Rotating shaft assembly and foldable electronic device

Abstract

The present application relates to the field of electronic devices, aims to solve the problem in existing rotating shaft assemblies that a center beam is provided with an arc-shaped slide groove mating with an auxiliary swing arm, resulting in low structural strength of the center beam, and provides a rotating shaft assembly and a foldable electronic device. The rotating shaft assembly comprises a center beam and two support mechanisms, and the two support mechanisms are respectively located on two sides of the center beam. The two sides of the center beam are each provided with a first tooth portion. Each support mechanism comprises a connecting block, a first swing arm, and a connecting rod. The connecting block is located on one side of the center beam. The first swing arm defines a first end and a second end opposite to each other; the first end of the first swing arm is provided with a second tooth portion and a rotating connection portion; the second tooth portion is engaged with the first tooth portion on the corresponding side; and the second end of the first swing arm slidably engages with the connecting block. One end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the center beam, and the other end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the rotating connection portion. The beneficial effects of the present application are as follows: the center beam has high structural strength, the first swing arm is less prone to disengagement from the center beam or the connecting block, and an overlap between the first swing arm and the connecting block is significant.

Description

Rotating shaft assembly and foldable electronic device

[0001] Cross-reference to related patents

[0002] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411118302.9, filed on August 14, 2024, and entitled "Rotating shaft assembly and foldable electronic device", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present application relates to the field of electronic devices, in particular, to a rotating shaft assembly and a foldable electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0004] The foldable function of a foldable electronic device (such as a foldable mobile phone) is mainly realized by a rotating shaft assembly. In some known technologies, the secondary swing arm of the rotating shaft assembly is fitted in the arc-shaped sliding groove of the middle beam, and the rotating connection of the secondary swing arm and the middle beam is realized in sequence.

[0005] However, the structural strength of the middle beam at the arc-shaped sliding groove for fitting the secondary swing arm is low, and is prone to deformation and damage under force. SUMMARY

[0006] Embodiments of the present application provide a rotating shaft assembly and a foldable electronic device to solve the problem of low structural strength of the middle beam of the known rotating shaft assembly due to the arc-shaped sliding groove for fitting the secondary swing arm.

[0007] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present application provide a rotating shaft assembly, which includes a middle beam and two support mechanisms, and the two support mechanisms are respectively located on both sides of the middle beam. Wherein, the two sides of the middle beam are respectively provided with first tooth parts. The support mechanism includes a connecting block, a first swing arm and a connecting rod. The connecting block is located on one side of the middle beam. The first swing arm defines opposite first and second ends; the first end of the first swing arm is provided with a second tooth part and a rotating connection part, and the second tooth part is engaged with the first tooth part on the corresponding side; the second end of the first swing arm is in sliding fit with the connecting block. One end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the middle beam, and the other end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the rotating connection part.

[0008] In the rotating shaft assembly of the embodiments of the present application, the first swing arm and the middle beam are engaged through the first tooth part and the second tooth part, and there is no need to open an arc-shaped sliding groove on the middle beam for fitting the first swing arm, thereby avoiding the problem of easy breakage of the middle beam due to the weak point caused by opening the arc-shaped sliding groove, and facilitating to ensure that the middle beam has high structural strength.

[0009] At the same time, the first swing arm is directly supported on the fixed tooth block of the middle beam in the form of gear engagement on one side, and is indirectly connected to the middle beam through the connecting rod on the other side, the connection between the first swing arm and the middle beam is more reliable, the first swing arm can be better supported by the middle beam, and is not easy to be detached from the middle beam.

[0010] In a possible implementation, the rotation axis of the connecting rod relative to the middle beam coincides with the central axis of the first tooth part; or, the rotation axis of the connecting rod relative to the middle beam is parallel to and spaced from the central axis of the first tooth part.

[0011] In this implementation, the rotation axis of the connecting rod relative to the middle beam coincides with the central axis of the first tooth part, which can simplify the motion design of the rotating shaft assembly; the rotation axis of the connecting rod relative to the middle beam is parallel to and spaced from the central axis of the first tooth part, which can also achieve normal folding or unfolding of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the rotation axis of the first swing arm relative to the connecting rod coincides with the central axis of the second tooth part.

[0013] In this implementation, the rotation axis of the first swing arm relative to the connecting rod coincides with the central axis of the second tooth part, which is conducive to normal folding or unfolding of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the middle beam comprises a bottom beam and a fixed tooth block. The fixed tooth block is connected to the bottom beam, and the two first tooth parts are respectively arranged on the two sides of the fixed tooth block.

[0015] In this implementation, the first tooth part is arranged by means of the fixed tooth block, which facilitates the machining of the first tooth part.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the bottom beam is provided with a positioning boss, and the positioning boss is provided with a threaded hole. The fixed tooth block is recessed with a positioning hole on the side close to the bottom beam, and the positioning hole is positioned and matched with the positioning boss; the fixed tooth block is provided with a communication hole on the side away from the bottom beam, and the communication hole communicates with the positioning hole. The middle beam further comprises a first locking screw, which passes through the communication hole and is threadedly connected to the threaded hole to lock the fixed tooth block to the bottom beam.

[0017] In this implementation, the fixed tooth block can be reliably positioned and connected to the bottom beam, and is convenient for disassembly and maintenance.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the first swing arm further comprises a first arm body, and the second tooth part is connected to one end of the first arm body close to the middle beam. The rotating connection part comprises a first shaft part protruding in the axial direction on the second tooth part, and the central axis of the first shaft part coincides with the central axis of the first tooth part. The connecting rod is provided with a first shaft hole, and the first shaft part is rotatably matched with the first shaft hole.

[0019] In this implementation, the first swing arm and the connecting rod are connected in a solid shaft rotation mode, and the first swing arm can be reliably connected to the middle beam through the connecting rod.

[0020] In a possible implementation, the first shaft part has two first shaft parts protruding on the two axial sides of the second tooth part respectively. The connecting rod has two connecting rods rotatably connected to the two first shaft parts respectively. In this implementation, the first swing arm and the connecting rod are connected in a solid shaft rotation mode, and the first swing arm can be reliably connected to the middle beam through the connecting rod.

[0021] In this embodiment, the first swing arm is connected to the middle beam through two connecting rods, the first swing arm is balanced in force, and it is beneficial to fold or unfold the rotating shaft assembly.

[0022] In a possible implementation, the middle beam is provided with a rotating support. The end of the connecting rod close to the middle beam is provided with a second shaft portion, and the second shaft portion is rotatably supported on the rotating support.

[0023] In this embodiment, the connecting rod and the middle beam are connected through the first shaft portion to realize the rotation connection, which ensures that the connecting rod is reliably connected to the middle beam, thereby ensuring that the first swing arm is reliably connected to the middle beam, and it is beneficial to avoid the disconnection of the first swing arm and the middle beam.

[0024] In a possible implementation, the end of the connecting rod close to the middle beam is provided with a third tooth portion. The third tooth portion of the support mechanism on one side of the middle beam is engaged with the third tooth portion of the support mechanism on the other side of the middle beam.

[0025] In this embodiment, the engagement of the third tooth portions on both sides can realize the synchronous folding or unfolding of the support mechanisms on both sides of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0026] In a possible implementation, the middle beam is provided with two rotating supports, and the two rotating supports are spaced apart along the length direction of the middle beam to define a first spacing space. The rotating support includes a first seat plate and a second seat plate, and the first seat plate and the second seat plate are spaced apart along the length direction of the middle beam to define a second spacing space. The middle beam includes a bottom beam and a fixed tooth block, the fixed tooth block is connected to the bottom beam and located in the first spacing space, and two first tooth portions are respectively arranged on both sides of the fixed tooth block. There are two connecting rods, and the ends of the two connecting rods close to the middle beam are respectively rotatably matched with the two rotating supports. The axial sides of the third tooth portion are respectively provided with a second shaft portion, and the central axis of the second shaft portion coincides with the central axis of the third tooth portion. The third tooth portion is matched with the second spacing space, and the two second shaft portions are respectively rotatably supported on the first seat plate and the second seat plate of the same rotating support.

[0027] In this embodiment, the first spacing space and the second spacing space accommodate the fixed tooth block and the third tooth portion, and the structure arrangement is compact and reasonable.

[0028] In a possible implementation, the middle beam further includes a cover beam, and the cover beam is detachably connected to one side of the bottom beam in the thickness direction. The third tooth portion and the fixed tooth block are both clamped between the cover beam and the bottom beam.

[0029] The structural design of this embodiment is reasonable and compact.

[0030] In a possible implementation, the first swing arm includes a first arm body and a first sliding portion. The connecting block is provided with a first sliding groove, and the first sliding portion is slidably matched with the first sliding groove.

[0031] In this embodiment, the connecting block can slide relative to the first swing arm during folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly to accommodate the support of the folding screen.

[0032] In a possible implementation, the central axis of the second toothed part is located on the side of the central axis of the first toothed part close to the connecting block.

[0033] In this embodiment, the central axis of the second toothed part is located on the side of the central axis of the first toothed part close to the connecting block, so that during the change of the hinge assembly from the folded state to the unfolded state, the central axis of the second toothed part is offset by a certain distance towards the connecting block. The offset reduces the sliding distance of the connecting block and the first swing arm, thereby ensuring that the overlap of the first swing arm and the connecting block is large in the unfolded state, ensuring the reliability of the support of the first swing arm on the connecting block, and reducing the possibility of jamming of the hinge assembly during unfolding.

[0034] In a possible implementation, the support mechanism further comprises a decorative shaft cover and a shaft cover driving swing arm. The shaft cover driving swing arm is drivingly connected between the middle beam and the connecting block. The decorative shaft cover is located on the back side of the hinge assembly and is fixedly connected to the shaft cover driving swing arm to move under the driving of the shaft cover driving swing arm.

[0035] In this embodiment, the decorative shaft cover is driven by the additionally provided shaft cover driving swing arm instead of the first swing arm (or secondary swing arm), avoiding the movement requirement of the decorative shaft cover from limiting the movement design of the first swing arm, and also avoiding the external force acting on the decorative shaft cover from being directly transmitted to the first swing arm, so that the first swing arm is not deformed and pulled out due to excessive force, ensuring the normal folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly.

[0036] In a possible implementation, the shaft cover driving swing arm comprises a primary swing arm and a secondary swing arm. One end of the primary swing arm close to the middle beam is rotatably connected to the middle beam, one end of the secondary swing arm close to the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the primary swing arm, and the end of the secondary swing arm away from the primary swing arm is slidably fitted to the connecting block. The decorative shaft cover is fixedly connected to the secondary swing arm.

[0037] In this embodiment, the shaft cover driving assembly can move with the folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly and drive the decorative shaft cover to move adaptively.

[0038] In a possible implementation, the shaft cover driving swing arm further comprises a pin shaft. The primary swing arm has two spaced first lugs, and the secondary swing arm has a second lug rotatably connected between the two first lugs by the pin shaft.

[0039] In this embodiment, the pin shaft can ensure reliable rotational connection of the primary swing arm and the secondary swing arm.

[0040] In a possible implementation, the first swing arm has a first matching surface, and the second swing arm has a second matching surface. The first matching surface is located between the two first lugs and faces the second lug, and the second matching surface is located at the second lug and faces the first matching surface. In a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pin shaft, the first matching surface includes a first arc segment and two first stop surface segments. The first arc segment is a convex arc with a center coinciding with the central axis of the pin shaft, and the two first stop surface segments are connected to the two ends of the first arc segment, respectively. In the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pin shaft, the second matching surface includes a second arc segment and two second stop surface segments. The second arc segment is a concave arc with a center coinciding with the central axis of the pin shaft, and the two second stop surface segments are connected to the two ends of the second arc segment, respectively. The rotating shaft assembly has a folded state and an unfolded state. In the folded state, one of the first stop surface segments abuts against the corresponding second stop surface segment. In the unfolded state, the other first stop surface segment abuts against the corresponding second stop surface segment.

[0041] In this implementation, when the rotating shaft assembly is folded or unfolded, the first swing arm and the second swing arm are driven to rotate relative to the middle beam by the connecting block, and the relative rotation angle of the first swing arm and the second swing arm can be limited by the first stop surface segment and the second stop surface segment, so that the decorative shaft cover rotates within a limited range and avoids interference with the surrounding structure.

[0042] In a possible implementation, the supporting mechanism further includes a second swing arm. One end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the middle beam, and the other end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the connecting block.

[0043] In this implementation, the second swing arm can reliably rotatably support the connecting block on the middle beam.

[0044] In a possible implementation, the supporting mechanism further includes a supporting block. The supporting block is fixedly connected to the second swing arm and moves with the second swing arm. The supporting block is located between the middle beam and the connecting block and is used to support a folding screen of a foldable electronic device together with the middle beam and the connecting block.

[0045] In this implementation, the supporting block can provide better support for the folding screen.

[0046] In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a foldable electronic device, which includes a first shell, a second shell, a folding screen, and the aforementioned rotating shaft assembly. The rotating shaft assembly is connected between the first shell and the second shell. The folding screen is folded on the first shell and the second shell and is supported by the rotating shaft assembly.

[0047] The foldable electronic device in this embodiment uses the aforementioned rotating shaft assembly, and the middle beam has high structural strength. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0048] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings in the embodiments will be briefly introduced as follows. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some of the embodiments of the present application, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope, and for those skilled in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained without creative labor.

[0049] Fig. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0050] Fig. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device in Fig. 1 in a folded state;

[0051] Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the foldable electronic device in Fig. 1 in the unfolded state;

[0052] Fig. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of a back side of the foldable electronic device in Fig. 1;

[0053] Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the foldable electronic device in Fig. 4;

[0054] Fig. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device in Fig. 4 after hiding a first back cover and a second back cover;

[0055] Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the hinge assembly is in an unfolded state;

[0056] Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the hinge assembly in Fig. 7;

[0057] Fig. 9 is a structural schematic diagram of a front side of the hinge assembly in Fig. 7;

[0058] Fig. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of a back side of the hinge assembly in Fig. 7 after hiding two decorative shaft covers;

[0059] Fig. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of a back side of the hinge assembly in Fig. 10 after hiding a cover beam;

[0060] Fig. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of the hinge assembly in Fig. 11 in a folded state;

[0061] Fig. 13 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 8;

[0062] Fig. 14 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 13;

[0063] Fig. 15 is a perspective view of a first swing arm, a connecting rod and a fixed tooth block in Fig. 14 in an assembled state;

[0064] Fig. 16 is an enlarged view of A in Fig. 11;

[0065] Fig. 17 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly in Fig. 16 along line B-B;

[0066] Fig. 18 is a structural schematic view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 17 in a folded state;

[0067] Fig. 19 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 16 along the line C-C;

[0068] Fig. 20 is a structural schematic view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 19 in a folded state;

[0069] Fig. 21 is a schematic view of the folding or unfolding process of the hinge assembly of the present embodiment at the secondary swing arm;

[0070] Fig. 22 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 16 along the line D-D;

[0071] Fig. 23 is a structural schematic view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 22 in a folded state;

[0072] Fig. 24 is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 8;

[0073] Fig. 25 is an enlarged view of H of Fig. 11;

[0074] Fig. 26 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 25 along the line E-E;

[0075] Fig. 27 is a structural schematic view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 26 in a folded state;

[0076] Fig. 28 is a perspective view of a shaft cover driving swing arm of the present embodiment;

[0077] Fig. 29 is an exploded view of the shaft cover driving swing arm of Fig. 28;

[0078] Fig. 30 is a schematic view of the cooperation between the primary swing arm and the secondary swing arm of the shaft cover driving swing arm of Fig. 26;

[0079] Fig. 31 is a front schematic view of a hinge assembly of a known technology in an unfolded state;

[0080] Fig. 32 is a back schematic view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 31 (two decorative shaft covers are hidden and not shown);

[0081] Fig. 33 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 32 along the line F-F;

[0082] Fig. 34 is a schematic view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 33 in a folded state;

[0083] Fig. 35 is a sectional view of the hinge assembly of Fig. 31 along the line G-G.

[0084] Main element symbol explanation: foldable electronic device 100 foldable screen 2 first large area 2a second large area 2b bendable area 2c shell assembly 1 first shell 1a first back cover 1a1 first middle frame 1a2 second shell 1b second back cover 1b1 second middle frame 1b2 hinge assembly 1c middle beam 10 bottom beam 11 positioning boss 11a cover beam 12 fixed tooth block 13 first tooth part 13a rotating support 14 first seat plate 14a second seat plate 14b first locking screw 19 support mechanism 110 connecting block 20 sliding fitting seat 28 second locking screw 29 first swing arm structure 120 first swing arm 30 first arm body 31 second tooth part 32 rotating connecting part 33 first shaft part 33a first sliding part 34 connecting rod 40 second shaft part 41 third tooth part 42 support block50 second swing arm 51 first rotary slide 51a second rotary slide 51b decorative shaft cover 70 shaft cover driving swing arm 80 primary swing arm 81 first lug 81a third rotary slide 81b secondary swing arm 82 second lug 82a pin shaft 83 third locking screw 84 damping mechanism 90 first matching surface P1 first arc surface section P11 first stop surface section P12 second matching surface P2 second arc surface section P21 second stop surface section P22 first interval space Q1 second interval space Q2 first slide groove C1 installation groove C2 first matching arc groove C3 second matching arc groove C4 second slide groove C6 front face S1 back face S2 threaded hole K1 positioning hole K2 communication hole K3 first rotary matching hole K5 second rotary matching hole K6 first shaft hole K7 first end D1 second end D2 length direction Y rotating shaft assembly 300 middle beam 310 connecting block320 sub-swing arm 330 arc-shaped sliding tongue 331 decorative shaft cover 370 arc-shaped sliding groove C301 sliding fitting groove C302 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0085] The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described in combination with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, not all the embodiments of the present application.

[0086] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed" to another element, it can be directly on the other element or there can be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "connected" to another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there can be an intervening element. When an element is referred to as being "disposed on" another element, it can be directly disposed on the other element or there can be an intervening element. The terms "vertical", "horizontal", "left", "right", and similar expressions used herein are for illustrative purposes only.

[0087] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The terminology used in the description of the application herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the application. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0088] Some embodiments of the present application are described in detail. The following embodiments and features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0089] EMBODIMENTS

[0090] The embodiments of the present application provide a foldable electronic device, which can be a foldable electronic product such as a mobile phone, a tablet personal computer, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer, a multimedia player, a smart screen, an electronic book reader, a vehicle-mounted device, or a wearable device. The wearable device can be a smart bracelet, a smart watch, a smart head-mounted display, smart glasses, etc.

[0091] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device 100 in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application; and FIG. 2 is a structural schematic diagram of the foldable electronic device 100 in a folded state according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the foldable electronic device 100 is taken as a foldable mobile phone for example in the embodiments.

[0092] The foldable electronic device 100 can have different use states in different use scenarios. FIG. 1 shows the foldable electronic device 100 in an unfolded state, in which the foldable electronic device 100 can realize large-screen display. FIG. 2 shows the foldable electronic device 100 in a folded state, in which the foldable electronic device 100 occupies a smaller area (an area perpendicular to the thickness direction of the foldable electronic device 100) and is convenient to carry.

[0093] In addition, the foldable electronic device 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a foldable electronic device 100 that can be folded once. The foldable electronic device 100 includes two parts that can rotate relative to each other. When the two parts are rotated to be coplanar, the foldable electronic device 100 is in an unfolded state (as shown in FIG. 1). When the two parts are rotated to be stacked relative to each other, the foldable electronic device 100 is in a folded state (as shown in FIG. 2). In other embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 can also be a foldable electronic device 100 that can be folded more times (three times or more). In this case, the foldable electronic device 100 can include multiple parts that are connected in sequence and can rotate relative to each other. Adjacent two parts can be relatively far apart to be unfolded to an unfolded state, and adjacent two parts can be relatively close to be folded to a folded state.

[0094] FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the foldable electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. Referring to FIG. 3, the foldable electronic device 100 includes a housing assembly 1 and a foldable screen 2. The foldable screen 2 is supported and connected to one side of the housing assembly 1. The side of the foldable screen 2 away from the housing assembly 1 is used to display information and / or provide an interactive interface for a user.

[0095] In the embodiments, the side surface of the housing assembly 1 facing the foldable screen 2 is defined as the front surface S1 of the housing assembly 1, and the side surface of the housing assembly 1 away from the foldable screen 2 is defined as the back surface S2 of the housing assembly 1. For simplicity of description, the front surface S1 and the back surface S2 of each component of the housing assembly 1 (such as the pivot assembly 1c below) that appears later are also defined in this way.

[0096] In this embodiment, the folding screen 2 can be, but is not limited to, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen, an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display screen, a mini organic light-emitting diode display screen, a micro organic light-emitting diode display screen, a micro organic light-emitting diode display screen, or a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) display screen, etc.

[0097] The folding screen 2 can include a first large area 2a, a second large area 2b, and a bendable area 2c connected between the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b. In use, the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b can remain folded on the housing assembly 1, while the bendable area 2c can be bent and deformed to change the included angle between the first large area 2a and the second large area 2b, so that the folding screen 2 is folded or unfolded with the movement of the housing assembly 1, to realize the switching of the foldable electronic device 100 between the folded state and the unfolded state.

[0098] The foldable electronic device 100 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is an outer folding foldable electronic device, which is in a folded state, and the folding screen 2 is exposed, and the display function can be realized by using the folding screen 2.

[0099] In some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 can be suspended in a partially unfolded state between the unfolded state and the folded state. For example, the suspension angle of the foldable electronic device 100 can be 90°, 120°, 135°, 150°, etc. The suspension function can be realized by relying on the damping force provided by the housing assembly 1.

[0100] Referring to FIG. 3, the housing assembly 1 includes a first housing 1a, a second housing 1b, and a hinge assembly 1c, and the first housing 1a and the second housing 1b are respectively rotatably connected on both sides of the hinge assembly 1c, thereby realizing mutual folding or unfolding.

[0101] Among them, the first housing 1a supports and connects the first large area 2a of the folding screen 2, the second housing 1b supports and connects the second large area 2b of the folding screen 2, and the hinge assembly 1c supports the bendable area 2c of the folding screen 2.

[0102] For example, the first large area 2a of the folding screen 2 can be bonded to the second large area 2b of the first housing 1a, and the second large area 2b of the folding screen 2 can be bonded to the second housing 1b.

[0103] It should be noted that the foldable electronic device 100 shown in FIGS. 1-3 is a schematic diagram after simplifying the details of the structure and / or appearance, and does not represent the actual appearance or structure.

[0104] FIG. 4 is a structural view of the back side of the foldable electronic device 100 in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application; FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the foldable electronic device 100 of FIG. 4; and FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the first middle frame 1a2, the hinge assembly 1c, and the second middle frame 1b2 of the foldable electronic device 100 of FIG. 5 in a connected state.

[0105] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, in this embodiment, the first housing 1a includes the first middle frame 1a2 and the first back cover 1a1, and the first back cover 1a1 covers the back side of the first middle frame 1a2. The second housing 1b includes the second middle frame 1b2 and the second back cover 1b1, and the second back cover 1b1 covers the back side of the second middle frame 1b2.

[0106] The first back cover 1a1 and the first middle frame 1a2 form a receiving space therebetween, and the second back cover 1b1 and the second middle frame 1b2 form a receiving space therebetween. The receiving spaces can be used to mount some functional devices (not shown in the figures) of the foldable electronic device 100, such as a circuit board, a battery, a camera module, a microphone, a speaker, and the like.

[0107] Referring to FIG. 6, the first middle frame 1a2 and the second middle frame 1b2 are fixedly connected to the two sides of the hinge assembly 1c, respectively, to achieve mutual folding or unfolding.

[0108] Some known foldable electronic devices have a hinge assembly 300 with a middle beam 310 having an arc-shaped sliding groove C301 (see FIGS. 33 and 34), a connecting block 320 having a sliding fitting groove C302, one end of a secondary swing arm 330 rotatably fitted into the arc-shaped sliding groove C301 of the middle beam 310, and the other end of the secondary swing arm 330 having an arc-shaped sliding tongue 331 slidingly fitted into the sliding fitting groove C302. In order to ensure that the folding or unfolding angle meets the requirements, the extension angle of the arc-shaped sliding groove C301 for fitting the secondary swing arm 330 often needs to be set large enough, for example, greater than 90°. However, the arc-shaped sliding groove C301 with a large extension angle formed on the middle beam 310 can greatly affect the structural strength of the middle beam 310, causing the middle beam 310 to be easily deformed or broken at the position of the arc-shaped sliding groove C301.

[0109] Therefore, the hinge assembly 1c provided in this embodiment does not need to have an arc-shaped sliding groove on the middle beam 10 for fitting the secondary swing arm, and the middle beam 10 has a higher structural strength. The following will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0110] For the convenience of description, the front surface of the rotating shaft assembly 1c is defined as the surface of the rotating shaft assembly 1c used for supporting the folding screen 2 (visible in FIG. 3), and the back surface of the rotating shaft assembly 1c is defined as the surface of the rotating shaft assembly 1c facing away from the folding screen 2. Correspondingly, the front surface of each component (such as the middle beam 10, the connecting block 20, the supporting block 50, etc.) of the rotating shaft assembly 1c is the side surface facing the same direction as the front surface of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, and the back surface of each component (such as the middle beam 10, the connecting block 20, the supporting block 50, etc.) of the rotating shaft assembly 1c is the side surface facing the same direction as the back surface of the rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0111] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a rotating shaft assembly 1c according to an embodiment of the present application, wherein the rotating shaft assembly 1c is in an unfolded state and the back surface faces upward. FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the rotating shaft assembly 1c of FIG. 7.

[0112] Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, in the present embodiment, the rotating shaft assembly 1c includes a middle beam 10 and two supporting mechanisms 110, which are respectively rotatably connected to the two sides of the middle beam 10.

[0113] The middle beam 10 includes a bottom beam 11 and a cover beam 12, which is detachably covered on one side of the bottom beam 11 in the thickness direction, specifically, the cover beam 12 is connected on the back side of the bottom beam 11.

[0114] The supporting mechanism 110 includes a connecting block 20 and a plurality of swing arm structures connecting the connecting block 20 to one side of the middle beam 10. The supporting block 50 is a long strip structure, and the supporting block 50 and the middle beam 10 are arranged in parallel and spaced apart. Among the plurality of swing arm structures, some are first swing arm structures 120, and some are second swing arms 51. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, there are two groups of first swing arm structures 120 and five groups of second swing arms 51, which are distributed along the length direction Y of the middle beam 10 to be connected to different positions of the middle beam 10 and the connecting block 20 along the length direction Y.

[0115] The supporting mechanism 110 can also include a supporting block 50. The supporting block 50 is arranged between the middle beam 10 and the connecting block 20, and is used to support the folding screen 2 together with the middle beam 10 and the connecting block 20. Optionally, the supporting block 50 is in a long strip shape, and each second swing arm 51 is connected to different positions of the supporting block 50 along the length direction Y. In this way, the supporting block 50 can move with the second swing arm 51 to adapt to the support of the folding screen 2 in different states. The specific structure of the supporting block 50 and the second swing arm 51 will be described below.

[0116] Of course, in other embodiments, the supporting block 50 can also not be connected to the second swing arm 51, but can be connected to other components, as long as it can adapt to the support of the folding screen 2.

[0117] In some other embodiments, the support blocks 50 can also be omitted from the hinge assembly 1c, and the bendable area 2c of the folding screen 2 can be supported by the middle beam 10 and the connecting blocks 20.

[0118] The support mechanism 110 can also include a decorative shaft cover 70. The decorative shaft cover 70 is located on the back side of the hinge assembly 1c, and is mainly used to cover the gap between the middle beam 10 and the connecting blocks 20, so as to avoid the various swing arm structures (such as the first swing arm structure 120, the second swing arm 51, etc.) exposed on the back side S2 of the hinge assembly 1c, and affect the appearance of the hinge assembly 1c. As shown in FIGS. 4-6, the first middle frame 1a2 and the second middle frame 1b2 are coplanarly connected to the two connecting blocks 20, respectively. On the back side of the foldable electronic device 100, the first middle frame 1a2 and one of the connecting blocks 20 of the hinge assembly 1c are covered by the first back cover 1a1, the second middle frame 1b2 and the other connecting block 20 of the hinge assembly 1c are covered by the second back cover 1b1, and the gap area between the middle beam 10 and the connecting blocks 20 is covered by the decorative shaft cover 70, so that the hinge assembly 1c in the foldable electronic device 100 is not exposed (see FIG. 4), the appearance is flat and beautiful, and the hinge assembly 1c is not easy to interfere with other structures.

[0119] Continuing to refer to FIGS. 7 and 8, some of the aforementioned swing arm structures are shaft cover driving swing arms 80. The shaft cover driving swing arms 80 are movably connected between the middle beam 10 and the connecting blocks 20, and the decorative shaft cover 70 is connected to the shaft cover driving swing arms 80 to move under the driving of the shaft cover driving swing arms 80 to adapt to the covering requirements in different states. The specific structure of the shaft cover driving swing arms 80 will be described below.

[0120] In other embodiments, the hinge assembly 1c can also not be provided with the shaft cover driving swing arms 80, and the decorative shaft cover 70 is driven by other swing arm structures.

[0121] Of course, in other embodiments, the hinge assembly 1c can also not be provided with the decorative shaft cover 70 and the shaft cover driving swing arms 80. The foldable electronic device 100 can achieve the covering or decoration of the hinge assembly 1c in other forms, which is not limited herein.

[0122] FIG. 9 is another view of the hinge assembly 1c of FIG. 7, in which the front side of the hinge assembly 1c faces upward.

[0123] Referring to FIG. 9, in the hinge assembly 1c, the front sides of the middle beam 10, the two support blocks 50 and the two connecting blocks 20 are relatively flat, and are used to jointly support the bendable area 2c of the folding screen 2.

[0124] The first swing arm structure 120 in the present embodiment and the cooperation relationship between the first swing arm structure 120 and the middle beam 10 and the connecting blocks 20 will be exemplarily described below.

[0125] Fig. 10 is a structural schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 1c of Fig. 7, with two decorative shaft covers 70 hidden, in which the back of the hinge assembly 1c faces upwards; Fig. 11 is a structural schematic diagram of Fig. 10 with the cover beam 12 of the middle beam 10 hidden; Fig. 12 is a structural schematic diagram of the hinge assembly 1c of Fig. 11 in a folded state.

[0126] Referring to Figs. 10-12, in an unfolded state, the two support blocks 50 and the two connecting blocks 20 of the hinge assembly 1c are unfolded on both sides of the middle beam 10; in a folded state, the two connecting blocks 20 of the hinge assembly 1c are folded together.

[0127] Referring to Fig. 11, the hinge assembly 1c can also be provided with a damping mechanism 90 for providing damping for folding or unfolding of the hinge assembly 1c, thereby improving the folding feel. The damping mechanism 90 can adopt a known damping structure, which is not limited here.

[0128] Fig. 13 is an exploded view of a part of Fig. 10; Fig. 14 is an enlarged view of a part of the structure of Fig. 13; Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the first swing arm 30, the connecting rod 40 and the fixed tooth block 13 of the present embodiment in an assembled state.

[0129] Referring to Figs. 13-15, in the present embodiment, the middle beam 10 further comprises a fixed tooth block 13. The fixed tooth block 13 is provided with a first tooth portion 13a on each side thereof. The first tooth portion 13a is a partial gear, rather than a complete gear with a full circumference.

[0130] The fixed tooth block 13 can be separately formed and connected to the bottom beam 11 and clamped between the bottom beam 11 and the cover beam 12.

[0131] Alternatively, the bottom beam 11 is provided with a positioning boss 11a, the positioning boss 11a is provided with a threaded hole K1, the fixed tooth block 13 is recessed with a positioning hole K2 on the side close to the bottom beam 11, the positioning hole K2 is positioned and fitted to the positioning boss 11a. The fixed tooth block 13 is provided with a communication hole K3 on the side away from the bottom beam 11, the communication hole K3 communicates with the positioning hole K2. The middle beam 10 further comprises a first locking screw 19, the first locking screw 19 passes through the communication hole K3 and is threadedly connected to the threaded hole K1, so as to lock the fixed tooth block 13 to the bottom beam 11.

[0132] The positioning boss 11a can be a non-circular boss, and the shape of the positioning hole K2 is adapted to the positioning boss 11a, so as to ensure reliable positioning of the fixed tooth block 13 and the bottom beam 11.

[0133] The connection relationship between the fixed tooth block 13 and the bottom beam 11 is also shown in Figs. 16-18.

[0134] In other embodiments, the fixed tooth block 13 can also be integrally formed with the bottom beam 11 or the cover beam 12.

[0135] In other embodiments, the first tooth portion 13a of the middle beam 10 can also be directly formed on the bottom beam 11 or the cover beam 12 of the middle beam 10 without arranging the additional fixed tooth block 13.

[0136] Referring to Figs. 14 and 15 again, the first swing arm structure 120 comprises a first swing arm 30 (or a secondary swing arm) and a connecting rod 40.

[0137] In the pivot assembly 1c, the first swing arm 30 can also be referred to as a secondary swing arm, and correspondingly, the second swing arm 51 can be referred to as a primary swing arm.

[0138] In the embodiment, the first swing arm 30 defines opposite first and second ends D1 and D2, wherein the first end D1 is close to one end of the middle beam 10, and the second end D2 is close to one end of the connecting block 20. The first end D1 of the first swing arm 30 is provided with a second tooth portion 32 and a rotating connection portion 33, the second tooth portion 32 is engaged with the corresponding first tooth portion 13a, and the second end D2 of the first swing arm 30 is in sliding fit with the connecting block 20. One end of the connecting rod 40 is rotatably connected to the middle beam 10, and the other end of the connecting rod 40 is rotatably connected to the rotating connection portion 33.

[0139] In the pivot assembly 1c, the first swing arm 30 and the middle beam 10 are engaged through the first tooth portion 13a and the second tooth portion 32, without the need to open an arc-shaped sliding groove C301 on the middle beam 10 to fit the first swing arm 30, thereby avoiding the problem that the middle beam 10 is prone to breaking due to the weakness caused by opening the arc-shaped sliding groove C301, and facilitating to ensure that the middle beam 10 has high structural strength.

[0140] Meanwhile, the first swing arm 30 is directly supported on the fixed tooth block 13 of the middle beam 10 in the form of gear engagement on one hand, and is indirectly connected to the middle beam 10 through the connecting rod 40 on the other hand, so that the connection between the first swing arm 30 and the middle beam 10 is more reliable, the first swing arm 30 can be better supported by the middle beam 10, and is not easy to be detached from the middle beam 10.

[0141] By contrast, some known pivot assemblies 300 (see Figs. 33 and 34) are connected through the sliding fit between the arc-shaped sliding tongue 331 of the secondary swing arm 330 and the arc-shaped sliding groove C301 opened on the middle beam 310, to realize the rotation of the secondary swing arm 330 around a virtual axis (i.e. the central axis of the arc-shaped sliding groove C301) relative to the middle beam 310. In the folded state, in order to ensure the required rotation angle for folding, most of the arc-shaped sliding tongue 331 slides out of the arc-shaped sliding groove C301, and only a small part remains lapped in the arc-shaped sliding groove C301 of the middle beam 310, that is, the known pivot assembly 300 has a small lapping amount between the secondary swing arm 330 and the middle beam 310 in the folded state, the supporting capacity of the middle beam 310 to the secondary swing arm 330 is small, and the secondary swing arm 330 is more likely to be detached from the arc-shaped sliding groove C301 of the middle beam 310.

[0142] In addition, referring to Figs. 19-21, the first swing arm 30 is in gear engagement with the middle beam 10, and the rotation center L2 (see Fig. 21) of the first swing arm 30 is the center axis of the second tooth portion 32. When the rotation shaft assembly 1c is folded or unfolded, the rotation center L2 of the first swing arm 30 rotates around the center axis L1 of the first tooth portion 13a. In this embodiment, when the rotation shaft assembly 1c is in the folded state (as shown by the dashed line in Fig. 21), the first swing arm 30 can have a large overlap amount b with the connecting block 20, and the first swing arm 30 can fully overlap the connecting block 20. When the rotation shaft assembly 1c is unfolded, the connecting block 20 slides relative to the first swing arm 30 away from the middle beam 10. When the rotation shaft assembly 1c is fully unfolded (as shown by the solid line in Fig. 21), the connecting block 20 has slid relative to the first swing arm 30 away from the middle beam 10 by a distance c, and the overlap amount of the first swing arm 30 and the connecting block 20 becomes a. In this embodiment, by changing the rotation center L2 of the first swing arm 30, the sliding distance c is small, so that in the unfolded state, the connecting block 20 and the first swing arm 30 can still have a large overlap amount a, and the first swing arm 30 can provide reliable support for the connecting block 20.

[0143] In this embodiment, the center axis of the second tooth portion 32 (coinciding with the rotation center L2 of the first swing arm 30) is located on the side of the center axis L1 of the first tooth portion 13a close to the connecting block 20. In this way, during the process of changing the rotation shaft assembly 1c from the folded state to the unfolded state, the center axis of the second tooth portion 32 is offset by a certain distance towards the connecting block 20, which reduces the sliding distance c of the connecting block 20 and the first swing arm 30, so that the overlap amount b of the first swing arm 30 and the connecting block 20 in the unfolded state is relatively large, the support of the first swing arm 30 to the connecting block 20 is reliable, and the possibility of the rotation shaft assembly 1c being stuck during unfolding is reduced.

[0144] In comparison, a known technology shown in FIG. 33 and FIG. 34, in the folded state of the rotating shaft assembly 300 (see FIG. 32), the sub-swing arm 330 can have a large overlap b1 (see FIG. 34) with the connecting block 320, and the sub-swing arm 330 can fully overlap the connecting block 320; when the rotating shaft assembly 300 is unfolded, the connecting block 320 slides relative to the sub-swing arm 330 away from the center beam 310, and after fully unfolding (see FIG. 33), the connecting block 320 has a sliding distance c1 relative to the sub-swing arm 330 away from the center beam 310, and at this time, the overlap between the sub-swing arm 330 and the connecting block 320 is reduced to a1. In this known technology, the center of rotation of the sub-swing arm 330 remains unchanged at the center of the arc-shaped sliding groove C301 of the center beam 310, resulting in a large sliding distance c1, so that in the unfolded state, the overlap a1 between the connecting block 320 and the sub-swing arm 330 becomes very small, the supporting ability of the sub-swing arm 330 to the connecting block 320 is poor, and the connecting block 320 is prone to deformation due to stress concentration at the overlap with the sub-swing arm 330, which may cause the rotating shaft assembly 1c to jam during unfolding.

[0145] In other known technologies, in order to increase the overlap between the sub-swing arm and the connecting block in the unfolded state, the connecting block is widened and the length of the sub-swing arm is increased, however, this will result in the size of the rotating shaft assembly being increased, greatly limiting the miniaturization and thinning of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0146] Referring again to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, in the present embodiment, the first swing arm 30 further comprises a first arm body 31 and a first sliding part 34, the second tooth part 32 is connected to one end of the first arm body 31 close to the center beam 10, and the first sliding part 34 is slidably fitted in the first sliding groove C1 (see FIG. 13) formed on the connecting block 20. The rotating connecting part 33 comprises a first shaft part 33a protruding axially from the second tooth part 32, and the central axis of the first shaft part 33a coincides with the central axis of the first tooth part 13a. The connecting rod 40 is provided with a first shaft hole K7, and the first shaft part 33a is rotatably fitted in the first shaft hole K7. Optionally, the first swing arm 30 has two first shaft parts 33a, and the two first shaft parts 33a are respectively protruded from the two axial sides of the second tooth part 32. Correspondingly, the connecting rod 40 has two connecting rods 40, and the two connecting rods 40 are respectively rotatably connected to the two first shaft parts 33a. The bottom beam 11 of the center beam 10 is provided with a rotating support 14, and the end of the connecting rod 40 close to the center beam 10 is provided with a second shaft part 41, and the second shaft part 41 is rotatably supported on the rotating support 14. In this way, the first swing arm 30 is not only supported on the first tooth part 13a of the center beam 10 through the second tooth part 32, but also connected to the center beam 10 through the connecting rods 40 on both sides, so that the first swing arm 30 can be reliably connected with the center beam 10 together, greatly reducing the possibility of the first swing arm 30 (also called sub-swing arm) being detached from the center beam 10.

[0147] In the embodiment, the first sliding groove C1 extends in a straight line, and in the process of sliding of the first sliding part 34 along the first sliding groove C1, the connecting block 20 does not rotate relative to the first swing arm 30.

[0148] In other embodiments, the first sliding groove C1 can also be an arc-shaped groove extending along a circular arc with a large radius, and in the process of sliding of the first sliding part 34 along the first sliding groove C1, the connecting block 20 also deflects by a certain angle relative to the first swing arm 30 to adapt to the support requirements of the connecting block 30 on the folding screen 2.

[0149] Optionally, the two connecting rods 40 are symmetrically arranged to balance the force on the first swing arm 30.

[0150] By contrast, the known hinge assembly 300 shown in FIGS. 33 and 34 has a secondary swing arm 330 fitted with an arc-shaped sliding tongue 331 to the middle beam 310, and when the hinge assembly 300 is in a folded state (see FIG. 34), the arc-shaped sliding tongue 331 of the secondary swing arm 330 has a small overlap with the middle beam 310 and is easily detached from the middle beam 310.

[0151] Referring again to FIGS. 14 and 15, in the embodiment, the rotation axis of the first swing arm 30 relative to the connecting rod 40 and the central axis of the second tooth part 32 are collinear with the rotation center L2 of the first swing arm 30, to ensure that the first swing arm 30 remains connected to the middle beam 10 through the connecting rod 40 while rotating and revolving as a planetary gear that is a fixed tooth block 13.

[0152] In the embodiment, the connecting rod 40 is provided with a third tooth part 42 at one end close to the middle beam 10. Optionally, the cover beam 12 and the bottom beam 11 define a space that can accommodate the third tooth part 42, and the third tooth part 42 is movably arranged between the cover beam 12 and the bottom beam 11.

[0153] The third tooth part 42 of the support mechanism 110 on one side of the middle beam 10 meshes with the third tooth part 42 of the support mechanism 110 on the other side of the middle beam 10 (also shown in FIGS. 22 and 23). In this way, during folding or unfolding, the rotation of the support mechanism 110 on one side of the hinge assembly 1c can be transmitted to the other side through the meshing of the two third tooth parts 42, so that the support mechanisms 110 on both sides can rotate synchronously.

[0154] Of course, in other embodiments, the connecting rod 40 can also not be provided with a third tooth part 42, and the synchronous function of the hinge assembly 1c can be realized by other structures, which are not limited herein.

[0155] Continuing to refer to FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, in this embodiment, the bottom beam 11 of the middle beam 10 is provided with two rotating supports 14, which are spaced along the length direction Y of the middle beam 10 to define a first spacing space Q1. The rotating support 14 includes a first seat plate 14a and a second seat plate 14b, which are spaced along the length direction Y of the middle beam 10 to define a second spacing space Q2.

[0156] The fixed tooth block 13 of the middle beam 10 is connected to the bottom beam 11 and located in the first spacing space Q1, and the ends of the two connecting rods 40 close to the middle beam 10 are rotatably fitted into the two rotating supports 14, respectively. Among them, the third tooth part 42 is provided with a second shaft part 41 on both axial sides, and the central axis of the second shaft part 41 coincides with the central axis of the third tooth part 42. The third tooth part 42 is fitted into the second spacing space Q2, and the two second shaft parts 41 are rotatably supported on the first seat plate 14a and the second seat plate 14b of the same rotating support 14, respectively.

[0157] For example, the first seat plate 14a is provided with a first rotating fitting hole K5, and the second seat plate 14b is provided with a second rotating fitting hole K6, and the two second shaft parts 41 of the connecting rod 40 are rotatably fitted into the first rotating fitting hole K5 and the second rotating fitting hole K6, respectively. When the cover beam 12 is covered on the bottom beam 11, the cover beam 12 covers the first rotating fitting hole K5 and the second rotating fitting hole K6 to rotatably position the second shaft part 41 of the connecting rod 40 in the first rotating fitting hole K5 and the second rotating fitting hole K6.

[0158] Alternatively, the axial ends of the fixed tooth block 13 abut against the two side rotating supports 14 to occupy most of the first spacing space Q1, and in addition to the reliable fixation of the fixed tooth block 13 and the bottom beam 11, it can ensure that the middle beam 10 has higher structural strength. In some embodiments, after the fixed tooth block 13 is locked to the bottom beam 11, the fixed tooth block 13 and the bottom beam 11 can be welded, thereby further improving the integration of the fixed tooth block 13 and the bottom beam 11 and further improving the structural strength of the middle beam 10.

[0159] In this embodiment, the rotating axis of the connecting rod 40 relative to the middle beam 10 coincides with the central axis L1 of the first tooth part 13a, that is, the rotation center of the connecting rod 40 relative to the middle beam 10 coincides with the rotation center of the first swing arm 30 relative to the middle beam 10, which can simplify the motion design of the rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0160] Of course, in other embodiments, the rotating axis of the connecting rod 40 relative to the middle beam 10 can also be parallel and spaced from the central axis L1 of the first tooth part 13a, which is not limited here.

[0161] FIG. 24 is a partial enlarged view of FIG. 8, mainly showing the specific structure of the second swing arm 51 (also called the main swing arm) of the rotating shaft assembly 1c.

[0162] Referring to Fig. 24, one end of the second swing arm 51 of the rotating shaft assembly 1c is rotatably connected to the middle beam 10, and the other end is rotatably connected to the connecting block 20.

[0163] Alternatively, the second swing arm 51 is a double swing arm, which includes a first swing tongue 51a and a second swing tongue 51b connected together, the first swing tongue 51a is rotatably fitted in a first fitting arc groove C3 on the middle beam 10, and the second swing tongue 51b is rotatably connected to a sliding fitting seat 28 which is locked in a mounting groove C2 on the connecting block 20 by a second locking screw 29. The support block 50 of the support mechanism 110 is fixedly connected to the second swing arm 51 to move with the second swing arm 51, for example, the support block 50 is connected at the joint of the first swing tongue 51a and the second swing tongue 51b.

[0164] In this embodiment, the second swing arm 51 and the support block 50 can be formed integrally by one-time or two-time forming. In other embodiments, the second swing arm 51 can be locked to the support block 50 by locking members such as locking screws.

[0165] It should be noted that during the rotation of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, the rotation angle of the support block 50 is small, so the extension angle of the first fitting arc groove C3 on the middle beam 10 which fits the first swing tongue 51a can also be set to be small, so its influence on the structural strength of the middle beam 10 is relatively small.

[0166] Fig. 25 is an enlarged view of H in Fig. 11, Fig. 26 is a sectional view of the rotating shaft assembly 1c along the line E-E in Fig. 25, and Fig. 27 is a structural schematic view of the rotating shaft assembly 1c in a folded state.

[0167] Referring to Figs. 25-27, as described above, the decorative shaft cover 70 (visible in Fig. 26) in this embodiment is located on the back side of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, and is used to cover the gap between the connecting block 20 and the middle beam 10 on the back side of the rotating shaft assembly 1c, playing a protective and decorative role.

[0168] The shaft cover driving swing arm 80 is transmissionally connected between the middle beam 10 and the connecting block 20, and the decorative shaft cover 70 is fixedly connected to the shaft cover driving swing arm 80 to move under the driving of the shaft cover driving swing arm 80 to adapt to the state change of the rotating shaft assembly 1c during folding or unfolding. For example, in this embodiment, the decorative shaft cover 70 on each side of the middle beam 10 is respectively supported and driven by two spaced shaft cover driving swing arms 80 (visible in Fig. 8).

[0169] Fig. 28 is a perspective view of the shaft cover driving swing arm 80 according to the embodiment of the present application; Fig. 29 is an exploded view of the shaft cover driving swing arm 80 of Fig. 28; and Fig. 30 is a schematic view of the cooperation between the primary swing arm 81 and the secondary swing arm 82 of the shaft cover driving swing arm 80 of Fig. 26.

[0170] In the embodiment, the shaft cover driving swing arm 80 comprises the primary swing arm 81 and the secondary swing arm 82. The primary swing arm 81 is rotatably connected to the middle beam 10 at one end close to the middle beam 10, and the secondary swing arm 82 is rotatably connected to the primary swing arm 81 at one end close to the first swing arm 30, and the other end of the secondary swing arm 82 away from the primary swing arm 81 is slidably fitted to the connecting block 20. The decorative shaft cover 70 is fixedly connected to the secondary swing arm 82. The rotatable connection between the primary swing arm 81 and the secondary swing arm 82 can ensure that the shaft assembly 1c can be normally folded or unfolded.

[0171] The shaft cover driving swing arm 80 further comprises the pin shaft 83, the primary swing arm 81 has two first lugs 81a, and the secondary swing arm 82 has the second lug 82a rotatably connected between the two first lugs 81a by the pin shaft 83.

[0172] Optionally, the primary swing arm 81 is provided with a third rotating slide tongue 81b at one end close to the middle beam 10, and a second cooperation arc groove C4 can be formed on the middle beam 10, and the third rotating slide tongue 81b is rotatably fitted in the second cooperation arc groove C4 to realize the rotatable connection between the primary swing arm 81 and the middle beam 10. Since the shaft cover driving swing arm 80 does not need to bear the main load of the middle frame of the foldable electronic device 100, but only needs to bear the decorative shaft cover 70 with a smaller weight, the force applied to the middle beam 10 is smaller, and the middle beam 10 is not easily deformed at the arc-shaped slide groove C4.

[0173] The connecting block 20 is further provided with a second slide groove C6, and the secondary swing arm 82 is slidably fitted in the second slide groove C6 at one end close to the connecting block 20 to realize the sliding cooperation between the secondary swing arm 82 and the connecting block 20.

[0174] The decorative shaft cover 70 is locked and connected to the other end of the secondary swing arm 82 away from the first swing arm 30 by the third locking screw 84, and the other side of the decorative shaft cover 70 is suspended and extends to the side of the middle beam 10 close to the middle beam 10 to realize the shielding and decoration of the gap between the connecting block 20 and the middle beam 10.

[0175] Referring to Fig. 30, the primary swing arm 81 has a first cooperation surface P1, and the secondary swing arm 82 has a second cooperation surface P2. The first cooperation surface P1 is located between the two first lugs 81a and faces the second lug 82a, and the second cooperation surface P2 is located at the position where the second lug 82a faces the first cooperation surface P1.

[0176] In a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pin shaft 83, the first fitting surface P1 includes a first arc surface segment P11 and two first stop surface segments P12; the first arc surface segment P11 is a convex arc surface with the center coinciding with the central axis of the pin shaft 83, and the two first stop surface segments P12 are respectively connected to the arc ends of the first arc surface segment P11. In a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pin shaft 83, the second fitting surface P2 includes a second arc surface segment P21 and two second stop surface segments P22; the second arc surface segment P21 is a concave arc surface with the center coinciding with the central axis of the pin shaft 83, and the radius of the second arc surface segment P21 is slightly larger than that of the first arc surface segment P11, and the two second stop surface segments P22 are respectively connected to the arc ends of the second arc surface segment P21.

[0177] The rotating shaft assembly 1c has a folded state and an unfolded state. In the folded state, one of the first stop surface segments P12 abuts against the corresponding second stop surface segment P22; in the unfolded state, the other first stop surface segment P12 abuts against the corresponding second stop surface segment P22.

[0178] When the rotating shaft assembly 1c is folded or unfolded, the primary swing arm 81 and the secondary swing arm 82 are driven to rotate relative to the middle beam 10 by the connecting block 20, and the relative rotation angle of the primary swing arm 81 and the secondary swing arm 82 is limited by the first stop surface segments P12 and the second stop surface segments P22, so that the decorative shaft cover 70 rotates within a limited range and avoids interference with the surrounding structure.

[0179] In the embodiment, the decorative shaft cover 70 is driven by the additionally provided shaft cover driving swing arm 80 instead of the first swing arm 30 (or the secondary swing arm), which avoids the movement requirement of the decorative shaft cover 70 from limiting the movement design of the first swing arm 30, and also avoids external force acting on the decorative shaft cover 70 from being directly transmitted to the first swing arm 30, so that the first swing arm 30 is not deformed due to excessive force, and the normal folding or unfolding of the rotating shaft assembly 1c is ensured.

[0180] By comparison, in some known rotating shaft assemblies 300, the decorative shaft cover 370 is driven by the secondary swing arm 330 (see FIG. 35), the movement design of the secondary swing arm 330 is limited by the movement requirement of the decorative shaft cover 370, and since the decorative shaft cover 370 is an exposed part, it is easy to be disturbed by external force during use, and the disturbance will directly act on the secondary swing arm 330 through the decorative shaft cover 370, limiting the movement of the secondary swing arm 330, and further affecting the smooth folding or unfolding of the rotating shaft assembly 300.

[0181] Finally, the rotating shaft assembly 1c in the embodiment can be used in an inner folding foldable electronic device or an inner and outer folding foldable electronic device in addition to the aforementioned outer folding foldable electronic device. The inner and outer folding foldable electronic device refers to a foldable electronic device that can be used in both inner folding and outer folding.

[0182] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application but not limit the present application, and although the present application is explained in detail with reference to the above preferred embodiments, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the technical solutions of the present application can be modified or equivalent replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present application.

Claims

1. A rotating shaft assembly, characterized in that, The middle beam and two support mechanisms, two of which are located on both sides of the middle beam; wherein the two sides of the middle beam are respectively provided with a first tooth part; the support mechanism comprises: a connecting block located on one side of the middle beam; a first swing arm defining opposite first and second ends; the first end of the first swing arm is provided with a second tooth part and a rotating connection part, and the second tooth part is engaged with the first tooth part on the corresponding side; the second end of the first swing arm is in sliding fit with the connecting block; and a connecting rod, one end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the middle beam, and the other end of the connecting rod is rotatably connected to the rotating connection part.

2. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the rotating axis of the connecting rod relative to the middle beam coincides with the central axis of the first tooth part; or the rotating axis of the connecting rod relative to the middle beam is parallel and spaced apart from the central axis of the first tooth part.

3. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the rotating axis of the first swing arm relative to the connecting rod coincides with the central axis of the second tooth part.

4. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the middle beam comprises a bottom beam and a fixed tooth block; the fixed tooth block is connected to the bottom beam, and two first tooth parts are respectively arranged on both sides of the fixed tooth block.

5. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 4, wherein: the bottom beam is provided with a positioning boss, and the positioning boss is provided with a threaded hole; the fixed tooth block is recessed with a positioning hole on the side close to the bottom beam, and the positioning hole is in positioning fit with the positioning boss; the fixed tooth block is provided with a communication hole on the side away from the bottom beam, and the communication hole communicates with the positioning hole; the middle beam further comprises a first locking screw, the first locking screw passes through the communication hole and is threadedly connected to the threaded hole to lock the fixed tooth block to the bottom beam.

6. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein: the first swing arm further comprises a first arm body, and the second tooth part is connected to one end of the first arm body close to the middle beam; the rotating connection part comprises a first shaft part protruding in the axial direction from the second tooth part, and the central axis of the first shaft part coincides with the central axis of the first tooth part; the connecting rod is provided with a first shaft hole, and the first shaft part is rotatably fitted in the first shaft hole.

7. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 6, wherein: the first shaft part has two, and the two first shaft parts are respectively protruded on both axial sides of the second tooth part; the connecting rod has two, and the two connecting rods are respectively rotatably connected to the two first shaft parts.

8. The rotating shaft assembly according to claim 6, wherein: the middle beam is provided with a rotating support; the connecting rod is provided with a second shaft part on the end close to the middle beam, and the second shaft part is rotatably supported on the rotating support.

9. The rotating shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein: the connecting rod is provided with a third tooth part on the end close to the middle beam; The third tooth portion of the support mechanism on one side of the middle beam is engaged with the third tooth portion of the support mechanism on the other side of the middle beam. 10.The hinge assembly according to claim 9, characterized in that: The middle beam is provided with two rotating supports, which are spaced apart along the length direction of the middle beam to define a first spacing space. The rotating support comprises a first seat plate and a second seat plate, which are spaced apart along the length direction of the middle beam to define a second spacing space. The middle beam comprises a bottom beam and a fixed tooth block, the fixed tooth block is connected to the bottom beam and located in the first spacing space, and the two first tooth portions are respectively arranged on two sides of the fixed tooth block. The connecting rods are two, and one end of each of the two connecting rods close to the middle beam is rotatably connected to one of the two rotating supports. The third tooth portion is rotatably supported on the first seat plate and the second seat plate of the same rotating support. 11.The hinge assembly according to claim 10, characterized in that: The middle beam further comprises a cover beam, which is detachably connected to one side of the bottom beam along the thickness direction. The third tooth portion and the fixed tooth block are clamped between the cover beam and the bottom beam. 12.The hinge assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first swing arm comprises a first arm body and a first sliding portion. The connecting block is provided with a first sliding groove, and the first sliding portion is slidably connected to the first sliding groove. 13.The hinge assembly according to any one of claims 1-12, characterized in that: The central axis of the second tooth portion is located on the side of the central axis of the first tooth portion close to the connecting block. 14.The hinge assembly according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that: The support mechanism further comprises a decorative shaft cover and a shaft cover driving swing arm. The shaft cover driving swing arm is drivingly connected between the middle beam and the connecting block. The decorative shaft cover is located on the back side of the hinge assembly and is fixedly connected to the shaft cover driving swing arm to move under the driving of the shaft cover driving swing arm. 15.The hinge assembly according to claim 14, characterized in that: The shaft cover driving swing arm comprises a primary swing arm and a secondary swing arm. One end of the primary swing arm close to the middle beam is rotatably connected to the middle beam, one end of the secondary swing arm close to the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the primary swing arm, and the other end of the secondary swing arm away from the primary swing arm is slidably connected to the connecting block. The decorative shaft cover is fixedly connected to the secondary swing arm. 16.The hinge assembly according to claim 15, characterized in that: The shaft cover driving swing arm further comprises a pin shaft. The primary swing arm has two spaced-apart first lugs, the secondary swing arm has a second lug, and the second lug is rotatably connected between the two first lugs through the pin shaft.

17. The hinge assembly according to claim 16, wherein: the first swing arm has a first engaging surface, and the second swing arm has a second engaging surface; the first engaging surface is located between the two first lugs and faces the second lug, and the second engaging surface is located on the second lug and faces the first engaging surface; in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pin shaft, the first engaging surface comprises a first arc surface segment and two first stop surface segments, the first arc surface segment being a convex arc surface with a center coinciding with the central axis of the pin shaft, and the two first stop surface segments being connected to the two ends of the first arc surface segment respectively; in a plane perpendicular to the central axis of the pin shaft, the second engaging surface comprises a second arc surface segment and two second stop surface segments, the second arc surface segment being a concave arc surface with a center coinciding with the central axis of the pin shaft, and the two second stop surface segments being connected to the two ends of the second arc surface segment respectively; the hinge assembly has a folded state and an unfolded state; in the folded state, one of the first stop surface segments abuts against the corresponding second stop surface segment; in the unfolded state, the other of the first stop surface segments abuts against the corresponding second stop surface segment.

18. The hinge assembly according to any one of claims 1-17, wherein: the support mechanism further comprises a second swing arm; one end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the middle beam, and the other end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the connecting block.

19. The hinge assembly according to claim 18, wherein: the support mechanism further comprises a support block; the support block is fixedly connected to the second swing arm so as to move with the second swing arm; the support block is located between the middle beam and the connecting block, and is configured to support a folding screen of a foldable electronic device together with the middle beam and the connecting block.

20. A foldable electronic device, characterized by comprising: a first housing and a second housing; the hinge assembly according to any one of claims 1-19, connected between the first housing and the second housing; and a folding screen, folded on the first housing and the second housing, and supported by the hinge assembly.

Images