Electronic device

Abstract

An electronic device, comprising a base (100), a first swing arm (210), a second swing arm (310), and a support member (510). A first end of the first swing arm (210) comprises a bearing bush portion (211), the bearing bush portion (211) being rotatably connected to a bearing bush groove of the base (100). A first end of the second swing arm (310) is rotatably connected to the base (100) by means of a rotary shaft. The first swing arm (210) is provided with a first limiting block (230), and the second swing arm (310) is provided with a second limiting block (330). The support member (510) is provided with a first limiting groove (520) and a second limiting groove (530), the first limiting block (230) being at least partially located in the first limiting groove (520), and the second limiting block (330) being at least partially located in the second limiting groove (530). When the angle between the first swing arm (210) and the base (100) is within a first angle range, the first limiting block (230) slides along the first limiting groove (520), and drives the support member (510) to rotate relative to the first swing arm (210). When the angle between the first swing arm (210) and the base (100) is within a second angle range, the second limiting block (330) slides along the second limiting groove (530), and drives the support member (510) to rotate relative to the first swing arm (210). The minimum value of the second angle range is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the first angle range.

Description

electronic devices

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to the Chinese patent application filed with the China Patent Office on March 29, 2024, with application number 202410377518.0 and invention name “Electronic Device”. The entire contents of the Chinese patent application are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present application belongs to the technical field of electronic equipment, and specifically relates to an electronic equipment. Background Art

[0004] Driven by user demand, foldable electronic devices are increasingly popular among consumers for their combination of large display areas and enhanced portability. Foldable electronic devices typically utilize a hinge mechanism to create a pivoting connection between two housing parts, with the hinge support and the housing providing support for the electronic device's display.

[0005] In current electronic devices, a synchronous swing arm and a support member are usually used to form a matching relationship, so that when the synchronous swing arm rotates relative to the base, the support member is driven to rotate together, and the rotation angle of the support member is greater than the rotation angle of the synchronous swing arm, so that when the electronic device is in a folded state, the support member can provide corresponding accommodation space for the display screen.

[0006] However, since a sliding fit relationship is formed between the synchronous swing arm and the bracket of the hinge mechanism, when the synchronous swing arm is used to drive the support member, the overall size of the track groove and other structures provided on the support member needs to be relatively large. Since the aforementioned track groove is provided along the width direction of the hinge mechanism as a whole, the overall width of the hinge mechanism is relatively large, resulting in a relatively large installation space occupied by the hinge mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the embodiments of the present application is to provide an electronic device to solve the problem in current electronic devices that the hinge mechanism has a relatively large width, which results in the hinge mechanism occupying a relatively large installation space in the electronic device.

[0008] An embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which includes a base, a first swing arm, a second swing arm and a support member, wherein the first end of the first swing arm includes a bearing portion, and the bearing portion is rotatably connected to the bearing groove of the base, and the first end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the base via a rotating shaft; the first swing arm is provided with a first limit block, the second swing arm is provided with a second limit block, and the support member is provided with a first limit groove and a second limit groove, the first limit block is at least partially located in the first limit groove, and the second limit block is at least partially located in the second limit groove; when the angle between the first swing arm and the base is in a first angle range, the first limit block slides along the first limit groove and drives the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm; when the angle between the first swing arm and the base is in a second angle range, the second limit block slides along the second limit groove and drives the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm, wherein the minimum value of the second angle range is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the first angle range.

[0009] The embodiment of the present application discloses an electronic device, which includes a base, a first swing arm, a second swing arm and a support member, wherein the bearing portion of the first end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the bearing groove of the base, and the first end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the base via a rotating shaft, so that the hinge mechanism can switch between an unfolded state and a folded state. In addition, the support member is also connected to the first swing arm via a first limiting block and a first limiting groove that cooperate with each other, and the support member is also connected to the second swing arm via a second limiting block and a second limiting groove that cooperate with each other, thereby enabling the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm while rotating with the first swing arm (and the second swing arm) relative to the base, so as to expand the accommodation space at the support member in the electronic device in a folded state, and prevent the portion of the display screen of the electronic device that is opposite to the hinge mechanism from being squeezed and damaged.

[0010] In addition, in the present application, when the angle between the first swing arm and the base is within the first angle range, the relative sliding relationship between the first limit block and the first limit groove can be utilized to realize that in the rotation stage between the hinge mechanism being about to fold and the folded state, the first limit block on the first swing arm is used as a device for driving the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm. Relatively speaking, in the aforementioned rotation stage, there is no need to use the second limit block on the second swing arm as a driving source for the support member, so that the end of the second limit groove that cooperates with the second limit block (that is, the end away from the base in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first swing arm) can be removed by a corresponding size. In this case, the width dimensions of the second limit groove and the support member can be reduced accordingly, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the width dimension of the entire hinge mechanism, and thus saving the installation space occupied by the hinge mechanism in the electronic device to a certain extent.

[0011] Furthermore, in the present application, when the angle between the first swing arm and the base is within the second angle range, the sliding fit between the second limit block and the second limit slot can be utilized to achieve the purpose of driving the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm. Furthermore, because the sliding stroke between the second swing arm and the support member is relatively long, the driving accuracy of the support member can be improved during the process of being driven by the second swing arm, further preventing the display screen of the electronic device from being squeezed during folding. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a hinge mechanism in an electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application in a folded state;

[0013] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG1 in an unfolded state;

[0014] FIG3 is an exploded schematic diagram of the hinge mechanism shown in FIG1 ;

[0015] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a first swing arm in a hinge mechanism of an electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a second swing arm in a hinge mechanism of an electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] FIG6 is a schematic structural diagram of a support member in a hinge mechanism of an electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] FIG7 is a first cross-sectional view of a hinge mechanism in an electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0019] FIG8 is a second cross-sectional view of the hinge mechanism in the electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0020] FIG9 is a third cross-sectional view of the hinge mechanism in the electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0021] FIG10 is a fourth cross-sectional view of the hinge mechanism of the electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application;

[0022] FIG11 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device disclosed in an embodiment of the present application.

[0023] The accompanying drawings are as follows: 1-hinge mechanism, 2-shell, 3-display screen, 31-first display area, 32-second display area, 33-third display area, 100-base, 210-first swing arm, 211-bearing part, 212-connecting part, 213-main body, 214-first groove, 230-first limit block, 310-second swing arm, 311-first arm body, 312-second arm body, 313-sleeve part, 313a-through hole, 314-sliding part, 330-second limit block, 400-bracket, 410-slide groove, 510-support member, 520-first limit groove, 530-second limit groove, 540-extrusion protrusion, 600-damping assembly. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] The following will be combined with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application to clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the embodiments described are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0025] The terms "first," "second," and the like in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not used to describe a specific order or precedence. It should be understood that the terms used in this manner are interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein, and that the objects distinguished by "first," "second," and the like are generally of the same type, and do not limit the number of objects; for example, the first object can be one or more. In addition, the term "and / or" in the specification and claims refers to at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the objects connected are in an "or" relationship.

[0026] The embodiment of the present application discloses an electronic device, which is specifically a foldable electronic device, that is, the electronic device has a folded state and an unfolded state, and can switch between the folded state and the unfolded state. As shown in Figures 1 to 11, the electronic device includes a base 100, a first swing arm 210, a second swing arm 310 and a support member 510. Of course, the electronic device usually also includes other components such as a housing, a display screen, a bracket 400 and a damping assembly 600. As shown in Figure 11, in the electronic device, any two housings 2 can form a rotational connection relationship through a hinge mechanism 1, and the display screen 3 can be installed on the hinge mechanism 1 and the housing 2 to form a foldable electronic device with folding capability. In addition, the display screen 3 can be a flexible screen as a whole, or the display screen 3 can include a first display area 31, a second display area 32 and a third display area 33, wherein the third display area 33 is connected between the first display area 31 and the second display area 32, and the first display area 31 and the second display area 32 are respectively supported on two shells 2, both of which can be flexible structures or rigid structures. The third display area 33 is opposite to the hinge mechanism 1, and the third display area 33 is a flexible structure.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 are both rotatably connected to the base 100. To ensure that the hinge mechanism can provide a rotational connection between the two housings, the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 are typically provided on opposite sides of the base 100. The bracket 400 is typically directly connected to the housings and is also connected to the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 to form a stable assembly relationship between the housings. The support member 510 is used to provide support for the portion of the electronic device's display screen opposite the hinge mechanism, ensuring that the portion of the display screen located outside the housing is also relatively well supported.

[0028] Specifically, the first ends of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 are each rotatably connected to the base 100. As described above, the first and second swing arms 210, 310 can be provided on opposing sides of the base 100. In this case, it can be considered that the first ends of each first and second swing arms 210, 310 are rotatably connected to the base 100, and at least one first swing arm 210 and at least one second swing arm 310 are provided on each opposing side of the base 100. Furthermore, the first and second swing arms 210, 310 are each capable of rotating relative to the base 100 between a first angle and a second angle, with the second angle being greater than the first angle. When the angle between the first and second swing arms 210, 310 and the base 100 is equal to the first angle, the electronic device is in an unfolded state. When the angle between the first and second swing arms 210, 310 and the base 100 is equal to the second angle, the electronic device is in a folded state. Accordingly, the electronic device is capable of switching between the folded and unfolded states, thereby enabling the display screen of the electronic device to be folded and unfolded.

[0029] More specifically, the first angle can be 0°, and the second angle can be 90°. Of course, if there are other requirements, the first angle and the second angle can also adopt other specific angle values. It should be noted that in the above description of angles in this application, the first swing arm 210, the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 are all described as a straight line. Among them, the line connecting the opposite ends of the first swing arm 210 is regarded as the first swing arm 210, and the straight line on which the width direction of the base 100 lies is regarded as the base 100. Then, the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 can be regarded as the angle between the above two straight lines. Similarly, the definition of the angle between the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 can also refer to the above description of the first swing arm 210. Considering the simplicity of the text, it will not be repeated here. More intuitively, direction A in Figure 7 is the straight line on which the first swing arm 210 lies, and direction B is the straight line on which the base 100 lies.

[0030] In more detail, the first end of the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 can form a rotational fit relationship using a bearing structure, while the first end of the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 can form a rotational fit relationship using an axial hole structure. Specifically, the first end of the first swing arm 210 includes a bearing portion 211. Accordingly, the base 100 is provided with a bearing groove that matches the bearing portion 211, so that the bearing portion 211 of the first swing arm 210 can be rotatably connected to the bearing groove of the base 100; accordingly, the first end of the second swing arm 310 can be provided with a shaft hole or other structure. More specifically, the first end of the second swing arm 310 includes a shaft sleeve portion 313, and the shaft sleeve portion 313 is provided with a through hole 313a. In this case, a corresponding through hole can also be provided at a position on the base 100 corresponding to the second swing arm 310, so that the shaft sleeve portion 313 of the second swing arm 310 can form a shaft hole connection structure with the corresponding through hole on the base 100 through a rotating shaft. In other embodiments of the present application, the first end of the second swing arm 310 may also include a rotating shaft, which can also ensure that the first end of the second swing arm 310 can be rotatably connected to the base 100 through the rotating shaft.

[0031] Based on the above technical solution, the rotation axis between the first end of the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 can be located outside the base 100, and the rotation axis between the first end of the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 is located on the base 100. At the same time, the rotation axes of the first ends of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 are parallel to each other, which can pave the way for the support member 510 in the hinge mechanism to provide an accommodation space for the display screen of the electronic device.

[0032] As described above, the electronic device includes a bracket 400. To this end, the second end of the first swing arm 210 can be rotatably connected to the bracket 400, and the second end of the second swing arm 310 can be slidably engaged with the bracket 400 in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first swing arm 210. In this case, when the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 rotate relative to the base 100, it can be ensured that the bracket 400 can rotate relative to the base 100 along with the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310. Specifically, a shaft-hole structure can be used to form a rotational connection relationship between the second end of the first swing arm 210 and the bracket 400, and a sliding engagement structure can be used to form an assembly relationship between the second swing arm 310 and the bracket 400. Specifically, a slide groove 410 can be provided on the bracket 400, and a portion where the second end of the second swing arm 310 is located can be slidably engaged with the slide groove 410.

[0033] Furthermore, during the process of the hinge mechanism of the electronic device switching from the deployed state to the folded state, the distance between the end of the bracket 400 away from the base 100 and the second end of the second swing arm 310 gradually increases. Conversely, during the process of the hinge mechanism switching from the folded state to the deployed state, the distance between the end of the bracket 400 away from the base 100 and the second end of the second swing arm 310 gradually decreases. In other words, when the angle between the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 is a first angle, the distance between the end of the bracket 400 away from the base 100 and the second end of the second swing arm 310 is relatively small. When the angle between the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 is a second angle, the distance between the end of the bracket 400 away from the base 100 and the second end of the second swing arm 310 is relatively large. In other words, when the angle between the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 is a first angle, the second end of the second swing arm 310 is located at a slot tail position in the slide groove 410 on the bracket 400 that is relatively far away from the base 100. When the angle between the second swing arm 310 and the base 100 is a second angle, the second end of the second swing arm 310 is located at a slot head position in the slide groove 410 on the bracket 400 that is relatively close to the base 100.

[0034] As described above, the hinge mechanism includes a support member 510. Based on this, in order to ensure that the support member 510 can form a stable assembly relationship with other devices in the hinge mechanism, in an embodiment of the present application, the support member 510 is rotatably connected to the bracket 400. In this case, by making the support member 510 form a corresponding assembly relationship with the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310, it can be ensured that the support member 510 can form a reliable connection relationship with the bracket 400, and in the process of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 rotating relative to the base 100, the support member 510 is driven to rotate relative to the base 100, and the support member 510 is also rotated relative to the bracket 400, so that the rotation angle of the support member 510 is greater than the rotation angle of the bracket 400.

[0035] Specifically, the first swing arm 210 is provided with a first limiting block 230, the second swing arm 310 is provided with a second limiting block 330, and the support member 510 is provided with a first limiting groove 520 and a second limiting groove 530, wherein the first limiting block 230 is at least partially located within the first limiting groove 520, and the second limiting block 330 is at least partially located within the second limiting groove 530. Of course, the first limiting block 230 can slide within the first limiting groove 520 along the extending direction of the first limiting groove 520, and the second limiting block 330 can slide within the second limiting groove 530 along the extending direction of the second limiting groove 530. When adopting the above-mentioned technical solution, by designing the specific structure of the first limit groove 520 and the second limit groove 530, in different unfolding stages of the electronic device, that is, when the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 rotate relative to the base 100, one of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 can be used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the base 100, and the support member 510 can also generate a relative rotation angle relative to the bracket 400.

[0036] Among them, the first limit block 230 and the second limit block 330 can both be cubic structures. In order to improve the movement accuracy and smoothness of the two, the first limit block 230 and the second limit block 330 can both be cylindrical structures, and both correspond to the first limit groove 520 and the second limit groove 530 on the support member 510 through their respective outer circular surfaces.

[0037] As described above, the first ends of the first swing arm 210 and the second swing arm 310 are respectively rotatably engaged with the base 100. In this case, the motion trajectories of the first limit block 230 on the first swing arm 210 and the second limit block 330 on the second swing arm 310 can be clearly determined. Based on the aforementioned motion trajectories, and according to parameters such as the maximum angle at which the support member 510 can rotate relative to the bracket 400, and which part of the stroke is controlled by the first swing arm 210 and which part of the stroke is controlled by the second swing arm 310 during the entire rotation of the first swing arm 210 relative to the base 100, the specific trajectories and shapes of the first limit slot 520 and the second limit slot 530 set on the support member 510 can be determined.

[0038] More specifically, in the rotation stroke of the support member 510 controlled by the first swing arm 210, the first limit block 230 on the first swing arm 210 and the corresponding part of the first limit slot 520 need to limit each other in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first limit slot 520 to ensure that the first limit block 230 can drive the support member 510 to produce a corresponding rotation movement; at the same time, in order to prevent the second limit block 330 on the second swing arm 310 from interfering with the normal rotation stroke of the support member 510 controlled by the first swing arm 210, it is necessary to design the part of the second limit slot 530 corresponding to the control stroke of the first swing arm 210, so that in the rotation stroke of the support member 510 controlled by the first swing arm 210, the second limit block 330 and the second track slot can be movably matched in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second track slot.

[0039] Correspondingly, during the travel of limiting the motion trajectory of the support member 510 by the second limiting block 330 and the second limiting groove 530, it is necessary to limit the size of the corresponding portion of the second limiting groove 530 so that the second limiting block 330 and the above-mentioned portion of the second limiting groove 530 can cooperate with each other in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530, so as to drive the support member 510 to move by the second limiting block 330. Of course, it is also necessary to ensure that the first limiting block 230 does not hinder the normal progress of the above process. To this end, during the travel of driving the support member 510 by the second limiting block 330, it is necessary to ensure that the first limiting block 230 and the first limiting groove 520 can flexibly cooperate in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first limiting groove 520.

[0040] It should be noted that the aforementioned direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first limiting slot 520 and the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting slot 530 are both perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first swing arm 210. More intuitively, since the extension direction of the first limiting slot 520 may not be a straight line, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first limiting slot 520 can specifically be the direction of the perpendicular line of the tangent at the corresponding position in the first limiting slot 520. Similarly, the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting slot 530 is also the same. For ease of understanding, as shown in FIG9 , taking the position of the first limiting block 230 as an example, direction C is the extension direction of the first limiting slot 520 at the position of the first limiting block 230, and direction D is the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first limiting slot 520.

[0041] Among them, the above-mentioned stroke can be explained by using the rotation angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100. As mentioned above, the first angle can be 0° and the second angle can be 90°. In this case, optionally, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within a certain angle range, the first limit block 230 is made to slide along the first limit groove 520 to use the first limit block 230 to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. In detail, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the above-mentioned first angle range, the first limit groove 520 is always limitedly engaged with the first limit block 230 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first limit groove 520, so that the first limit block 230 is always in contact with the groove walls on opposite sides of the first limit groove 520, and the second limit groove 530 is movably engaged with the second limit block 330 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limit groove 530, preventing the second limit block 330 from interacting with the groove wall of the second limit groove 530 due to contact and engagement, causing the second limit block 330 to drive the support member 510.

[0042] At the same time, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within another angular range, the second limiting block 330 slides along the second limiting slot 530, so that the second limiting block 330 drives the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. Specifically, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the second angular range, the second limiting slot 530 always engages with the second limiting block 330 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting slot 530, thereby ensuring that the second limiting block 330 is always in contact with the groove walls on opposite sides of the second limiting slot 530, and the first limiting slot 520 and the first limiting block 230 are movable in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the first limiting slot 520.

[0043] It should be noted that, whether the first swing arm 210 (the first limit block 230 on it) is used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210, or the second swing arm 310 (the second limit block 330 on it) is used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210, the first limit block 230 will slide relative to the first limit groove 520 along the extension direction of the first limit groove 520, and the second limit block 330 will also slide relative to the second limit groove 530 along the extension direction of the second limit groove 530. The difference is that when the first limiting block 230 is used to drive the support member 510, the first limiting block 230 only slides within the first limiting groove 520 along the extension direction of the first limiting groove 520. However, while the second limiting block 330 slides relative to the second limiting groove 530 along the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530, the second limiting block 330 can also move relative to the second limiting groove 530 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530. Similarly, when the second limiting block 330 is used to drive the support member 510, the movement modes of the first limiting block 230 and the second limiting block 330 are reversed.

[0044] Of course, when selecting whether the driving source of the support member 510 is the first swing arm 210 or the second swing arm 310, it is necessary to ensure that the selected solution can produce a positive technical effect. To this end, in a specific embodiment of the present application, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within a first angle range, the first limit block 230 is used to slide along the first limit groove 520 to achieve the purpose of driving the support member 510 relative to the first swing arm 210; at the same time, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within a second angle range, the second limit block 330 is used to slide along the second limit groove 530 to achieve the purpose of driving the support member 510 relative to the first swing arm 210. The minimum value of the second angle range is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the first angle range. When the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is the minimum value of the first angle range, the electronic device is in the unfolded state.

[0045] In other words, in the embodiment of the present application, when the hinge mechanism is in the process of rotating from the state about to be unfolded to the state in which it is in the unfolded state, the first swing arm 210 can be used as the driving source of the support member 510, and in the aforementioned rotation process, the second limit block 330 is movably cooperated with the second limit groove 530 to prevent the second limit block 330 from interfering with the normal process of the first swing arm 210 driving the support member 510.

[0046] As described above, when the hinge mechanism is in the folded state, the second end of the second swing arm 310 is located at the end of the slot in the slide slot 410 provided on the bracket 400, away from the base 100. Correspondingly, when the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state, the second limit block 330 provided on the second swing arm 310 is also located at the end of the slot in the second limit slot 530, away from the base 100. To this end, by adopting the technical solution disclosed in the above-mentioned embodiment, during the rotation process of the hinge mechanism from being about to be unfolded to being in the unfolded state, the second limiting groove 530 does not need to provide a limiting effect for the second limiting block 330 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530, thereby enabling the groove tail position of the second limiting groove 530 to reduce the corresponding extension dimension; and, since the width direction of the support member 510 and the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530 both have components parallel to the width direction of the support member 510, for this reason, the width of the support member 510 provided with the second limiting groove 530 can be adaptively reduced, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the width dimension of the entire hinge mechanism.

[0047] Of course, in the case of adopting the above embodiment, in order to ensure that the second limiting block 330 and the second limiting groove 530 can still properly provide the function of driving the support member 510, as described above, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the second angular range, the second limiting block 330 can be used to limit the second limiting groove 530 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530, so that the second limiting block 330 serves as the driving source of the support member 510 and drives the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. When adopting this technical solution, because the second end of the second swing arm 310 has a relatively large travel distance relative to the bracket 400, the travel distance between the second limiting block 330 and the second limiting groove 530 provided on the second swing arm 310 is also relatively long. This can make the second swing arm 310 drive the support member 510 to rotate with respect to the bracket 400 with relatively higher precision, thereby improving the support effect and stability of the support member 510 for the display screen.

[0048] It should be noted that the sum of the first angle range and the second angle range can be equal to the maximum relative rotation angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100, or the sum of the above two can also be less than the above maximum relative angle. In this case, the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 can also include a third angle range, etc. This will be introduced in detail below.

[0049] An embodiment of the present application discloses an electronic device, which includes a base 100, a first swing arm 210, a second swing arm 310 and a support member 510. The bearing portion 211 of the first end of the first swing arm 210 is rotatably connected to the bearing groove of the base 100, and the first end of the second swing arm 310 is rotatably connected to the base 100 via a rotating shaft, so that the hinge mechanism can switch between an unfolded state and a folded state. In addition, the support member 510 is also connected to the first swing arm 210 through the first limit block 230 and the first limit groove 520 that cooperate with each other, and the support member 510 is also connected to the second swing arm 310 through the second limit block 330 and the second limit groove 530 that cooperate with each other. Therefore, when the support member 510 rotates relative to the base 100 along with the first swing arm 210 (and the second swing arm 310), the support member 510 can also rotate relative to the first swing arm 210, so as to expand the accommodation space at the support member 510 in the electronic device in the folded state, and prevent the part of the display screen of the electronic device opposite to the hinge mechanism from being squeezed and damaged.

[0050] In addition, in the present application, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the first angle range, the relative sliding relationship between the first limit block 230 and the first limit groove 520 can be used to realize that in the rotation stage between the hinge mechanism is about to be unfolded and the state is folded, the first limit block 230 on the first swing arm 210 is used as a device for driving the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. Relatively speaking, in the aforementioned rotation stage, there is no need to use the second limit block 330 on the second swing arm 310 as a driving source for the support member 510, so that the end of the second limit groove 530 that cooperates with the second limit block 330 (that is, the end away from the base 100 in the direction perpendicular to the rotation axis of the first swing arm 210) can be removed by a corresponding size. In this case, the width dimensions of the second limit groove 530 and the support member 510 can be reduced accordingly, thereby achieving the purpose of reducing the width dimension of the entire hinge mechanism, and thus saving the installation space occupied by the hinge mechanism in the electronic device to a certain extent.

[0051] At the same time, in the present application, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the second angular range, the sliding fit between the second limit block 330 and the second limit slot 530 can be utilized to achieve the purpose of driving the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. Furthermore, because the sliding stroke between the second swing arm 310 and the support member 510 is relatively long, the driving accuracy of the support member 510 can be improved during the process of using the second swing arm 310 to drive the support member 510, further preventing the display screen of the electronic device from being squeezed during the folding process. Specifically, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is at the minimum value of the first angular range, the electronic device is in the unfolded state, and the minimum value of the second angular range is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the first angular range.

[0052] As described above, the first angle range and the second angle range may be only a portion of the maximum unfolded angle (e.g., 90°) between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100. Based on this, in the embodiment of the present application, when the electronic device switches between the unfolded state and the folded state, the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 may further include a third angle range, wherein the minimum value of the third angle range is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the second angle range. In other words, the third angle range may correspond to the angle range of the electronic device from about to be folded to the folded state. To this end, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is equal to the maximum value of the third angle range, the electronic device is in the folded state.

[0053] At the same time, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the third angle range, the first limiting block 230 can be used to slide along the first limiting groove 520 to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. Of course, during this process, the second limiting block 330 can move relative to the second limiting groove 530 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530, thereby preventing the second limiting block 330 from interfering with the normal driving process of the first limiting block 230.

[0054] Simply put, in the embodiment of the present application, in addition to using the first swing arm 210 to drive the support member 510 when the electronic device is about to be unfolded to the unfolded state, the first swing arm 210 is also used to drive the support member 510 when the electronic device is about to be folded to the folded state. In this case, when the electronic device is in a folded state, the first limit block 230 can form a relatively stable matching relationship with the first limit groove 520. Furthermore, if the electronic device in the folded state falls due to an accident or the like, since the first end of the first swing arm 210 is connected to the base 100 through the bearing portion 211, the second end of the first swing arm 210 and the bracket 400 are connected to each other through an axial hole-like structure, even if the shell transmits the collision force to the base 100 through the bracket 400 and the first swing arm 210, since no relative movement can be generated between the bracket 400 and the base 100 and the first swing arm 210, the stability of the support member 510 that cooperates with the first swing arm 210 in the folded state is relatively good, and the display screen will basically not be squeezed due to a collision of the electronic device in the folded state, thereby improving the reliability of the electronic device.

[0055] In addition, in an embodiment of the present application, the sum of the first angle range, the second angle range, and the third angle range can be made equal to the maximum rotation angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100, that is, in the initial stage and the final stage of the electronic device unfolding (or folding), the first limit block 230 can be used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210, and in the middle stage of the electronic device unfolding (or folding), the second limit block 330 can be used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210, so that the hinge mechanism has both a relatively small width size and relatively high movement accuracy. Of course, the specific values ​​of the first angle range, the second angle range, and the third angle range can be flexibly determined according to actual conditions. A specific embodiment is that the first angle range can be 0° to 15°, the second angle range can be 5° to 82.5°, and the third angle range can be 82.5° to 90°.

[0056] In the hinge mechanism of the electronic device, since the size of the hinge mechanism is relatively small, the internal installation space is also relatively small, but the number of parts that need to be installed inside is relatively large. Furthermore, in order to further prevent the support member 510 from being scratched at the side of the first swing arm 210 close to the support member 510 during the process of being driven to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210 due to unexpected factors such as processing errors, in an embodiment of the present application, an extrusion protrusion 540 can also be provided on the inner wall of the first limiting groove 520, so that in a certain stage in the middle stage of the unfolding process of the electronic device, the first limiting block 230 can be used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210 by utilizing the cooperation relationship between the extrusion protrusion 540 and the first limiting block 230.

[0057] More specifically, in the direction in which the first limiting block 230 slides relative to the first limiting groove 520, the bottoms of the two opposing sides of the first limiting groove 520 are spaced apart from the extrusion protrusion 540. Specifically, along the extension direction of the first limiting groove 520, the first limiting groove 520 can be sequentially divided into a first active section, a first inactive section, a limiting protrusion, and a second inactive section. When the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within a first angular range, the first limiting block 230 engages with the first active section. When the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within a second angular range, the first limiting block 230 sequentially engages with the first inactive section, the limiting protrusion section, and the second inactive section. Of course, when the first limiting block 230 engages with the first and second inactive sections, the first limiting block 230 does not serve as a driving source for the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. In this case, the second limiting block 330 drives the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. In addition, in the above embodiment, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is in the third angle range, the first limit block 230 can also be used to drive the support member 510. For this purpose, the first limit groove 520 can also include a second action section, and the second action section is connected to the side of the second non-action section away from the limit protrusion section.

[0058] Furthermore, during the sliding movement of the first limiting block 230 along the first limiting groove 520, when the first limiting block 230 engages with the limiting protrusion, the first limiting block 230 can serve as a driving source, driving the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. Accordingly, in the aforementioned stage, the corresponding position within the second limiting groove 530 also needs to be designed accordingly, so that when the first limiting block 230 engages with the limiting protrusion, the second limiting block 330 can flexibly engage with the second limiting groove 530 in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the second limiting groove 530.

[0059] In summary, based on this embodiment, when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the first angular range, the first limit block 230 is used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210; when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the fourth angular range, the second limit block 330 is used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210; when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the fifth angular range, the first limit block 230 is used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210; when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the sixth angular range, the second limit block 330 is used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210; and when the angle between the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is within the third angular range, the first limit block 230 is used to drive the support member 510 to rotate relative to the first swing arm 210. The second angular range includes a fourth angular range, a fifth angular range, and a sixth angular range, which are sequentially arranged.

[0060] More specifically, in order to improve the cooperation stability between the first limit block 230 and the limit protrusion, in the embodiment of the present application, the surface on which the extrusion protrusion 540 contacts the first limit block 230 includes a first curved surface and a second curved surface that are connected to each other. In this case, when the electronic device switches between the unfolded state and the folded state, the first limit block 230 can cooperate with the first curved surface and the second curved surface respectively. Under the action of the curved surfaces, the movement smoothness of the first limit block 230 can be relatively high, thereby preventing the electronic device from experiencing setbacks during the unfolding and folding process.

[0061] More specifically, both the first curved surface and the second curved surface can be configured to be convex. That is, when the first curved surface and the second curved surface are respectively engaged with the first limiting block 230, the first curved surface and the second curved surface both convex toward the first limiting block 230. This can reduce the driving amplitude generated when the first limiting block 230 switches between the first curved surface and the second curved surface, thereby further improving the driving stability and smoothness of the limiting protrusion. Of course, during the processing of the limiting protrusion, it can be formed together with the first limiting groove 520 to reduce the processing difficulty of the entire hinge mechanism.

[0062] As described above, the first swing arm 210 includes a bearing portion 211 rotatably connected to the base 100. More specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the first swing arm 210 also includes a main body portion 213 and a connecting portion 212. The bearing portion 211 is fixedly connected to the main body portion 213 through the connecting portion 212, that is, the connecting portion 212 is located between the bearing portion 211 and the main body portion 213, so that the connecting portion 212 is used as a bridging structure between the main body portion 213 and the bearing portion 211. The main body portion 213 can be a portion of the first swing arm 210 directly used to connect to other structures such as the shell or bracket 400, or, similar to the connecting portion 212, the main body portion 213 can also be a bridging structure between other functional structures in the first swing arm 210. This is not limited in this article.

[0063] Unlike the connecting portion 212, the body portion 213 is thicker than the connecting portion 212, or in other words, the connecting portion 212 is thinner than the body portion 213. Of course, it should be noted that the thickness of the body portion 213 and the connecting portion 212 may vary at different locations. In this case, the location with the smallest thickness between the body portion 213 and the connecting portion 212 is located on the connecting portion 212. Based on this, intuitively speaking, within the entire first swing arm 210, the connecting portion 212 can withstand relatively less impact load than the body portion 213.

[0064] Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present application, the first limit block 230 can be connected to one side of the main body 213, so that when the electronic device falls, the impact load is transmitted from the shell to the first swing arm 210 through the bracket 400, and the reliability of the structure where the first limit block 230 is located (i.e., the main body 213) can be ensured to be relatively high, thereby preventing the support member 510 connected to the first swing arm 210 through the first limit block 230 from being subjected to a large impact, and further preventing the support member 510 from squeezing the display screen.

[0065] Of course, both opposite sides of the main body 213 may be provided with first limit blocks 230. Accordingly, two first limit slots 520 may be provided on the support member 510 at positions corresponding to the two first limit blocks 230 of the first swing arm 210, and each of the first limit slots 520 may be slidably engaged with the two first limit blocks 230. In other embodiments of the present application, to reduce the difficulty of manufacturing the support member 510, and because multiple first swing arms 210 are typically provided on the same side of the base 100 in the hinge mechanism, only one first limit slot 520 may be provided on the support member 510 corresponding to the same first swing arm 210, and this one limit slot may be slidably engaged with a first limit block 230 on the first swing arm 210. When multiple first swing arms 210 are engaged with the support member 510 via a single first limit block 230, the stability and reliability of the support member 510 when driven by the first swing arm 210 can be relatively high.

[0066] As described above, in the first swing arm 210, the thickness of the connecting portion 212 is relatively small. Furthermore, in order to prevent the connecting portion 212 from deforming or breaking after the first swing arm 210 is subjected to an impact force, in the embodiment of the present application, as shown in FIG4 , a first groove 214 may be provided on the main body 213, and the first groove 214 is recessed from the surface of the main body 213 along the thickness direction of the main body 213. In other words, the first groove 214 is provided on one side of the main body 213 along the thickness direction of the main body 213. Of course, the first groove 214 is still a slot structure, not a through hole. In other words, none of the first grooves 214 penetrates the main body 213 in the thickness direction of the main body 213.

[0067] When an electronic device collides with another structure, the parts directly subjected to force are usually the base 100 of the hinge mechanism and the housing of the electronic device. In this case, the first swing arm 210 used to connect the base 100 and the housing will be subjected to a large impact load. In addition, since the part directly connected to the first swing arm 210 and the base 100 is the bearing portion 211, the contact area between the bearing portion 211 and the bearing groove is relatively large. Moreover, since the second end of the first swing arm 210 and the bracket 400 usually adopt a shaft-hole matching relationship, the contact area between the second end of the first swing arm 210 and the bracket 400 is also relatively large. In this case, the point of application of the impact load is usually concentrated in the middle of the first swing arm 210, specifically at the connecting portion 212 of the first swing arm 210 with a smaller thickness.

[0068] In the embodiment of the present application, since the surface of the main body 213 is provided with a first groove 214 which is recessed along the thickness direction thereof, under the action of the first groove 214, the force transmitted from the far end of the bearing portion 211 and the first swing arm 210 to the connecting portion 212 can be transferred to the first groove 214, thereby causing the first groove 214 to produce an energy absorption effect, weakening the effect of the force transmitted to the connecting portion 212, and thereby preventing deformation or even breakage of the connecting portion 212.

[0069] At the same time, since the thickness of the main body 213 is relatively large, and in the axial direction of rotation of the bearing shell 211, the distance between the edge of the first groove 214 and the edge of the main body 213 is greater than zero, so as to achieve the purpose of spacing the edges of the first groove 214 and the main body 213 from each other, thereby ensuring that the first groove 214 will not penetrate the main body 213 in the axial direction of rotation of the bearing shell 211, so that the position where the first groove 214 is located on the main body 213 still includes a portion that has not yet been extended by the first groove 214, and the thickness of this portion is relatively large, at least greater than the thickness of the connecting portion 212, so that even if the first groove 214 is provided on the surface of the main body 213, the overall load impact resistance of the main body 213 can still be ensured to be relatively strong.

[0070] More specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, it is necessary to ensure that any first groove 214 is spaced from the edge of the main body 213 along both the length and width directions of the first swing arm 210. Specifically, the length direction of the first swing arm 210 can be direction Y in FIG. 4 , and the width direction of the first swing arm 210 can be direction X in FIG. 2 .

[0071] In order to further weaken the impact load transmitted to the support member 510, in an embodiment of the present application, as shown in Figure 4, the first groove 214 and the first limit block 230 can be distributed along the rotation axis of the first swing arm 210, so that the distance between the first groove 214 used to absorb energy and the first limit block 230 is relatively smaller, thereby improving the degree of weakening of the impact load in the area where the first limit block 230 is located in the main body 213. Furthermore, in the embodiment of the present application, in order to facilitate the assembly of the first swing arm 210 and the support member 510, in the axial direction of the rotation of the first swing arm 210, the size of the main body 213 can usually be made larger than the size of the connecting portion 212, that is, the width of the main body 213 is larger than the width of the connecting portion 212. In this case, the first limit block 230 and the first groove 214 can both be arranged at a position with a larger width in the main body 213. On the one hand, the difficulty of assembling the first swing arm 210 and the support member 510 can be reduced. On the other hand, the impact resistance of the position where the first groove 214 is provided in the main body 213 can be further improved, thereby improving the overall structural stability of the first swing arm 210.

[0072] As described above, the sleeve portion 313 of the second swing arm 310 can form a rotational connection with the base 100 via a rotating shaft, and the second end of the second swing arm 310 can form a sliding fit with the bracket 400. To this end, as shown in FIG5 , the second swing arm 310 can include a sleeve portion 313 and a sliding portion 314, and the sleeve portion 313 and the sliding portion 314 are fixedly connected. The sleeve portion 313 can be provided with a through hole 313a, so that the through hole 313a can cooperate with the rotating shaft to form a rotational connection with the base 100. Of course, the sleeve portion 313 can also be provided with a structure such as gear teeth or a gear, so that the second swing arms 310 respectively arranged on opposite sides of the base 100 can form a synchronous rotation relationship, thereby enabling the hinge mechanism to have the ability to symmetrically unfold and fold. On the one hand, this can improve the display effect of the display screen, and on the other hand, it can improve the folding symmetry of the display screen, thereby increasing the service life of the display screen.

[0073] Based on the above-described structure of the second swing arm 310, the second limit block 330 can be connected to one side of the sliding portion 314. The sliding portion 314 is configured to form a sliding engagement with the bracket 400. Since the second limit block 330 needs to slide in engagement with the second limit slot 530, the sliding slot 410 on the bracket 400, which engages with the sliding portion 314, can overlap with the second limit slot 530 to a certain extent along the width of the hinge mechanism, thereby further reducing the width of the hinge mechanism. Furthermore, similar to the first swing arm 210, the second limit blocks 330 can also be provided on opposite sides of the second swing arm 310, and two second limit slots 530 can be provided on the support member 510 corresponding to the same second swing arm 310.

[0074] More specifically, to improve the mating stability between the second swing arm 310 and the bracket 400, the second swing arm 310 optionally includes a first arm body 311 and a second arm body 312, and the first arm body 311 and the second arm body 312 are spaced apart along the rotation axis of the first swing arm 210. This allows the first arm body 311 and the second arm body 312 to span a relatively larger dimension along the rotation axis of the first swing arm 210 without increasing the respective dimensions of the first arm body 311 and the second arm body 312, thereby improving the sliding mating relationship between the entire second swing arm 310 and the bracket 400. As described above, the bracket 400 is provided with a slide groove 410, and further, the first arm body 311 and the second arm body 312 are both slidably mounted in the slide groove 410 of the bracket 400.

[0075] When the second swing arm 310 includes the above-mentioned first arm body 311 and second arm body 312, the first arm body 311 and the second arm body 312 can both include a sleeve portion 313 and a sliding portion 314, and as for the second limit block 330, at least one of the first arm body 311 and the second arm body 312 can be provided with a second limit block 330. Of course, the second limit block 330 is arranged on one side of the sliding portion 314.

[0076] In a specific embodiment of the present application, in order to reduce the design difficulty of the support member 510 and the bracket 400, a second limit block 330 can be provided on the side of the sliding portion 314 of the first arm 311 facing the second arm 312. Accordingly, the second limit block 330 can be no longer provided on the second arm 312. At the same time, the second limit groove 530 is provided between the first arm 311 and the second arm 312. When this technical solution is adopted, the area between the first arm 311 and the second arm 312 can be reasonably utilized to improve the tightness between the components in the hinge mechanism and save installation space; at the same time, the first arm 311 and the second arm 312 can both form a more reliable limit matching relationship with the bracket 400 in the above-mentioned rotation axis.

[0077] The embodiments of the present application are described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, but the present application is not limited to the above-mentioned specific implementation methods. The above-mentioned specific implementation methods are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Under the guidance of this application, ordinary technicians in this field can also make many forms without departing from the purpose of this application and the scope of protection of the claims, all of which are within the protection of this application.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising a base, a first swing arm, a second swing arm, and a support member, wherein a first end of the first swing arm comprises a bearing portion, the bearing portion being rotatably connected to a bearing groove of the base, and a first end of the second swing arm being rotatably connected to the base via a rotating shaft; The first swing arm is provided with a first limiting block, the second swing arm is provided with a second limiting block, the support member is provided with a first limiting groove and a second limiting groove, the first limiting block is at least partially located in the first limiting groove, and the second limiting block is at least partially located in the second limiting groove; When the angle between the first swing arm and the base is within a first angle range, the first limit block slides along the first limit slot and drives the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm; when the angle between the first swing arm and the base is within a second angle range, the second limit block slides along the second limit slot and drives the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm, wherein, The minimum value of the second angle range is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the first angle range.

2. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein When the angle between the first swing arm and the base is in a third angle range, the first limit block slides along the first limit groove and drives the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm, and the minimum value of the third angle range is greater than or equal to the maximum value of the second angle range.

3. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein An extrusion protrusion is provided on the inner wall of the first limiting groove. In the direction in which the first limiting block slides relative to the first limiting groove, the bottoms of the two opposite sides of the first limiting groove are spaced apart from the extrusion protrusion. The extrusion protrusion can cooperate with the first limiting block and drive the support member to rotate relative to the first swing arm.

4. The electronic device according to claim 3, wherein The surface of the extrusion protrusion in contact with the first limiting block includes a first arcuate surface and a second arcuate surface connected to each other, and both the first arcuate surface and the second arcuate surface are arranged to be convex outward.

5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The first swing arm includes a main body and a connecting portion, the connecting portion is connected between the main body and the bearing portion, and the thickness of the connecting portion is smaller than the thickness of the main body, and the first limit block is connected to one side of the main body. The electronic device according to claim 5 , wherein: A first groove is provided on one side surface of the main body portion along a thickness direction of the main body portion, and a distance between an edge of the first groove and an edge of the main body portion is greater than zero.

7. The electronic device according to claim 6, wherein: The first groove and the first limiting block are distributed along the rotation axis of the first swing arm.

8. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein The second swing arm includes a shaft sleeve portion and a sliding portion that are connected to each other. The shaft sleeve portion is rotatably connected to the base via a rotating shaft, and the second limit block is connected to one side of the sliding portion.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8, wherein: The electronic device includes a bracket, which is provided with a slide groove. The second swing arm includes a first arm body and a second arm body arranged at intervals along the rotation axis of the first swing arm. The first arm body and the second arm body both include the sleeve part and the sliding part, and at least one of the two is provided with the second limit block.

10. The electronic device according to claim 9, wherein The second limiting block is provided on a side of the sliding portion of the first arm body facing the second arm body, and the second limiting groove is provided between the first arm body and the second arm body.

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