Housing apparatus and foldable electronic device

Abstract

The present application provides a housing apparatus and a foldable electronic device. A first middle frame of the housing apparatus comprises a first main plate, a first extension plate, a second extension plate and a third extension plate. The first extension plate and the second extension plate are connected to the same side of the first main plate close to a second middle frame, and are respectively located at two ends of the first main plate. The third extension plate is connected to the first extension plate, the second extension plate and the first main plate. The housing apparatus further comprises a first stop block. The first stop block is located on the side of a first end portion of a folding mechanism facing away from a second end portion thereof, and is fixedly connected to the folding mechanism. When the housing apparatus is in an open state, the surface of the first extension plate facing the second middle frame is a first contact surface, and the first stop block is spaced apart from the first contact surface. When the housing apparatus is in a closed state, the distance between the first stop block and the first contact surface is less than or equal to 0.4 mm. According to the present application, the first stop block provides support to the first middle frame, effectively reducing the amount of collapse of the first middle frame during a drop.

Description

Housing device and foldable electronic device

[0001] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the State Intellectual Property Office of China on November 23, 2023, with application number 202311583416.6, and priority to the Chinese patent application entitled "Housing device and foldable electronic device", all contents of which are incorporated by reference into this application. Technical Field

[0002] The present application relates to the field of foldable electronic devices, and in particular to a housing device and a foldable electronic device. Background Art

[0003] With the continuous development of flexible display technology, it is widely used in a variety of foldable electronic devices. Foldable electronic devices often include a shell device for supporting a flexible display. The shell device generally includes two middle frames and a folding device connected between the two shells. The two middle frames are folded or unfolded relative to each other under the drive of the folding device. Among them, in traditional screen-folding electronic devices, when the electronic device falls, the middle frame is subjected to the impact force and locally collapses and deforms, affecting the normal use of the electronic device. Therefore, how to reduce the impact of the electronic device falling on the middle frame has become a research direction. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The embodiments of the present application provide a foldable electronic device and a housing device, aiming to provide a housing device with a small amount of collapse of the middle frame when the electronic device falls, and an electronic device including the housing device.

[0005] In a first aspect, a housing device is provided. The housing device includes a first middle frame, a second middle frame, and a folding mechanism connecting the first and second middle frames. The first middle frame includes a first main plate, a first extension plate, a second extension plate, and a third extension plate. The first extension plate and the second extension plate are connected to the same side of the first main plate near the second middle frame and are located at opposite ends of the first main plate along the lengthwise extension of the folding mechanism. The third extension plate is connected between the first extension plate and the second extension plate and is also connected to the first main plate. The first main plate, the first extension plate, the second extension plate, and the third extension plate define a first mounting slot, and a portion of the folding mechanism is disposed in the first mounting slot. The housing device also includes a first stopper. The folding mechanism includes first and second ends extending in a longitudinal direction opposite to each other. The first stopper is located on the side of the first end facing away from the second end and is fixedly connected to the folding mechanism. The housing device has an open state and a closed state. When the housing device is in the open state, the first and second middle frames are relatively flattened. The first stopper is spaced apart from a first contact surface. The first contact surface is the surface of the first extension plate that faces the second middle frame when the housing device is in the open state. When the shell device is in a closed state, the first middle frame and the second middle frame are folded relative to each other, and the distance between the first stop block and the first contact surface is less than or equal to 0.4 mm.

[0006] It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, a first stopper is provided on the side of the first end of the folding mechanism facing away from the second end, with the first and second ends aligned along the length of the hinge structure. When the electronic device is in the open state, the first surface of the first stopper can be spaced apart from the first contact surface of the first extension plate of the first middle frame. When the electronic device is in the closed state, the first support surface of the first stopper is spaced apart from the first contact surface of the first extension plate, and the spacing between them can be less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Thus, when the electronic device is in the closed state, the spacing between the first support surface of the first stopper and the first contact surface of the first extension plate is small, allowing the first stopper to support the first middle frame if the electronic device is dropped, thereby preventing the collapse of the first middle frame and reducing the amount of collapse and deformation of the first middle frame after a drop. This reduces the probability of screen failure, improves the drop reliability of the electronic device, and extends its service life. Furthermore, by making the entire middle frame of the electronic device from a high-strength material, the amount of collapse of the middle frame when dropped is reduced, thereby improving the drop reliability of the electronic device. However, using high-strength materials for the entire middle frame significantly increases its weight and manufacturing cost. In this embodiment, simply by providing a first stopper on the side of the first end of the hinge structure facing away from the second end, and by adjusting the spacing between the first stopper and the first middle frame when the electronic device is in the closed state, the drop reliability of the electronic device can be effectively improved. This allows the electronic device to meet its drop reliability requirements while achieving a lightweight and low-cost electronic device.

[0007] Secondly, when the electronic device is in a closed state, the distance between the first stop block and the first middle frame is small, which can effectively reduce the movement of the first middle frame when the electronic device falls, and avoid the first middle frame pulling the screen, causing screen failure.

[0008] In one possible implementation, when the housing assembly is in the closed state, the distance between the first stopper and the first contact surface is greater than or equal to 0.1 mm. This provides a certain distance between the first support surface of the first stopper and the first contact surface of the first middle frame, effectively preventing the first stopper from rubbing against the first middle frame when the electronic device switches between the open and closed states.

[0009] In one possible implementation, when the housing device is in an open state, the distance between the first contact surface and the first stopper is less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Thus, on the one hand, the distance between the first stopper, the first surface, and the first contact surface of the first extension plate is small, so that when the electronic device is in an open state and falls, the first stopper can still be used to support the first middle frame, thereby acting as a stopper for the collapse of the first middle frame, thereby reducing the amount of collapse and deformation of the first middle frame after the fall. On the other hand, when the electronic device falls in the open state, even if the first middle frame moves, the small distance between the first surface and the first contact surface reduces the amount of movement of the first middle frame due to the fall, thereby effectively reducing the pulling of the first middle frame on the screen, thereby reducing the impact of the electronic device on the screen when it falls, and helping to extend the service life of the electronic device.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the first stopper includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is fixed to a side of the first end of the folding structure facing away from the second end, and the second portion is fixedly connected to a surface of the first portion facing the first end. When the housing device is in the open position, the second portion, as projected along the thickness direction of the housing device, partially covers the folding mechanism, and the second portion is spaced apart from the folding mechanism.

[0011] It can be understood that the first stopper in the present embodiment includes a first part and a second part, and the second part can be fixed to the surface of the first part facing the hinge structure to form an inverted hook structure. When the electronic device is in the open state, the second part can be located above the screen (that is, the light-emitting side of the screen) and spaced apart from the screen. In this way, the second part can also wrap the edge of the screen from above the screen to prevent the edge of the screen from being exposed to protect the bent portion, while also improving the appearance of the electronic device. In other words, the first stopper in the present embodiment can, on the one hand, be used to support the first middle frame when the electronic device falls, so as to reduce the amount of collapse of the first middle frame when it falls and improve the drop reliability of the electronic device. On the other hand, the first stopper can also be used to protect the edge of the screen and improve the appearance of the electronic device. The first stopper can achieve multiple uses, which is conducive to reducing the number of parts of the electronic device, streamlining the structure, and effectively reducing the manufacturing cost and assembly difficulty of the electronic device.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the surface of the second portion facing the folding mechanism is curved. Thus, compared to the first portion of the first stopper having a flat first surface, the second portion of the first stopper has a thinner overall thickness. In this embodiment, the first surface of the second portion is curved, so that the thickness of the portion of the second portion near the middle thereof is thicker, thereby enhancing the strength of the second portion and reducing the probability of the second portion damaging the screen due to bending or deformation (for example, bending or deformation in the direction toward the screen) caused by collisions, which is beneficial for extending the service life of the electronic device. At the same time, the first surface is curved, similar to the shape of the bent portion after deformation, thereby increasing the thickness of the second portion while avoiding the second portion from rubbing against the screen, thereby preventing the screen from failing.

[0013] In one possible implementation, the folding mechanism includes a first connecting structure, a second connecting structure, and a hinge structure. The hinge structure connects the first and second connecting structures. The first connecting structure is disposed in the first mounting slot and connected to the first middle frame. The second connecting structure is connected to the second middle frame. The first stopper is fixedly connected to the hinge structure. In this way, the first stopper is fixedly connected to the hinge structure, making assembly more convenient.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the first stopper is integrally formed with the hinge structure; alternatively, a portion of the first stopper is embedded in the hinge structure. This provides a highly reliable connection between the first stopper and the hinge structure, effectively preventing the first stopper from becoming detached from the hinge structure due to significant impact when supporting the first middle frame. This improves the overall structural stability of the electronic device and extends its service life. Furthermore, the integral formation of the first stopper and hinge structure can also reduce the number of parts in the electronic device, thereby lowering its manufacturing cost and assembly difficulty, and improving production efficiency.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the folding mechanism includes a first connecting structure, a second connecting structure, a hinge structure, and a decorative member. The hinge structure connects the first and second connecting structures. The first connecting structure is disposed in the first mounting slot and connected to the first middle frame. The second connecting structure is connected to the second middle frame. The decorative member is fixed to the outer side of the hinge structure, and the first stopper is fixedly connected to the decorative member. Thus, the first stopper is fixedly connected to the decorative member, making assembly more convenient.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the first stopper is integrally formed with the decorative component; or, a portion of the first stopper is embedded in the decorative component. In this way, the connection between the first stopper and the decorative component is highly reliable, thereby effectively preventing the first stopper from falling off the decorative component due to a large impact force when supporting the first middle frame, which is beneficial to improving the overall structural stability of the electronic device and extending the service life of the electronic device. In particular, the integral formation of the first stopper and the decorative component can also reduce the number of parts in the electronic device, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost and assembly difficulty of the electronic device and improving production efficiency. At the same time, compared with the integral formation of the first stopper and the hinge structure, the hinge structure has more structural features and the integrated forming process is more difficult. However, the integral formation of the first stopper and the decorative component has fewer structural features and the integrated forming process is less difficult, which is beneficial to reducing the difficulty and cost of preparing the first stopper and improving the production efficiency of the electronic device.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the first extension plate includes a first main body portion and a first reinforcement portion, the first main body portion is fixedly connected to the first main plate and the third extension plate, the first reinforcement portion is fixed to the end of the first main body portion facing away from the first main plate, and the surface of the first reinforcement portion facing away from the first main plate constitutes at least part of the first contact surface.

[0018] It can be understood that the first extension plate in this embodiment may include a first main body portion and a first reinforcement portion that are separately arranged. The first reinforcement portion may be fixed to the end of the first main body portion that is away from the first main plate. The surface of the first reinforcement portion that is away from the first main plate may constitute the first contact surface of the first extension plate. In this way, when the electronic device falls, the first reinforcement portion directly bears most of the impact force from the first block, thereby avoiding the problem of local collapse and deformation of the remaining parts of the first middle frame due to the large impact force, avoiding screen failure, and helping to extend the service life of the electronic device.

[0019] In one possible implementation, a first mounting groove is provided at the end of the first main body facing away from the first main plate, and at least a portion of the first reinforcement portion is located within the first mounting groove. This allows at least a portion of the first reinforcement portion to be embedded within the first main body, effectively preventing the first reinforcement portion from becoming detached from the first main body due to excessive impact.

[0020] In a second aspect, a foldable electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a screen and the aforementioned housing device, wherein the screen is fixedly connected to a first middle frame and a second middle frame. It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, a first stopper is provided on the side of the first end of the folding mechanism facing away from the second end, with the first end and the second end being arranged along the longitudinal extension direction of the hinge structure. When the electronic device is in the open state, the first surface of the first stopper can be spaced apart from the first contact surface of the first extension plate of the first middle frame. When the electronic device is in the closed state, the first support surface of the first stopper is spaced apart from the first contact surface of the first extension plate, and the spacing between them can be less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Thus, when the electronic device is in the closed state, the spacing between the first support surface of the first stopper and the first contact surface of the first extension plate is small, allowing the first stopper to support the first middle frame if the electronic device is dropped, thereby preventing the first middle frame from collapsing and reducing the amount of collapse and deformation of the first middle frame after a drop. This reduces the probability of screen failure, thereby improving the drop reliability of the electronic device and extending its service life. At the same time, compared to conventional electronic devices, by making the entire middle frame of high-strength materials, the amount of collapse of the middle frame when dropped is reduced, thereby improving the drop reliability of the electronic device. However, making the entire middle frame of high-strength materials significantly increases the weight of the middle frame and the manufacturing cost of the middle frame. In this embodiment, simply by providing a first stopper on the side of the first end of the hinge structure facing away from the second end, and by setting a spacing between the first stopper and the first middle frame when the electronic device is in the closed state, the drop reliability of the electronic device can be effectively improved. This allows the electronic device to meet its own drop reliability requirements while achieving a lighter and less expensive electronic device.

[0021] Secondly, when the electronic device is in a closed state, the distance between the first stop block and the first middle frame is small, which can effectively reduce the movement of the first middle frame when the electronic device falls, and avoid the first middle frame pulling the screen, causing screen failure.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the first stop includes a first part and a second part, the first part is fixed to the side of the first end of the folding structure facing away from the second end, the second part is fixedly connected to the surface of the first part facing the first end, and the second part is located on the light-emitting side of the screen and is spaced apart from the screen.

[0023] It can be understood that the first stopper in the present embodiment includes a first part and a second part, and the second part can be fixed to the surface of the first part facing the hinge structure to form an inverted hook structure. When the electronic device is in the open state, the second part can be located above the screen (that is, the light-emitting side of the screen) and spaced apart from the screen. In this way, the second part can also wrap the edge of the screen from above the screen to prevent the edge of the screen from being exposed to protect the bent portion, while also improving the appearance of the electronic device. In other words, the first stopper in the present embodiment can, on the one hand, be used to support the first middle frame when the electronic device falls, so as to reduce the amount of collapse of the first middle frame when it falls and improve the drop reliability of the electronic device. On the other hand, the first stopper can also be used to protect the edge of the screen and improve the appearance of the electronic device. The first stopper can achieve multiple uses, which is conducive to reducing the number of parts of the electronic device, streamlining the structure, and effectively reducing the manufacturing cost and assembly difficulty of the electronic device.

[0024] In one possible implementation, when the housing device is in the open position, the distance between the second portion and the screen is within a range of 0.35 mm to 0.55 mm. This prevents the second portion from being exposed while preventing the bent portion from being scratched by hands and preventing dust and debris from entering the interior of the electronic device.

[0025] In one possible implementation, the first portion is spaced apart from the screen, with the spacing between the first portion and the screen being in the range of 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm. This spacing between the first portion and the screen prevents the screen from shifting and colliding with the first portion when the electronic device is dropped, potentially leading to screen failure. This helps extend the life of the electronic device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the implementation methods or background technologies of the present application, the drawings required for use in the implementation methods or background technologies of the present application will be described below.

[0027] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device in an open state provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0028] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the electronic device shown in FIG1 in a closed state;

[0029] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a partially exploded structure of the electronic device shown in FIG1 in some embodiments;

[0030] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of the housing device shown in FIG3 ;

[0031] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a partially exploded structure of the housing device shown in FIG3 ;

[0032] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the first middle frame shown in FIG5 in some embodiments;

[0033] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the second middle frame shown in FIG5 in some embodiments;

[0034] FIG8 is a schematic structural diagram of the folding mechanism shown in FIG5 in some embodiments;

[0035] FIG9 a is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of an embodiment of the electronic device shown in FIG1 taken along line AA;

[0036] FIG9 b is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of an embodiment of the electronic device shown in FIG2 taken along line BB;

[0037] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a partial assembly structure of the first middle frame, the second middle frame and the first stopper shown in FIG5 ;

[0038] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of an embodiment of the electronic device shown in FIG2 taken along line BB;

[0039] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of an embodiment of the electronic device shown in FIG2 taken along CC;

[0040] FIG13 is a schematic structural diagram of a first stopper of the folding mechanism shown in FIG8 in some embodiments;

[0041] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of an enlarged structure of the structure shown in FIG9b at position D;

[0042] FIG15 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of an embodiment of the electronic device shown in FIG2 taken along EE;

[0043] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of the structure shown in FIG9b in another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] The embodiments of the present application are described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

[0045] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installation" and "connection" should be understood in a broad sense. For example, "connection" can be a detachable connection or a non-detachable connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Among them, "fixed connection" means that the two are connected to each other and the relative position relationship after connection remains unchanged. The directional terms mentioned in the embodiments of the present application, such as "upper", "lower", "inside", "outside", etc., are only reference to the directions of the accompanying drawings. Therefore, the directional terms used are for better and clearer explanation and understanding of the embodiments of the present application, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application. "Multiple" means at least two.

[0046] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "first," "second," "third," and "fourth" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first," "second," "third," or "fourth" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features.

[0047] In the embodiments of this application, "and / or" is simply a description of the association relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist simultaneously, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this document generally indicates that the related objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0048] References to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in conjunction with the embodiment is included in one or more embodiments of the present application. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in some other embodiments," and "in another embodiment" appearing in various places in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, but rather mean "one or more but not all embodiments," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. The terms "including," "comprising," "having," and variations thereof all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized.

[0049] It is understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the relevant invention, rather than to limit the invention. It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts related to the invention are shown in the drawings.

[0050] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device 1000 provided in an embodiment of the present application in an open state. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device 1000 shown in Figure 1 in a closed state. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the partially exploded structure of the electronic device 1000 shown in Figure 1 in some embodiments.

[0051] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, electronic device 1000 may include a housing device 100 and a screen 200. Screen 200 may be mounted on housing device 100. Housing device 100 may be in an open state as shown in Figure 1, or in a closed state as shown in Figure 1. Housing device 100 may also be in an intermediate state between unfolded and folded. The intermediate state may be any state between the open and closed states. Screen 200 may move along with housing device 100. Housing device 100 may cause screen 200 to unfold or fold, allowing electronic device 1000 to unfold to an open state or fold to a closed state. When electronic device 1000 is in a closed state, screen 200 may be located inside housing device 100. In other words, electronic device 1000 may be an inward-folding screen electronic device. It should be understood that Figures 1 to 3 merely schematically illustrate some components of electronic device 1000, and the actual shape, size, and structure of these components are not limited by Figures 1, 2, and 3. In other implementations, when the electronic device 1000 is a device of other forms, the electronic device 1000 may not include the screen 200 .

[0052] In this embodiment, when electronic device 1000 is in the open state, screen 200 can be flattened. In this case, screen 200 can display full screen, and electronic device 1000 has a larger display area, which is conducive to improving the user's viewing and operating experience. When electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the planar size of electronic device 1000 is small, making it easy for users to carry and store.

[0053] For example, referring to Figures 1 to 3 and 8 , the housing device 100 may include a first housing 10, a second housing 20, a folding mechanism 30, a first stopper 40, and a second stopper 50. The folding mechanism 30 may connect the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. The first stopper 40 and the second stopper 50 may each be fixedly connected to the folding mechanism 30. The folding mechanism 30 may move to allow the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 to unfold relative to each other to an open state, or fold relative to each other to a closed state. The screen 200 may be fixedly connected to the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. The first housing 10 may include a first middle frame 11 and a first back cover 12. The first back cover 12 may be located on the side of the first middle frame 11 facing away from the screen 200 and fixedly connected to the first middle frame 11. The second housing 20 may include a second middle frame 21 and a second back cover 22. The second back cover 22 may be located on the side of the second middle frame 21 facing away from the screen 200 and fixedly connected to the second middle frame 21. At this time, the surface of the first back cover 12 facing away from the first middle frame 11 can constitute the appearance surface of the first shell 10. The surface of the second back cover 22 facing away from the second middle frame 21 can constitute the outer surface of the second shell 20. It should be understood that the first shell 10 and the second shell 20 are both shell parts, which are used to install and fix other components of the electronic device and have a variety of structures. The folding mechanism 30 is used to achieve relative movement between the first shell 10 and the second shell 20, and also has a variety of structures. The embodiments of the present application do not strictly limit the specific structures of the first shell 10, the second shell 20 and the folding mechanism 30. The drawings of the present application only illustrate the general structure of the first shell 10, the second shell 20 and the folding mechanism 30 in one embodiment.

[0054] Exemplarily, the screen 200 may be integrated with a display function and a touch sensing function. The display function of the screen 200 is used to display images, videos, etc., and the touch sensing function of the screen 200 is used to sense the user's touch actions to achieve human-computer interaction. Exemplarily, the screen 200 includes a flexible display screen that can be bent. Among them, the flexible display screen can adopt a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen, an active matrix organic light-emitting diode or an active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display screen, a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED) display screen, a MiniLED display screen, a MicroLED display screen, a Micro-OLED display screen, a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display screen, etc.

[0055] The screen 200 may include a first non-bending portion 201, a bending portion 202, and a second non-bending portion 203 arranged in sequence. The first non-bending portion 201 may be fixed to the first shell 10. The second non-bending portion 203 may be fixed to the second shell 20. During the relative folding or unfolding of the first shell 10 and the second shell 20, the bending portion 202 of the screen 200 may deform. For ease of understanding, the direction in the same direction as the light emission direction of the screen 200 is "upward", and the direction opposite to the light emission direction of the screen 200 is "downward".

[0056] For example, the electronic device 1000 may further include multiple components (not shown in the figure), which are installed inside the housing device 100. The multiple components may include, for example, a processor, an internal memory, an external memory interface, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a charging management module, a power management module, a battery, an antenna, a communication module, a camera, an audio module, a speaker, a receiver, a microphone, a headphone jack, a sensor module, a button, a motor, an indicator, and a subscriber identification module (SIM) card interface.

[0057] In this embodiment, the electronic device 1000 is taken as an example of a two-fold structure, that is, the electronic device 1000 includes two flat parts and a bending portion 202 connected between the two flat parts. Among them, the two flat parts can be rotated toward each other to overlap each other (corresponding to the closed state described above), so that the electronic device 1000 presents a two-layer form; the two flat parts can also be rotated away from each other to be flattened (corresponding to the open state described above). In other embodiments, the electronic device 1000 can also be a structure that folds three or more, that is, the electronic device 1000 includes three or more flat parts, and two adjacent flat parts are connected by the bending portion 202. The two adjacent flat plates can be rotated relative to each other to overlap each other or rotated away from each other to be flattened. When the electronic device 1000 is a structure that folds three or more, the structure of the electronic device 1000 can be adaptively designed with reference to the description of the two-fold structure of this embodiment, and this application will not go into details.

[0058] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the housing device 100 shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the partially exploded structure of the housing device 100 shown in Figure 3. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the first middle frame 11 shown in Figure 5 in some embodiments. It should be noted that, to simplify the diagram, Figure 5 only illustrates the structures of the first middle frame 11, the second middle frame 21, and the folding mechanism 30.

[0059] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the first middle frame 11 may include a first main plate 111, a first extension plate 112, a second extension plate 113 and a third extension plate 114. The first extension plate 112 and the second extension plate 113 may be connected to the same side of the first main plate 111 close to the second middle frame 21, and are respectively located at both ends of the first main plate 111 along the length extension direction of the folding mechanism 30. The third extension plate 114 may be connected between the first extension plate 112 and the second extension plate 113. The third extension plate 114 may also be connected to the first main plate 111. The third extension plate 114 and the first main plate 111 may have a height difference in the thickness direction of the electronic device 1000. At this time, the first main plate 111, the first extension plate 112, the second extension plate 113 and the third extension plate 114 may together surround the first mounting groove 11a.

[0060] Exemplarily, the surface of the first extension plate 112 facing away from the first main plate 111 is the first contact surface 112a. The surface of the second extension plate 113 facing away from the first main plate 111 is the second contact surface 113a. When the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the first extension plate 112, the second extension plate 113 and the third extension plate 114 can all be located on the side of the first main plate 111 close to the second middle frame 21. The first contact surface 112a and the second contact surface 113a can both face the second middle frame 21. It should be understood that although the first middle frame 11 is divided into four parts for introduction in this embodiment, it does not affect the fact that the first middle frame 11 can be an integrally formed structure, that is, the first main plate 111, the first extension plate 112, the second extension plate 113 and the third extension plate 114 can be integrally formed.

[0061] For example, the first extension plate 112 of the first middle frame 11 may include a first main portion 1121 and a first reinforcement portion 1122. The first main portion 1121 may be fixedly connected to the first main plate 111 and the third extension plate 114. The surface of the first main portion 1121 facing the second extension plate 113 may constitute a portion of the wall of the first mounting groove 11a. The first reinforcement portion 1122 may be fixed to the end of the first main portion 1121 facing away from the first main plate 111 by bonding, screwing, or snapping. In this case, the surface of the first reinforcement portion 1122 facing away from the first main plate 111 may constitute at least a portion of the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112. A first mounting groove 1123 may be defined at the end of the first main portion 1121 facing away from the first main plate 111. The opening of the first mounting groove 1123 may be formed on both the surface of the first main portion 1121 facing away from the first main plate 111 and the surface of the first main portion 1121 facing the second extension plate 113. At least a portion of the first reinforcement portion 1122 can be located within the first assembly groove 1123 and fixedly connected to the first main body portion 1121. In other embodiments, the first main body portion 1121 may not be provided with the first assembly groove 1123. The first reinforcement portion 1122 can also be located at the end of the first main body portion 1121 facing away from the first main plate 111 and fixedly connected to the surface of the first main body portion 1121 facing the first installation groove 11a.

[0062] By way of example, the second extension plate 113 of the first middle frame 11 may include a second main portion 1131 and a second reinforcement portion 1132. The second main portion 1131 may be fixedly connected to the first main plate 111 and the third extension plate 114. The surface of the second main portion 1131 facing the first extension plate 112 may constitute a portion of the wall of the first mounting groove 11a. The second reinforcement portion 1132 may be fixed to the end of the second main portion 1131 facing away from the first main plate 111 by bonding, screwing, or snapping. In this case, the surface of the second reinforcement portion 1132 facing away from the first main plate 111 may constitute at least a portion of the second contact surface 113a of the second extension plate 113. A second mounting groove 1133 may be defined at the end of the second main portion 1131 facing away from the first main plate 111. The structure of the second mounting groove 1133 is similar to that of the first mounting groove 1123 and will not be further described here. At least a portion of the second reinforcement portion 1132 may be located within the second mounting groove 1133 and fixedly connected to the second main portion 1131. In other embodiments, the second main body 1131 may not be provided with the second assembly groove 1133. The second reinforcement portion 1132 may also be located at the end of the second main body 1131 facing away from the first main plate 111 and fixedly connected to the surface of the second main body 1131 facing the first installation groove 11a.

[0063] In some other embodiments, the first extension plate 112 may not include the first reinforcement portion 1122 . The second extension plate 113 may not include the second reinforcement portion 1132 .

[0064] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the second middle frame 21 shown in FIG. 5 in some embodiments.

[0065] As shown in Figures 4, 5 and 7, the second middle frame 21 may include a second main body plate 211, a fourth extension plate 212, a fifth extension plate 213 and a sixth extension plate 214. The fourth extension plate 212 and the fifth extension plate 213 may be connected to the same side of the second main body plate 211 and respectively located at both ends of the second main body plate 211. The sixth extension plate 214 may be connected between the fourth extension plate 212 and the fifth extension plate 213. The sixth extension plate 214 may also be connected to the second main body plate 211. The sixth extension plate 214 and the second main body plate 211 may have a height difference in the thickness direction of the electronic device 1000. At this time, the second main body plate 211, the fourth extension plate 212, the fifth extension plate 213 and the sixth extension plate 214 may jointly enclose the second mounting groove 21a.

[0066] Exemplarily, the surface of the fourth extension plate 212 facing away from the second main body plate 211 is the third contact surface 212a. The surface of the fifth extension plate 213 facing away from the second main body plate 211 is the fourth contact surface 213a. When the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the fourth extension plate 212, the fifth extension plate 213 and the sixth extension plate 214. Can all be located on the side of the second main body plate 211 close to the first middle frame. The third contact surface 212a and the fourth contact surface 213a can both face the first middle frame 11. It should be understood that although the second middle frame 21 is divided into four parts for introduction in this embodiment, it does not affect the fact that the second middle frame 21 can be an integrally formed structure, that is, the second main body plate 211, the fourth extension plate 212, the fifth extension plate 213 and the sixth extension plate 214 can be integrally formed.

[0067] By way of example, the fourth extension plate 212 of the second middle frame 21 may include a third main portion 2121 and a third reinforcement portion 2122. The third main portion 2121 may be fixedly connected to the second main plate 211 and the sixth extension plate 214. The surface of the third main portion 2121 facing the fourth extension plate 212 may constitute a portion of the wall of the second mounting slot 21a. The third reinforcement portion 2122 may be secured to the end of the third main portion 2121 facing away from the second main plate 211 by bonding, screwing, or snapping. In this case, the surface of the third reinforcement portion 2122 facing away from the second main plate 211 may constitute at least a portion of the third contact surface 212a of the fourth extension plate 212. A third mounting groove 2123 may be defined at the end of the third main portion 2121 facing away from the second main plate 211. The opening of the third mounting groove 2123 may be formed on both the surface of the third main portion 2121 facing away from the second main plate 211 and the surface of the third main portion 2121 facing the fifth extension plate 213. At least a portion of the third reinforcement portion 2122 can be located within the third assembly groove 2123 and fixedly connected to the third main body portion 2121. In other embodiments, the third main body portion 2121 may not be provided with the third assembly groove 2123. The third reinforcement portion 2122 can also be located at the end of the third main body portion 2121 facing away from the second main plate 211 and fixedly connected to the surface of the third main body portion 2121 facing the second installation groove 21a.

[0068] Exemplarily, the fifth extension plate 213 of the second middle frame 21 may include a fourth main portion 2131 and a fourth reinforcement portion 2132. The fourth main portion 2131 may be fixedly connected to the second main plate 211 and the sixth extension plate 214. The surface of the fourth main portion 2131 facing the fifth extension plate 213 may constitute a portion of the groove wall of the second mounting groove 21a. The fourth reinforcement portion 2132 may be fixed to the end of the fourth main portion 2131 facing away from the second main plate 211 by bonding, screwing, snapping, or the like. In this case, the surface of the fourth reinforcement portion 2132 facing away from the second main plate 211 may constitute at least a portion of the fourth contact surface 213a of the fifth extension plate 213. A fourth assembly groove 2133 may be provided at the end of the fourth main portion 2131 facing away from the second main plate 211. The structure of the fourth assembly groove 2133 is similar to that of the third assembly groove 2123 and will not be further described here. At least a portion of the fourth reinforcement portion 2132 can be located within the fourth assembly groove 2133 and fixedly connected to the fourth main body portion 2131. In other embodiments, the fourth main body portion 2131 may not be provided with the fourth assembly groove 2133. The fourth reinforcement portion 2132 can also be located at the end of the fourth main body portion 2131 facing away from the second main plate 211 and fixedly connected to the surface of the fourth main body portion 2131 facing the second installation groove 21a.

[0069] In some other embodiments, the fourth extension plate 212 may not include the fourth reinforcement portion 2132 . The fifth extension plate 213 may not include the fifth reinforcement portion 2123 .

[0070] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of the assembly structure of the folding mechanism 30 , the first stopper 40 , and the second stopper 50 shown in FIG5 in some embodiments.

[0071] As shown in Figure 8, the folding mechanism 30 may include a first connecting structure 31, a second connecting structure 32, a hinge structure 33 and a decorative member 34. The first connecting structure 31 and the second connecting structure 32 may be roughly symmetrical structures. The first connecting structure 31 and the second connecting structure 32 may both be connected to the hinge structure 33. The first connecting structure 31 and the second connecting structure 32 may both move relative to the hinge structure 33. The decorative member 34 may be fixed to the hinge structure 33. In this way, the decorative member 34 may prevent the hinge structure 33 from being exposed, thereby protecting the hinge structure 33. At the same time, the surface of the decorative member 34 facing away from the hinge structure 33 may constitute a part of the appearance surface of the electronic device 1000, so that the electronic device 1000 has a better appearance. In other embodiments, the folding mechanism 30 may not include the decorative member 34.

[0072] Illustratively, the folding mechanism 30 may include a first end 30a and a second end 30b along its longitudinal extension. The first stopper 40 may be located on the side of the first end 30a facing away from the second end 30b. The first stopper 40 may be fixedly connected to the hinge structure 33. Illustratively, the first stopper 40 and the hinge structure 33 may be integrally formed, that is, the first stopper 40 and the hinge structure 33 may be integrally formed. Alternatively, a portion of the first stopper 40 may be embedded in the hinge structure 33. For example, the surface of the first stopper 40 facing the hinge structure 33 may be provided with a protrusion (not shown). The surface of the hinge structure 33 facing the first stopper may be partially recessed inward to form a groove (not shown). The protrusion of the first stopper 40 may be fixed within the groove of the hinge structure 33. In this manner, the connection between the first stopper 40 and the hinge structure 33 is highly reliable. In other embodiments, the first stopper 40 may be fixedly connected to the surface of the first end 30a facing away from the second end 30b by bonding, screwing, welding, or the like.

[0073] For example, the second stopper 50 can be located on the side of the second end portion 30b facing away from the first end portion 30a. The second stopper 50 can be fixedly connected to the hinge structure 33. For example, the second stopper 50 and the second end portion 30b can be integrally formed, that is, the second stopper 50 and the hinge structure 33 can be an integrally formed structure. Of course, in other embodiments, the second stopper 50 can also be fixedly connected to the surface of the second end portion 30b facing away from the first end portion 30a by bonding, screwing, welding, or the like.

[0074] Figure 9a is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-section of the electronic device 1000 shown in Figure 1, taken along line AA, in one embodiment. Figure 9b is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-section of the electronic device 1000 shown in Figure 2, taken along line BB, in one embodiment. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the partial assembly of the first middle frame 11, the second middle frame 21, and the first stopper 40 shown in Figure 5. For ease of understanding, the hinge structure 33 and the first stopper 40 are schematically demarcated by dotted lines in Figure 9b.

[0075] As shown in Figures 9a and 10, at least a portion of the first connecting structure 31 of the folding mechanism 30 can be located within the first mounting groove 11a of the first middle frame 11 and connected to the first middle frame 11. At least a portion of the second connecting structure 32 of the folding mechanism 30 can be located within the second mounting groove 21a of the second middle frame 21 and connected to the second middle frame 21. A portion of the hinge structure 33 of the folding mechanism 30 can be located within the first mounting groove 11a, and a portion of the hinge structure 33 can be located within the second mounting groove 21a.

[0076] For example, when the electronic device 1000 is in an open state (i.e., when the housing device 100 is in an open state), the first stopper 40 can be located between the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112 of the first middle frame 11 and the third contact surface 212a of the fourth extension plate 212 of the second middle frame 21 ( FIG. 4 also illustrates the relative positional relationship between the first stopper 40 and the first and third contact surfaces 112a and 212a). At this time, the surface of the first stopper 40 facing the first extension plate 112 is the first surface 41. The surface of the first stopper 40 facing the fourth extension plate 212 is the second surface 42. The upper surface of the first stopper 40 is the first support surface 43, i.e., the surface of the first stopper 40 facing the light-emitting side of the screen 200 is the first support surface 43. The first support surface 43 can be connected between the first surface 41 and the second surface 42. The first surface 41 of the first stopper 40 can be spaced apart from the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112. The second surface 42 of the first stopper 40 may be spaced apart from the third contact surface 212 a of the fourth extension plate 212 .

[0077] It should be noted that the relative position relationship between the second stop block 50 and the second contact surface 113a of the first middle frame 11 and the fourth contact surface 213a of the second middle frame 21 can refer to the description of the relative position relationship between the first stop block 40 and the first middle frame 11 and the second middle frame 21, and Figure 4 also illustrates the relative position relationship between the second stop block 50 and the second contact surface 113a and the fourth contact surface 213a, which will not be repeated here.

[0078] Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of an embodiment of the electronic device 1000 shown in Fig. 2 taken along line BB. Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of an embodiment of the electronic device 1000 shown in Fig. 2 taken along line CC.

[0079] As shown in Figures 11 and 12, when the electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the first middle frame 11 and the second middle frame 21 can be folded relative to each other. The first connecting structure 31 and the second connecting structure 32 of the folding mechanism 30 can be folded relative to each other. At this time, the space between the first middle frame 11 and the second middle frame 21, as well as the space between the first connecting structure 31 and the second connecting structure 32, can be used to accommodate the screen 200.

[0080] For example, when the electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the first support surface 43 of the first stopper 40 can be spaced apart from the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112. The first support surface 43 of the first stopper 40 can also be spaced apart from the third contact surface 212a of the fourth extension plate 212. The spacing between the first support surface 43 and the first contact surface 112a can be less than or equal to 0.4 mm. The spacing between the first support surface 43 and the third contact surface 212a can also be less than or equal to 0.4 mm. In other embodiments, the spacing between the first support surface 43 and the first contact surface 112a can also be another value greater than 0.4 mm. It should be understood that the spacing between the first support surface 43 and the first contact surface 112a refers to the minimum spacing between the first support surface 43 and the first contact surface 112a in their arrangement direction, that is, the spacing between the area of ​​the first support surface 43 closest to the first contact surface 112a and the first contact surface 112a in their arrangement direction. The distance between the first support surface 43 and the third contact surface 212a is the same as the above definition and will not be repeated here. The distance between the two components can be referred to the above explanation unless otherwise specified.

[0081] It will be appreciated that in this embodiment, the first stopper 40 is disposed on the side of the first end 30a of the folding mechanism 30 facing away from the second end 30b, with the first end 30a and the second end 30b arranged along the lengthwise extension of the hinge structure 33. When the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the first surface 41 of the first stopper 40 can be spaced apart from the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112 of the first middle frame 11. When the electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the first support surface 43 of the first stopper 40 is spaced apart from the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112, and the spacing between the first support surface 43 and the first contact surface 112a can be less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Thus, when the electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the distance between the first support surface 43 of the first stopper 40 and the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112 is small, allowing the first stopper 40 to support the first middle frame 11 when the electronic device 1000 is dropped, thereby preventing the first middle frame 11 from collapsing. This reduces the amount of collapse and deformation of the first middle frame 11 after a drop, thereby reducing the probability of screen 200 failure, improving the drop reliability of the electronic device 1000, and extending the service life of the electronic device 1000. Furthermore, compared to conventional electronic devices, by making the entire middle frame of high-strength materials, the amount of collapse of the middle frame when dropped is reduced, thereby improving the drop reliability of the electronic device. However, making the entire middle frame of high-strength materials significantly increases the weight of the middle frame and the manufacturing cost of the middle frame. In this embodiment, by merely providing a first stopper 40 on the side of the first end 30a of the hinge structure 33 facing away from the second end 30b, and by setting a distance between the first stopper 40 and the first middle frame 11 when the electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the drop reliability of the electronic device 1000 can be effectively improved, thereby achieving an electronic device 1000 with a lighter weight and lower manufacturing cost while meeting the drop reliability requirements of the electronic device 1000 itself.

[0082] Secondly, when the electronic device 1000 is in a closed state, the distance between the first stop block 40 and the first middle frame 11 is small, which can also effectively reduce the movement of the first middle frame 11 when the electronic device 1000 falls, thereby avoiding the first middle frame 11 pulling the screen 200 and causing the screen 200 to fail.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first stopper 40 can be integrally formed with the hinge structure 33 of the folding mechanism 30, or a portion of the first stopper 40 can be embedded in the hinge structure 33 of the folding mechanism 30. This provides a highly reliable connection between the first stopper 40 and the hinge structure 33, effectively preventing the first stopper 40 from becoming detached from the hinge structure 33 due to significant impact when supporting the first middle frame 11. This improves the overall structural stability of the electronic device 1000 and extends its service life. Furthermore, the integral formation of the first stopper 40 and the hinge structure 33 can also reduce the number of parts in the electronic device 1000, thereby lowering the manufacturing cost and assembly difficulty of the electronic device 1000 and improving production efficiency.

[0084] In addition, the first extension plate 112 in this embodiment may include a first main body portion 1121 and a first reinforcement portion 1122 that are separately arranged. The first reinforcement portion 1122 may be fixed to the end of the first main body portion 1121 that faces away from the first main plate 111. The surface of the first reinforcement portion 1122 that faces away from the first main plate 111 may constitute the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112. In this way, when the electronic device 1000 falls, the first reinforcement portion 1122 directly bears most of the impact force from the first stopper 40, thereby avoiding the problem that the rest of the first middle frame 11 is locally collapsed and deformed due to the greater impact force, thereby avoiding failure of the screen 200 and helping to extend the service life of the electronic device 1000.

[0085] In some embodiments, the first reinforcement portion 1122 can be prepared by 3D printing, metal injection molding, etc. The material of the first reinforcement portion 1122 can be different from the material of the first middle frame 11. For example, the material of the first reinforcement portion 1122 can be a titanium alloy material, an iron-based material, an aluminum-based material, a copper-based material, a nickel-based material, or a material with higher strength. The strength of the first reinforcement portion 1122 can be greater than the strength of the first main body portion 1121. In this way, the strength of the first reinforcement portion 1122 is greater. When the electronic device 1000 falls, the first reinforcement portion 1122 can better withstand the impact force from the first stopper 40 of the folding mechanism 30, thereby effectively avoiding the problem of excessive impact force generated by the collision between the first stopper 40 and the adjacent part of the first middle frame 11 (that is, the first extension plate 112 in this embodiment), which causes the first middle frame 11 to partially collapse and deform, thereby extending the service life of the electronic device 1000.

[0086] Secondly, compared to some electronic devices that use high-strength materials to make the first middle frame to improve the overall strength of the first middle frame, using high-strength materials to make the entire first middle frame also greatly increases the weight and manufacturing cost of the first middle frame. In contrast, this embodiment only enhances the strength of the portion of the first middle frame 11 adjacent to the first stopper 40 (in this embodiment, the first reinforcement portion 1122 of the first extension plate 112), thereby eliminating the need to replace the entire material of the first middle frame 11 with high-strength materials. The overall weight of the first middle frame 11 is relatively light, which is conducive to achieving a lightweight setting for the electronic device 1000. At the same time, the manufacturing cost of the first middle frame 11 is relatively low, which is conducive to reducing the manufacturing cost of the entire electronic device 1000.

[0087] In some embodiments, when the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the distance between the first surface 41 of the first stopper 40 and the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112 of the first middle frame 11 can be less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Thus, on the one hand, the small distance between the first surface 41 of the first stopper 40 and the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112 allows the first stopper 40 to still support the first middle frame 11 when the electronic device 1000 is in the open state and falls, thereby preventing the first middle frame 11 from collapsing and reducing the amount of collapse and deformation of the first middle frame 11 after the fall. On the other hand, when the electronic device 1000 falls in the open state, even if the first middle frame 11 is displaced, the distance between the first surface 41 and the first contact surface 112a is small, so that the amount of displacement of the first middle frame 11 caused by the fall is small, thereby effectively reducing the pulling of the screen 200 by the displacement of the first middle frame 11, thereby reducing the impact of the electronic device 1000 on the screen 200 when it falls, which is beneficial to extending the service life of the electronic device 1000.

[0088] In some embodiments, when the electronic device 1000 is in the closed state, the distance between the first support surface 43 of the first stopper 40 and the first contact surface 112a of the first middle frame 11 can be greater than or equal to 0.1 mm, thereby effectively preventing the first stopper 40 from rubbing against the first middle frame 11 when the electronic device 1000 switches between the open and closed states. In other embodiments, when the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the distance between the first surface 41 of the first stopper 40 and the first contact surface 112a of the first middle frame 11 can also be greater than or equal to 0.1 mm.

[0089] The above specifically describes the relative positional relationship between the first stopper 40 and other components in the electronic device 1000 . The following will describe the specific structure of the first stopper 40 with reference to the relevant drawings.

[0090] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first stopper 40 of the folding mechanism 30 shown in Figure 8 in some embodiments. Figure 14 is an enlarged schematic diagram of the structure shown in Figure 9b at point D. Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-section of the electronic device 1000 shown in Figure 2 taken along point EE in one embodiment.

[0091] As shown in Figures 13 to 15, the first stopper 40 may include a first portion 44 and a second portion 45. For ease of understanding, the first portion 44 and the second portion 45 are schematically demarcated by narrow dashed lines in Figures 13 and 14. The first portion 44 may be located on the side of the first end 30a of the folding mechanism 30 that faces away from the second end 30b. The first portion 44 may be fixedly connected to the hinge structure 33. When the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the surface of the first portion 44 facing the first extension plate 112 may constitute the first surface 41 of the first stopper 40. The surface of the first portion 44 facing the fourth extension plate 212 may constitute the second surface 42 of the first stopper 40 (see Figure 10). The distance between the surface of the first portion 44 facing the hinge structure 33 and the screen 200 may be in the range of 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm.

[0092] Exemplarily, the second portion 45 can be fixedly connected to the surface of the first portion 44 facing the hinge structure 33. When the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the second portion 45 can cover part of the hinge structure 33 when projected along the thickness direction of the electronic device 1000. The second portion 45 can be spaced apart from the hinge structure 33. At this time, the second portion 45 can form an inverted hook structure relative to the first portion 44. The second portion 45 can include a first surface 451 and a second surface 452 that are disposed opposite to each other. When the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the first surface 451 of the second portion 45 can face the hinge structure 33 and be spaced apart from the bending portion 202 of the screen 200. That is, the second portion 45 can be located on the light-emitting side of the screen 200.

[0093] For example, the first surface 451 may be substantially arc-shaped. The distance between the first surface 451 of the second portion 45 and the bent portion 202 of the screen 200 may be in a range of 0.35 mm to 0.55 mm.

[0094] For example, when the electronic device 1000 is in a closed state, the surface of the first portion 44 facing the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112 is the third surface 441. The second surface 452 of the second portion 45 can face the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112. The second surface 452 and the third surface 441 can both be spaced apart from the first contact surface 112a of the first extension plate 112, and spaced apart from the third contact surface 212a of the second extension plate 113. The second surface 452 and the third surface 441 can together constitute the first support surface 43 of the first stopper 40. The bent portion 202 of the screen 200 can be deformed and bent. The shape of the first surface 451 of the second portion 45 can be adapted to the shape of the deformed bent portion 202 of the screen 200. In other words, the shape of the first surface 451 of the second portion 45 can be designed according to the bending radius of the bent portion 202 of the screen 200 so that the shape of the first surface 451 matches the shape of the bent portion 202 after bending.

[0095] It is understood that the first stopper 40 in this embodiment includes a first portion 44 and a second portion 45. The second portion 45 can be fixed to the surface of the first portion 44 facing the hinge structure 33 to form an inverted hook structure. When the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the second portion 45 can be located above the bent portion 202 of the screen 200 (i.e., the light-emitting side of the screen 200) and spaced apart from the bent portion 202 of the screen 200. In this way, the second portion 45 can also wrap around the edge of the bent portion 202 of the screen 200 from above, preventing the edge of the bent portion 202 from being exposed, thereby protecting the bent portion 202 and improving the appearance of the electronic device 1000. In other words, the first stopper 40 in this embodiment can be used to support the first middle frame 11 when the electronic device 1000 falls, thereby reducing the amount of collapse of the first middle frame 11 when falling and improving the drop reliability of the electronic device 1000. On the other hand, the first stopper 40 can also be used to protect the edge of the screen 200, improving the appearance of the electronic device 1000. The first stopper 40 can achieve multiple uses, which helps to reduce the number of parts of the electronic device 1000, streamline the structure, and effectively reduce the manufacturing cost and assembly difficulty of the electronic device 1000.

[0096] Secondly, the distance between the surface of the first part 44 facing the hinge structure 33 and the screen 200 can be in the range of 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm, thereby avoiding the problem that the screen 200 is displaced and collides with the first part 44 when the electronic device 1000 falls, causing the screen 200 to fail, which is beneficial to extending the service life of the electronic device 1000.

[0097] Additionally, the surface of the second portion 45 facing the screen 200 can be curved. This allows the second portion of the first stopper to be thinner overall than the flat first surface of the second portion. In this embodiment, the curved first surface 451 of the second portion 45 allows for a thicker portion near its center, thereby enhancing the strength of the second portion 45 and reducing the likelihood of the second portion 45 being damaged by bending or deformation (e.g., bending or deforming toward the screen 200) due to impact, thereby extending the lifespan of the electronic device 1000. Furthermore, the curved first surface 451 resembles the deformed shape of the bent portion 202, thereby increasing the thickness of the second portion 45 while preventing the second portion 45 from rubbing against the screen 200 and potentially causing screen 200 failure. In some embodiments, the shape of the first surface 451 of the second portion 45 can match the deformed shape of the bent portion 202.

[0098] In addition, when the electronic device 1000 is in the open state, the distance between the first surface 451 of the second part 45 and the bent portion 202 of the screen 200 can be in the range of 0.35 mm to 0.55 mm, thereby preventing the bent portion 202 from being exposed while preventing people from scratching the screen and preventing external dust and debris from entering the interior of the electronic device 1000.

[0099] In other embodiments, only the second surface 452 of the second portion 45 may constitute the first contact surface 112 a of the first stopper 40 . Alternatively, only the third surface 441 of the first portion 44 may constitute the first contact surface 112 a of the first stopper 40 .

[0100] FIG16 is a schematic structural diagram of the structure shown in FIG9b in another embodiment.

[0101] As shown in FIG16 , the structure of the electronic device 1000 in this embodiment is substantially the same as that of the electronic device 1000 shown in FIG9 b , and the common parts are not further described. The difference is that the first stopper 40 can be located on the side of the first end 30 a of the hinge structure 33 facing away from the second end 30 b (see FIG8 ) and fixedly connected to the decorative member 34 . For example, the first stopper 40 can be integrally formed with the decorative member 34 . For ease of understanding, the decorative member 34 and the first stopper 40 are schematically demarcated by a dotted line in FIG15 . Thus, compared to the case where the first stopper 40 is integrally formed with the hinge structure 33, the hinge structure 33 has more structural features, making the integral molding process more difficult. In this embodiment, the first stopper 40 can be directly integrally formed with the decorative member 34 , which has fewer structural features and a less complex integral molding process. This helps reduce the difficulty and cost of manufacturing the first stopper 40 and improves the production efficiency of the electronic device 1000 .

[0102] In other embodiments, the first stopper 40 may not be integrally formed with the decorative component 34 , and a portion of the first stopper 40 may be embedded in the decorative component 34 .

[0103] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other, and any combination of features in different embodiments is also within the scope of protection of this application. That is to say, the multiple embodiments described above can also be arbitrarily combined according to actual needs.

[0104] It should be noted that all the above drawings are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the actual size of the product. Furthermore, the dimensional ratios between the components in the drawings are not intended to limit the actual product of the present application.

[0105] The above are only some of the embodiments of this application, and the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included in the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be based on the scope of protection of the claims.

Claims

1. A housing device (100), characterized in that: It comprises a first middle frame (11), a second middle frame (21) and a folding mechanism (30), wherein the folding mechanism (30) connects the first middle frame (11) and the second middle frame (21); The first middle frame (11) comprises a first main body plate (111), a first extension plate (112), a second extension plate (113) and a third extension plate (114); the first extension plate (112) and the second extension plate (113) are connected to the same side of the first main body plate (111) close to the second middle frame (21), and are respectively located at two ends of the first main body plate (111) along the length extension direction of the folding mechanism (30); the third extension plate (114) is connected between the first extension plate (112) and the second extension plate (113); the third extension plate (114) is also connected to the first main body plate (111); the first main body plate (111), the first extension plate (112), the second extension plate (113) and the third extension plate (114) surround a first installation groove (11a); a part of the folding mechanism (30) is arranged in the first installation groove (11a); The housing device (100) further comprises a first stopper (40); the folding mechanism (30) comprises a first end (30a) and a second end (30b) which are arranged opposite to each other in a length extension direction; the first stopper (40) is located on a side of the first end (30a) facing away from the second end (30b) and is fixedly connected to the folding mechanism (30); The housing device (100) has an open state and a closed state. When the housing device (100) is in the open state, the first middle frame (11) and the second middle frame (21) are relatively flat, the first stopper (40) is spaced apart from a first contact surface (112a), and the first contact surface (112a) is a surface of the first extension plate (112) facing the second middle frame (21) when the housing device (100) is in the open state. When the housing device (100) is in the closed state, the first middle frame (11) and the second middle frame (21) are folded relative to each other, and the distance between the first stopper (40) and the first contact surface (112a) is less than or equal to 0.4 millimeters.

2. The housing device (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that: When the housing device (100) is in the closed state, the distance between the first stopper (40) and the first contact surface (112a) is greater than or equal to 0.1 millimetres.

3. The housing device (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: When the housing device (100) is in the open state, the distance between the first contact surface (112a) and the first stopper (40) is less than or equal to 0.4 millimeters.

4. The housing device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The first stopper (40) comprises a first part (44) and a second part (45), wherein the first part (44) is fixed to a side of the first end (30a) of the folding structure facing away from the second end (30b), and the second part (45) is fixedly connected to a surface of the first part (44) facing the first end (30a); When the shell device (100) is in the open state, the projection of the second part (45) along the thickness direction of the shell device (100) covers part of the folding mechanism (30), and the second part (45) is spaced apart from the folding mechanism (30).

5. The housing device (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that: The surface of the second portion (45) facing the folding mechanism (30) is arc-shaped.

6. The housing device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The folding mechanism (30) comprises a first connecting structure (31), a second connecting structure (32) and a hinge structure (33); the hinge structure (33) connects the first connecting structure (31) and the second connecting structure (32); the first connecting structure (31) is arranged in the first mounting groove (11a) and connected to the first middle frame (11); the second connecting structure (32) is connected to the second middle frame (21); and the first stopper (40) is fixedly connected to the hinge structure (33).

7. The housing device (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first stopper (40) and the hinge structure (33) are integrally formed; Alternatively, a portion of the first stopper (40) is embedded in the hinge structure (33).

8. The housing device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The folding mechanism (30) comprises a first connecting structure (31), a second connecting structure (32), a hinge structure (33) and a decorative piece (34); the hinge structure (33) connects the first connecting structure (31) and the second connecting structure (32); the first connecting structure (31) is arranged in the first mounting groove (11a) and connected to the first middle frame (11); the second connecting structure (32) is connected to the second middle frame (21); the decorative piece (34) is fixed to the outer side of the hinge structure (33); and the first stopper (40) is fixedly connected to the decorative piece (34).

9. The housing device (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that: The first stopper (40) and the decorative element (34) are integrally formed; Alternatively, a portion of the first stopper (40) is embedded in the decorative component (34).

10. The housing device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: The first extension plate (112) comprises a first main body portion (1121) and a first reinforcement portion (1122); the first main body portion (1121) is fixedly connected to the first main body plate (111) and the third extension plate (114); the first reinforcement portion (1122) is fixed to the end of the first main body portion (1121) facing away from the first main body plate (111); and the surface of the first reinforcement portion (1122) facing away from the first main body plate (111) constitutes at least a part of the first contact surface (112a).

11. The housing device (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that: A first assembly groove (1123) is provided at the end of the first main body portion (1121) facing away from the first main body plate (111), and at least a portion of the first reinforcement portion (1122) is located in the first assembly groove (1123).

12. A foldable electronic device (1000), characterized in that: It comprises a screen (200) and a housing device (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the screen (200) is fixedly connected to the first middle frame (11) and the second middle frame (21).

13. The electronic device (1000) according to claim 12, characterized in that: The first stopper (40) comprises a first part (44) and a second part (45), wherein the first part (44) is fixed to a side of the first end (30a) of the folding structure that is away from the second end (30b), and the second part (45) is fixedly connected to a surface of the first part (44) that faces the first end (30a), and the second part (45) is located on the light emitting side of the screen (200) and is spaced apart from the screen (200).

14. The electronic device (1000) according to claim 13, characterized in that: When the housing device (100) is in the open state, the distance between the second part (45) and the screen (200) is in the range of 0.35 mm to 0.55 mm.

15. The electronic device (1000) according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that: The first portion (44) is spaced apart from the screen (200), and the distance between the first portion (44) and the screen (200) is in the range of 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm.

Images