user experience.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
In existing technologies, FPC components are prone to forming arched protrusions when foldable screen phones are bent, leading to abnormal noise issues.
Design an FPC assembly in which the stiffness of multiple FPC units gradually decreases in the thickness direction, and FPC units with lower stiffness are arranged on the inner side in the bending direction to reduce the stress released by the arched protrusion structure.
It effectively reduces the noise generated when foldable screen phones are bent and leveled, improving the user experience.
Smart Images
Figure CN224583201U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of foldable electronic device design technology, and particularly to an FPC component and a foldable electronic device. Background Technology
[0002] Foldable electronic devices, such as foldable screen phones, are gaining increasing attention. Designing foldable screen phones requires ensuring sufficient strength in the hinge, resulting in a larger hinge size. This leads to a narrower internal width for the FPC (Flexible Printed Circuit Board).
[0003] Currently, the relevant technologies typically involve stacking multiple FPC units to form an FPC component, thereby meeting the signal transmission requirements of foldable screen phones.
[0004] However, when a foldable phone is bent, the inner FPC unit in the FPC component will bend locally, forming an arched protrusion. When the position of this arched protrusion moves and returns to a flat state, stress will be released, resulting in abnormal noise when the foldable phone bends and flattens. Utility Model Content
[0005] This disclosure provides an FPC component and a foldable electronic device, which can solve the technical problems existing in related technologies. The technical solution of the FPC component is as follows:
[0006] On one hand, this disclosure provides an FPC component, the FPC component comprising a plurality of stacked FPC units, the FPC component having a first connection region, a deformation region and a second connection region distributed along the length direction;
[0007] Within the first connection region and the second connection region, the plurality of FPC units are fixedly connected, and within the deformation region, the plurality of FPC units are separable.
[0008] In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the stiffness of the plurality of FPC units gradually decreases.
[0009] In one possible implementation, the FPC unit includes a base and a conductive portion, and the stiffness of the multiple conductive portions corresponding to the multiple FPC units gradually decreases in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly.
[0010] Using the technical solution provided in this disclosure, the stiffness of multiple FPC units gradually decreases in the thickness direction. Thus, when installing the FPC assembly, the FPC units with lower stiffness can be arranged on the inner side of the bending direction, thereby reducing the stress released by the arched protrusion structure formed by bending, and consequently reducing abnormal noises from foldable screen phones during bending and leveling.
[0011] In one possible implementation, the thickness of the plurality of conductive portions gradually decreases along the thickness direction of the FPC component. This allows the stiffness of the plurality of FPC units to gradually decrease along the thickness direction of the FPC component, thereby reducing abnormal noises during bending and leveling of the foldable screen phone.
[0012] In one possible implementation, the conductive portion includes multiple conductive strips distributed along the width direction of the base and connected to the base respectively. A gap exists between each adjacent conductive strip. In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the sum of the widths of the gaps corresponding to the multiple conductive portions gradually increases. Thus, in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the conductive strips corresponding to multiple FPC units are arranged increasingly sparsely, which can gradually reduce the stiffness of the multiple FPC units in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, thereby reducing abnormal noises during bending and leveling of the foldable screen phone.
[0013] In one possible implementation, the FPC unit includes a base and a conductive portion, and the thickness of the multiple bases corresponding to the multiple FPC units gradually decreases along the thickness direction of the FPC assembly. This allows the stiffness of the multiple FPC units to gradually decrease along the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, thereby reducing abnormal noises during bending and straightening of the foldable screen phone.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the plurality of FPC units include a first FPC unit and a second FPC unit, wherein the stiffness of the second FPC unit is less than that of the first FPC unit.
[0015] The first FPC monomer includes a first base, a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion, wherein the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are distributed on both sides of the first base and are respectively connected to the first base;
[0016] The second FPC unit is connected to the second conductive part. In this way, the first FPC unit has two conductive parts, which increases the space available for wiring in the first FPC unit, thereby improving the signal transmission capability of the FPC component.
[0017] In one possible implementation, the first conductive portion includes a plurality of first conductive strips, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the first base and are respectively connected to the first base;
[0018] The second FPC monomer includes a second base and a third conductive portion. The second base is connected to the second conductive portion. The third conductive portion is located on the side of the second base away from the second conductive portion. The third conductive portion includes a plurality of third conductive strips. The plurality of third conductive strips are spaced apart along the width direction of the second base and are respectively connected to the second base.
[0019] The width of the first conductive strip is a first value L, and the width of the third conductive strip is a second value L. The first value L is within the range of [0.2mm, 0.5mm], and the second value L is within the range of [0.02mm, 0.05mm]. Thus, the wider first conductive strip has lower resistance and can be used to transmit power signals, thereby reducing the heat generated when the FPC component transmits power signals. The third conductive strip can be used to transmit high-speed signals and analog signals. Because the third conductive strip is narrower and has lower stiffness, it stores less energy when bent, thus further reducing the noise generated during bending and straightening of the foldable screen phone.
[0020] In one possible implementation, the thickness of the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are equal.
[0021] In one possible implementation, the FPC component further includes a third FPC unit with a stiffness less than that of the second FPC unit, and the third FPC unit is connected to the second FPC unit.
[0022] In one possible implementation, the plurality of FPC units are bonded together within the first connection region and the second connection region. This can improve the connection strength of each FPC unit within the first connection region and the second connection region, and reduce the assembly difficulty of the FPC assembly.
[0023] On the other hand, this disclosure provides a foldable electronic device, which includes an FPC component as described in the first aspect and its possible implementations.
[0024] The technical solution provided in this disclosure includes at least the following beneficial effects:
[0025] This disclosure provides an FPC component in which the stiffness of multiple FPC units gradually decreases along the thickness direction. This allows the less stiff FPC units to be positioned on the inner side of the bending direction during installation, causing them to locally bend and form an arched protrusion. This reduces the stress released by the arched protrusion, thereby reducing noise during bending and straightening of the foldable phone and improving the user experience.
[0026] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only, and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Attached Figure Description
[0027] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments of this disclosure. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an FPC component shown in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of an FPC component in a bent state, as shown in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0030] Figure 3 This is a partially exploded view of an FPC component according to an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an FPC component in the thickness direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an FPC component in the thickness direction according to an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0033] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a first FPC monomer shown in an embodiment of this disclosure;
[0034] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a third FPC monomer shown in an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0035] Legend
[0036] 1. FPC monomer;
[0037] 01. First connecting region; 02. Deformation region; 03. Second connecting region; 04. Gap;
[0038] 101. Base; 102. Conductive part;
[0039] 102a. Conductive strip;
[0040] 11. First FPC monomer; 12. Second FPC monomer; 13. Third FPC monomer;
[0041] 111. First base; 112. First conductive part; 113. Second conductive part; 112a. First conductive strip;
[0042] 121. Second base; 122. Third conductive part; 122a. Third conductive strip;
[0043] 131. Third base; 132. Fourth conductive part;
[0044] 100. Arched protrusion structure. Detailed Implementation
[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this disclosure clearer, the embodiments of this disclosure will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0046] To address the issue of abnormal noise generated when using FPC components in foldable phones during bending and flattening operations, this disclosure provides an FPC component, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the FPC assembly includes multiple stacked FPC units 1, and the FPC assembly has a first connection region 01, a deformation region 02 and a second connection region 03 distributed along the length direction.
[0047] In the first connection region 01 and the second connection region 03, multiple FPC units 1 are fixedly connected. In the deformation region 02, multiple FPC units 1 can be separated. Furthermore, in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the stiffness of multiple FPC units 1 gradually decreases.
[0048] For example, within the first connection area 01 and the second connection area 03, the connection method between multiple FPC units 1 can be adhesive bonding.
[0049] In implementation, see Figure 1 and Figure 2 ( Figure 2(This is a schematic diagram of the deformation region 02 of the FPC assembly in a bent state.) When the FPC assembly is bent, due to the radius difference between the inner and outer FPC units 1, the inner FPC unit 1 in the deformation region 02 undergoes local deformation, forming an arched protrusion structure 100. This arched protrusion structure 100 can move along the length of the FPC assembly until it contacts the transition position between the deformation region 02 and the first connection region 01 / second connection region 03, producing a noise. When the FPC assembly is leveled, the arched protrusion structure 100 in the deformation region 02 returns to its initial state. During this process, the arched protrusion structure 100 contacts the outer FPC unit 1, producing a noise.
[0050] Using the technical solution provided in this disclosure, the stiffness of multiple FPC units 1 gradually decreases in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly. Thus, during FPC assembly installation, the FPC units 1 with lower stiffness can be arranged on the inner side of the bending direction, causing the FPC units 1 with lower stiffness to partially bend and form an arched protrusion structure 100. This reduces the stress released by the arched protrusion structure 100 formed by bending, thereby reducing abnormal noises from the foldable screen phone during bending and leveling, and improving the user experience.
[0051] In some possible embodiments, each FPC unit 1 in the FPC assembly includes a base 101 and a conductive portion 102.
[0052] The base 101 is the supporting part of the FPC monomer, and its material can be polyimide. The conductive part 102 is the part of the FPC monomer that transmits signals, and its material can be aluminum, copper, etc. Both the base 101 and the conductive part 102 are slender plate-like structures.
[0053] See in some examples Figure 1 In the thickness direction of the FPC component, the stiffness of the multiple conductive parts 102 corresponding to the multiple FPC units 1 gradually decreases.
[0054] In this example, in the thickness direction of the FPC component, the stiffness of the multiple bases 101 corresponding to the multiple FPC units 1 can be equal or gradually decrease.
[0055] In one example, see Figure 1 The thickness of the multiple conductive parts 102 corresponding to the multiple FPC monomers 1 gradually decreases.
[0056] It is easy to understand that for a plate-shaped structure of the same length and width, the thicker the plate, the greater its stiffness, and the thinner the plate, the smaller its stiffness.
[0057] In another example, see Figure 3 ( Figure 3 yes Figure 1 (A partial explosion diagram of the FPC component after rotating 90° clockwise) The conductive part 102 includes multiple conductive strips 102a, which are distributed along the width direction of the base 101 and are connected to the base 101 respectively. There is a gap 04 between each two adjacent conductive strips 102a. In the thickness direction of the FPC component, the sum of the widths of the gaps 04 corresponding to the multiple conductive parts 102 gradually increases.
[0058] Specifically, see Figure 3 The FPC assembly includes three stacked FPC units 1. Each FPC unit 1 includes a base 101 and at least one conductive portion 102. Each conductive portion 102 may include the same number of conductive strips 102a. For ease of description, Figure 3 The three FPC units 1 from bottom to top are called FPC unit 1, FPC unit 2, and FPC unit 3. It is easy to see that from FPC unit 1 to FPC unit 3, the width of the conductive strip 102a gradually decreases. This means that in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the multiple conductive strips 102a are arranged more and more sparsely, and correspondingly, their stiffness also decreases.
[0059] See in some examples Figure 4 In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the thickness of the multiple bases 101 corresponding to the multiple FPC units 1 gradually decreases. It is easy to understand that for a plate-like structure of the same length and width, the thicker the plate-like structure, the greater its stiffness; conversely, the thinner the plate-like structure, the smaller its stiffness. Therefore, by gradually decreasing the thickness of the multiple bases 101 corresponding to the multiple FPC units 1, the stiffness of the multiple bases 101 corresponding to the multiple FPC units 1 gradually decreases, thereby gradually reducing the stiffness of the multiple FPC units 1.
[0060] In this example, in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the stiffness of the multiple conductive parts 102 corresponding to the multiple FPC units 1 can be equal or gradually decrease. When the stiffness of the multiple conductive parts 102 corresponding to the multiple FPC units 1 gradually decreases, the specific structure of the conductive parts 102 can be referred to the above description, and will not be repeated here.
[0061] In this way, the stiffness of multiple FPC units 1 gradually decreases in the thickness direction of the FPC assembly. When installing the FPC assembly, the FPC units with lower stiffness can be placed on the inside, thereby reducing the stress that can be released by the arched protrusion structure formed by bending, and thus reducing the abnormal noise of the foldable screen phone during bending and leveling.
[0062] In some possible embodiments, the FPC monomer 1 includes two conductive portions 102.
[0063] like Figure 5 As shown, in the FPC assembly, multiple FPC units 1 include a first FPC unit 11, a second FPC unit 12 and a third FPC unit 13 stacked together, wherein the second FPC unit 12 is located between the first FPC unit 11 and the third FPC unit 13, the first FPC unit 11 is the FPC unit with the largest stiffness, and the third FPC unit 13 is the FPC unit with the smallest stiffness.
[0064] Further, see Figure 5 The first FPC monomer 11 includes a first base 111, a first conductive portion 112, and a second conductive portion 113. The first conductive portion 112 and the second conductive portion 113 are distributed on both sides of the first base 111 in the thickness direction and are respectively connected to the first base 111. The second FPC monomer 12 is located on the side of the second conductive portion 113 opposite to the first base 111 and is connected to the second conductive portion 113.
[0065] Optionally, the first conductive portion 112 and the second conductive portion 113 are symmetrical about the first base portion 111. See also Figure 5 The thicknesses of the first conductive portion 112 and the second conductive portion 113 can be equal. Furthermore, the first conductive portion 112 and the second conductive portion 113 can each include multiple conductive strips. For the first conductive portion 112 and the second conductive portion 113, the number and width of the conductive strips included in both can be the same, and the gap width between each pair of adjacent conductive strips can be equal.
[0066] In this way, the first FPC unit 11 has two conductive parts 102, which increases the space available for wiring in the first FPC unit 11, thereby improving the signal transmission capability of the FPC component.
[0067] See in some examples Figure 6 The first conductive portion 112 includes a plurality of first conductive strips 112a, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the first base 111 and are respectively connected to the first base 111. See also Figure 5 The second FPC monomer 12 includes a second base 121 and a third conductive portion 122. The second base 121 is connected to the second conductive portion 113, and the third conductive portion 122 is located on the side of the second base 121 away from the second conductive portion 113. Further, see... Figure 7 The third conductive part 122 includes a plurality of third conductive strips 122a, which are spaced apart along the width direction of the second base 121 and are respectively connected to the second base 121.
[0068] The width of the first conductive strip 112a is a first value L1, and the width of the third conductive strip 122a is a second value L2. The first value L1 is located in the range of [0.2mm, 0.5mm], and the second value L2 is located in the range of [0.02mm, 0.05mm].
[0069] For example, the width of the first conductive strip 112a can be 0.3 mm, and the width of the third conductive strip 122a can be 0.03 mm.
[0070] In this way, the first conductive strip 112a is wider and has lower resistance, which can be used to transmit power signals, thereby reducing the heat generated when the FPC component transmits power signals. The third conductive strip 122a can be used to transmit high-speed signals and analog signals. Since the third conductive strip 122a is narrower and has less stiffness, it stores less energy when bent, thus further reducing the abnormal noise of the foldable screen phone when bending and leveling.
[0071] See in some examples Figure 5 The third FPC monomer 13 includes a third base 131 and a fourth conductive portion 132. The third base 131 is located on the side of the third conductive portion 122 away from the second base 121 and is connected to the third conductive portion 122. The fourth conductive portion 132 is located on the side of the third base 131 away from the third conductive portion 122 and is connected to the third base 131.
[0072] Of course, the FPC component may also include a greater number of FPC units 1, for example, four or five FPC units 1. The specific number of FPC units 1 in the FPC component can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, and this disclosure does not limit this.
[0073] The technical solutions provided in this disclosure have at least the following beneficial effects:
[0074] This disclosure provides an FPC assembly in which the stiffness of multiple FPC units gradually decreases along the thickness direction. This allows the less stiff FPC units to be positioned on the inner side of the bending direction during assembly, enabling them to partially bend and form an arched protrusion. This reduces the stress released by the arched protrusion, thereby minimizing noise during bending and straightening of the foldable phone and improving the user experience.
[0075] This disclosure also provides a foldable electronic device, which can be a foldable screen phone, and the foldable electronic device includes the FPC component described above.
[0076] In the description of this specification, the references to "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 described embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this disclosure. 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 a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0077] It is understood that in this disclosure, "multiple" refers to two or more, and other quantifiers are similar. "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, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects are in an "or" relationship. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
[0078] It is further understood that the terms "first," "second," etc., are used to describe various types of information, but this information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from one another, and do not indicate a specific order or degree of importance. In fact, the expressions "first," "second," etc., are completely interchangeable. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information can also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information can also be referred to as first information.
[0079] It is further understood that the terms “center,” “longitudinal,” “lateral,” “front,” “rear,” “up,” “down,” “left,” “right,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,” “inner,” “outer,” “clockwise,” “counterclockwise,” “axial,” “radial,” and “circumferential” indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this embodiment and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation.
[0080] It is further understood that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral molding; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows communication between the two components; they can refer to a direct connection between two components without the presence of other components, or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication between two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this disclosure according to the specific circumstances.
[0081] It is further understood that although operations are described in a specific order in the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of this disclosure, this should not be construed as requiring these operations to be performed in the specific order or serial order shown, or requiring all of the shown operations to be performed to obtain the desired result. In certain environments, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.
[0082] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the solutions disclosed herein. This disclosure is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the scope of the claims.
[0083] It should be understood that this disclosure is not limited to the precise structures described above and shown in the accompanying drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of this disclosure is limited only by the appended claims.
Claims
1. An FPC assembly, characterized by, The FPC assembly includes multiple stacked FPC units (1), and the FPC assembly has a first connection region (01), a deformation region (02), and a second connection region (03) distributed along the length direction. Within the first connection region (01) and the second connection region (03), the plurality of FPC monomers (1) are fixedly connected, and within the deformation region (02), the plurality of FPC monomers (1) are capable of phase separation; In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the stiffness of the plurality of FPC units (1) gradually decreases.
2. The FPC assembly of claim 1, wherein, The FPC unit (1) includes a base (101) and a conductive part (102). In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the stiffness of the multiple conductive parts (102) corresponding to the multiple FPC units (1) gradually decreases.
3. The FPC assembly of claim 2, wherein, In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the thickness of the plurality of conductive portions (102) gradually decreases.
4. The FPC assembly of claim 2, wherein, The conductive part (102) includes a plurality of conductive strips (102a), which are distributed along the width direction of the base (101) and are respectively connected to the base (101). There is a gap (04) between each two adjacent conductive strips (102a). In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the sum of the widths of the gaps (04) corresponding to the plurality of conductive parts (102) gradually increases.
5. The FPC assembly of claim 1, wherein, The FPC monomer (1) includes a base (101) and a conductive portion (102). In the thickness direction of the FPC assembly, the thickness of the multiple bases (101) corresponding to the multiple FPC monomers (1) gradually decreases.
6. The FPC assembly of claim 1, wherein, The plurality of FPC units (1) includes a first FPC unit (11) and a second FPC unit (12), wherein the stiffness of the second FPC unit (12) is less than that of the first FPC unit (11). The first FPC monomer (11) includes a first base (111), a first conductive part (112) and a second conductive part (113). The first conductive part (112) and the second conductive part (113) are distributed on both sides of the first base (111) and are respectively connected to the first base (111). The second FPC monomer (12) is connected to the second conductive part (113).
7. The FPC assembly of claim 6, wherein, The first conductive part (112) includes a plurality of first conductive strips (112a), which are spaced apart along the width direction of the first base (111) and are respectively connected to the first base (111); The second FPC monomer (12) includes a second base (121) and a third conductive part (122). The second base (121) is connected to the second conductive part (113). The third conductive part (122) is located on the side of the second base (121) away from the second conductive part (113). The third conductive part (122) includes a plurality of third conductive strips (122a). The plurality of third conductive strips (122a) are spaced apart along the width direction of the second base (121) and are respectively connected to the second base (121). The width of the first conductive strip (112a) is a first value L1, and the width of the third conductive strip (122a) is a second value L2. The first value L1 is located in the range of [0.2mm, 0.5mm], and the second value L2 is located in the range of [0.02mm, 0.05mm].
8. The FPC assembly of claim 6, wherein, The first conductive part (112) and the second conductive part (113) have the same thickness.
9. The FPC assembly of claim 6, wherein, The FPC assembly also includes a third FPC unit (13), the stiffness of which is less than that of the second FPC unit (12), and the third FPC unit (13) is connected to the second FPC unit (12).
10. The FPC assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that, Within the first connection region (01) and the second connection region (03), the plurality of FPC monomers (1) are bonded together.
11. A foldable electronic device, characterized by The foldable electronic device includes the FPC component as described in any one of claims 1 to 10.