Rotating shaft assembly and foldable electronic device

Abstract

A rotating shaft assembly (30) and a foldable electronic device (1). The rotating shaft assembly (30) comprises: arc-shaped arms (31), housing supports (32), a main shaft portion (33), and limiting members (34), wherein each arc-shaped arm (31) comprises a first circular arc portion (311); each housing support (32) comprises a first slot (321), the corresponding first circular arc portion (311) is accommodated in the first slot (321), and the first circular arc portion (311) is rotatably connected to the first slot (321); the side of each first circular arc portion (311) close to the corresponding first slot (321) is provided with a slot (3111), and the recess direction of the slot (3111) is the direction away from the first slot (321); each limiting member (34) is fixed to the corresponding housing support (32) and is accommodated in the corresponding slot (3111); when the rotating shaft assembly (30) is in an unfolded state, each limiting member (34) is in contact with a first wall (3111a) of the corresponding slot (3111), the first wall (3111a) is a wall on the side of the slot (3111) away from the main shaft portion (33) in the horizontal direction, and the size of the slot (3111) in the horizontal direction is greater than the size of the limiting member (34) in the horizontal direction.

Description

Rotating shaft assembly and foldable electronic device

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202411369016.X, filed on September 27, 2024, and entitled "Rotating shaft assembly and foldable electronic device", the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present application relates to the field of terminal devices, and more particularly, to a rotating shaft assembly and a foldable electronic device. BACKGROUND

[0003] A folding mobile phone terminal combines a flexible display screen with a rotating shaft, which can achieve a large-screen experience that breaks through the traditional mobile phone terminal when unfolded, and has better portability than the traditional mobile phone terminal when folded. However, the problem of different step of rotating shaft during the folding and unfolding process of the folding mobile phone terminal has been difficult to solve, resulting in delicate and reliable problems such as arching, wrinkling, and extrusion of the flexible screen. How to improve the synchronization of the arc arm and the shell support during the rotating process of the rotating shaft is a problem that needs to be solved urgently. SUMMARY

[0004] The present application provides a rotating shaft assembly and an electronic device, which improves the problem of different step of rotating shaft during the rotating process of the rotating shaft assembly by introducing a pin limiting mechanism, improves the service life of the flexible screen and improves the surface delicacy of the flexible screen.

[0005] In a first aspect, a rotating shaft assembly is provided, comprising: an arc arm, a shell support, a main shaft part, and a limiting piece, the arc arm comprising a first circular arc part; the shell support comprising a first slot, the first circular arc part being accommodated in the first slot, the first circular arc part being rotationally connected with the first slot to enable the shell support to rotate around the axial direction of the first circular arc part; the arc arm further comprising a second circular arc part connected with the first circular arc part, the main shaft part comprising a second slot, the second circular arc part being accommodated in the second slot, the second circular arc part being rotationally connected with the second slot to enable the second circular arc part to drive the arc arm to rotate around the axial direction of the main shaft part in the second slot; the first circular arc part being provided with a groove on the side close to the first slot, the recess direction of the groove being away from the first slot; the limiting piece being fixed to the shell support and accommodated in the groove.

[0006] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when the rotating shaft assembly is in an unfolded state, the limiting piece is in contact with a first wall of the groove, the first wall being the wall of the groove on the side away from the main shaft part in the horizontal direction, and the size of the groove in the horizontal direction is greater than the size of the limiting piece in the horizontal direction.

[0007] Based on the above technical scheme, after an external force is applied to the shell support, the shell support can drive the arc arm to rotate together around the axial direction of the main shaft part, so as to realize the switching of the rotating shaft assembly between the unfolded state and the folded state. Meanwhile, the shell support drives the arc arm to rotate synchronously through the limiting piece, so that the synchronization of the arc arm and the shell support during the rotation around the axial direction of the main shaft part is improved, the damage to the flexible screen is reduced, the service life of the flexible screen is improved, and the delicacy of the surface of the flexible screen is improved.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, a distance between the second wall of the groove and the limiting piece in the axial direction of the first circular arc part is greater than 0, and the second wall is a wall of the groove on a side close to the main shaft part in the horizontal direction.

[0009] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when the rotating shaft assembly is in the unfolded state, the groove is provided through on a side close to the center of the rotating shaft assembly in the horizontal direction.

[0010] Based on the above technical scheme, when the groove is provided through on the side close to the center of the rotating shaft assembly, sufficient space can be provided for the rotation between the arc arm and the shell support, avoiding the blocking of the rotation path between the arc arm and the shell support caused by the limiting piece.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, when the rotating shaft assembly is in the folded state, the limiting piece does not contact the first wall.

[0012] Based on the above technical scheme, when the rotating shaft assembly is switched from the unfolded state to the folded state, the relative rotation occurs between the arc arm and the shell support, so that the limiting piece no longer contacts the first wall of the groove.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, in a first process in which the rotating shaft assembly is switched from the unfolded state to the folded state, the limiting piece abuts against the first wall, so that the shell support drives the first circular arc part to rotate together; the first process is a process in which the shell support and the arc arm are relatively static.

[0014] Based on the above technical scheme, when the rotating shaft assembly starts to rotate from the unfolded state, the limiting piece abuts against the first wall of the groove, so that the shell support can drive the arc arm to rotate together, the synchronization during the rotation of the rotating shaft assembly is improved, and the damage to the flexible screen is reduced.

[0015] It should be noted that the unfolded state and the folded state of the rotating shaft assembly are used to represent the relative positional relationship between the components in a certain state of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0016] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first slot further comprises a through hole corresponding to the recess, and the limiting piece passes through the through hole and enters the recess.

[0017] According to the above technical solution, the first slot of the shell support is provided with a through hole, so that the limiting piece can pass through the through hole and enter the recess of the first slot of the arc arm, thereby improving the convenience of assembling the components of the rotating shaft assembly.

[0018] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the limiting piece comprises a first end and a second end, and the second end passes through the through hole and enters the recess.

[0019] In some possible implementations, after the second end enters the recess, the second end is in contact with or abuts against the first wall.

[0020] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the size of the second end is greater than the size of the through hole, and the second end of the limiting piece is in interference connection with the through hole.

[0021] According to the above technical solution, when the second end of the limiting piece passes through the through hole, the second end can be fixed in the through hole by relying on friction, so that the limiting piece is fixed in the shell support, and when the rotating shaft assembly is assembled, the limiting piece will not fall off from the rotating shaft assembly, thereby improving the reliability during assembly.

[0022] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the through hole comprises a first hole section and a second hole section, the hole diameter of the first hole section is greater than the hole diameter of the second hole section, the first end contacts the first hole section, and the second end passes through the second hole section and enters the recess.

[0023] In some possible implementations, after the second end passes through the second hole section and enters the recess, the second end is in contact with or abuts against the first wall.

[0024] According to the above technical solution, the contact between the first end and the first hole section enables the limiting piece to be lapped in the through hole, which is beneficial to the entry of the limiting piece into the through hole during assembly.

[0025] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the first end is in welded connection with the first hole section.

[0026] According to the above technical solution, the limiting piece is in higher reliable connection with the shell support after welding, and the limiting piece will not fall off when the shell support and the arc arm rotate.

[0027] With reference to the first aspect, in some implementations of the first aspect, the limiting piece comprises a pin.

[0028] In a second aspect, a foldable electronic device is provided, which includes the hinge assembly as described in the first aspect and any implementation thereof. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0030] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a process of the foldable electronic device from an unfolded state to a folded state.

[0031] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional diagram of a hinge assembly.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0033] FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded view of the hinge assembly shown in FIG. 4.

[0034] FIG. 6 is a schematic exploded view of the hinge assembly shown in FIG. 4 from another angle.

[0035] FIG. 7 is a schematic exploded view of a hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0036] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge assembly shown in FIG. 4 along the A-A plane.

[0037] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another hinge assembly according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] The technical solutions in the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] In the embodiments of the present application, the terms “first” and “second” are used only for the purpose of description, and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, the features defined with “first” and “second” can include one or more features intelligently or implicitly. In addition, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, “a plurality of” means two or more than two, “at least one” and “one or more” means one, two or more than two. The singular expression “one”, “a kind”, “the”, “the above”, “the” and “this” is intended to also include, for example, the expression “one or more”, unless there is clear indication to the contrary in the context.

[0040] Reference within this specification to "one embodiment" or "some embodiments" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment," "in some embodiments," "in other embodiments," "in additional embodiments," and so on, in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, unless otherwise specifically specified. The terms "comprises," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," and the like are meant to be open-ended and non-limiting.

[0041] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship defined with respect to the orientation or position in which the components in the drawings are placed. It should be understood that these directional terms are relative concepts, which are used for relative description and clarification, and do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a particular orientation, or be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, which can change accordingly according to the orientation of the components in the drawings, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0042] In the rotation process of the foldable electronic device, the problem of asynchronization in the rotation process of the rotating shaft has been difficult to solve, resulting in delicate degree and reliability problems such as arching, wrinkling, and extrusion of the flexible screen. The rotating shaft component with a pin limiting mechanism provided in the embodiments of the present application solves the problem of asynchronization of the rotating shaft in the rotation process of the foldable electronic device, improves the service life of the flexible screen, and improves the delicate degree of the surface of the flexible screen.

[0043] In order to facilitate the description of each embodiment hereinafter, an xyz coordinate system is established for the foldable electronic device in the unfolded state, and the axis direction of the foldable electronic device is defined as the x direction, and the y direction and the z direction are perpendicular to the axis direction of the foldable electronic device. The z direction can be the thickness direction of the foldable electronic device. It can be understood that the coordinate system of the foldable electronic device can be flexibly set according to actual needs, which is not specifically limited here.

[0044] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a foldable electronic device 1 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The foldable electronic device 1 can be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a watch, an e-book reader, a notebook computer, a wearable device, or the like, which is an electronic device with a folding function. The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is described by taking a foldable mobile phone as an example.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 1, the foldable electronic device 1 can include a flexible display screen, a first housing 10, a second housing 20, and a rotating shaft assembly 30.

[0046] The flexible display screen is arranged above the first housing 10, the second housing 20 and the rotating shaft assembly 30, and the first housing 10, the second housing 20 and the rotating shaft assembly 30 can be used to support the flexible display screen. It should be understood that the flexible display screen can have strong flexibility and can be bent, and can provide a new interaction mode based on the bendable characteristic for a user. The display panel of the flexible display screen can be, for example, any one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED), a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED), a quantum dot light emitting diode (QLED) and the like, and embodiments of the present application are not limited in this regard.

[0047] The flexible display screen can include a first display portion corresponding to the first housing 10, a second display portion corresponding to the second housing 20, and a foldable display portion corresponding to the rotating shaft assembly 30. The foldable display portion can be connected between the first display portion and the second display portion.

[0048] The first housing 10 can be composed of a first side frame and a first cover body. The first side frame can surround the outer periphery of the first cover body and surround the outer periphery of the first display portion. The first display portion can be arranged in parallel with the first cover body with a space therebetween, and the first display portion and the first cover body can be located on both sides of the first side frame. The space between the first display portion and the first cover body can be used to arrange devices of the foldable electronic device 1, such as an antenna, a circuit board assembly, etc.

[0049] The second housing 20 can be composed of a second side frame and a second cover body. The second side frame can surround the outer periphery of the second cover body and surround the outer periphery of the second display portion. The second display portion can be arranged in parallel with the second cover body with a space therebetween, and the second display portion and the second cover body can be located on both sides of the second side frame. The space between the second display portion and the second cover body can be used to arrange devices of the foldable electronic device 1, such as an antenna, a circuit board assembly, etc.

[0050] In an embodiment provided in the present application, the cover and the side frame can be two parts of the housing of the foldable electronic device 1. The cover and the side frame can be connected, and the connection can not be in the form of assembly such as clamping, sticking, welding, riveting, clearance fit, etc. The connection between the cover and the side frame is usually difficult to be separated. In another embodiment provided in the present application, the cover and the side frame can be two different components. By assembling the cover and the side frame together, the housing of the foldable electronic device 1 can be formed. In another embodiment provided in the present application, the cover and the side frame can also be one part of the housing of the foldable electronic device 1, and the housing of the foldable electronic device 1 can be formed by one-piece molding.

[0051] The hinge assembly 30 can be connected between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20. The foldable display part of the flexible display screen can abut the surface of the hinge assembly 30. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in the unfolded state, the foldable display part of the flexible display screen and the hinge assembly 30 are stacked. Under the action of the hinge assembly 30, the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 can be close to or away from each other. Correspondingly, the first display part of the flexible display screen and the second display part of the flexible display screen can be close to or away from each other, so that the flexible display screen can be folded or unfolded, that is, the foldable electronic device 1 is in the folded state or the unfolded state.

[0052] In the foldable electronic device 1, the number of hinge assemblies 30 can be one, two as shown in FIG. 1, or three or more, and the embodiments of the present application do not limit this.

[0053] In the present application, when the foldable electronic device 1 is in the unfolded state (flat state), the angle between the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 can be about 180°. The foldable electronic device 1 in the folded state can mean that the foldable electronic device 1 is currently bent, and the bending degree of the foldable electronic device 1 reaches the maximum. At this time, the first cover and the second cover can be parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other, and arranged face to face, and the spacing distance between the first cover and the second cover is the smallest, and at least part of the first housing 10 and the second housing 20 is accommodated in the space surrounded by the flexible display screen; the first display part, the first housing 10, the second housing 20, and the second display part are sequentially stacked. Similarly, the first display part and the second display part can be parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other, and arranged face to face (the spacing distance between the first cover and the second cover is smaller than the spacing distance between the first display part and the second display part). At this time, the first display part and the second display part can be regarded as being located on different planes.

[0054] The foldable electronic device 1 in the folded state can include the foldable electronic device 1 in the inner folding state, or the foldable electronic device 1 in the outer folding state. Wherein, when the foldable electronic device 1 is in the inner folding state, the first cover and the second cover can be close to each other, and the first display part and the second display part can be close to each other. The first cover, the second cover and the rotating shaft assembly 30 can form a screen containing area for containing the flexible display screen. That is, the flexible display screen can be contained in the interval space between the first cover and the second cover. When the foldable electronic device 1 is in the outer folding state, the first cover and the second cover can be close to each other, and the first display part and the second display part can be close to each other. The first display part, the second display part and the foldable display part can form a shell containing area for containing the first cover, the second cover and the rotating shaft assembly 30. That is, the first cover, the second cover and the rotating shaft assembly 30 can be contained in the interval space between the first display part and the second display part.

[0055] In the folding and unfolding process of the foldable electronic device, the speed at which the middle frame drives the shell support to rotate is different from the speed at which the arc arm and the flexible screen rotate, resulting in different steps of the arc arm and the shell support, so that the flexible display screen fixed on the arc arm is squeezed by the small a shell, damaging the flexible display screen.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, it is the process of the foldable electronic device 1 from the unfolded state to the folded state, the arrow in the figure represents the possible force direction in the process of the foldable electronic device 1 from the unfolded state to the folded state, taking the first shell 10 as an example for description, the force direction of the first shell 10 can be perpendicular to the plane where the surface on the outside of the first shell 10 is located, the first shell 10 is fixedly connected with one end of the shell support 32, the other end of the shell support 32 is rotationally connected with one end of the arc arm 31, the other end of the arc arm 31 is rotationally connected with the main shaft part 33, the first shell 10 drives the shell support 32 and the arc arm 31 to rotate as a whole after being subjected to force, and rotation also occurs between the shell support 32 and the arc arm 31; as shown in (a) of FIG. 2, the foldable electronic device 1 is currently in the unfolded state, at this time, the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 are in the same plane of x direction and y direction, and the flexible display screen will not be bent at this time; when the user folds the foldable electronic device 1, the first shell 10 and the second shell 20 are axially folded inward, as shown in (b) of FIG. 2, the foldable electronic device 1 is currently in the intermediate state in the rotating process, it can be seen that the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 are no longer in the same horizontal plane in the rotating process, due to the restriction of the screen containing space, the rotation center area of the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 is fixed, in the rotating process, the rotating shaft assembly 30, due to the speed at which the first shell 10 or the second shell 20 drives the shell support 32 to rotate is faster than the speed at which the arc arm 31 and the flexible screen rotate, resulting in different steps of the rotation of the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32, so that the flexible screen fixed on the arc arm 31 is arched, causing damage.

[0057] Figure 3 is a partial sectional view of the hinge assembly in the foldable electronic device shown in Figure 2 in different states in the x direction.

[0058] The problem of the rotation of the arc arm 31 and the housing support 32 not being synchronized is further explained in connection with Figure 3, Figure 3(a) shows that the hinge assembly 30 is in an unfolded state, Figure 3(e) shows that the hinge assembly 30 is in a folded state, Figures 3(b), 3(c), and 3(d) respectively show the schematic diagrams of the hinge assembly 30 at different times during the process of changing from the unfolded state to the folded state; the arrows in the figure show the direction of the applied external force, and the dashed line in the figure shows that when the hinge assembly 30 is in the unfolded state, the dashed line is aligned with the end edge of the housing support 32, and during the entire rotation process, the dashed line and the arc arm 31 remain relatively stationary, in other words, the dashed line shows the reference position of the arc arm 31 and the housing support 32 when no relative rotation occurs in the unfolded state, and the position relationship between the end edge of the housing support 32 and the dashed line can determine the rotation direction of the housing support 32 relative to the arc arm 31, for example, it can be clockwise rotation or counterclockwise rotation. It should be noted that in the following description, the movement of the housing support 32 relative to the arc arm 31 is described with the arc arm 31 as the stationary reference.

[0059] As shown in Figure 3(a), the hinge assembly is in an unfolded state, when a force is applied to the housing support 32, the housing support 32 will rotate around the axis of the main shaft portion 33, and the housing support 32 will also drive the arc arm 31 to rotate around the axis of the main shaft portion 33, at the same time, there is a rotation connection between the housing support 32 and the arc arm 31, the housing support 32 will rotate around the first circular arc portion 311 of the arc arm 31, thereby changing to the state shown in Figure 3(b), it can be seen that the housing support 32 rotates clockwise relative to the arc arm 31 at this time; with the application of the external force, the hinge assembly 30 continues to rotate, changes to the state shown in Figure 3(c), it can be seen that when the housing support 32 and the arc arm 31 rotate around the main shaft portion 33, the housing support 32 rotates counterclockwise relative to the arc arm 31, at this time, the relative position between the housing support 32 and the arc arm 31 is the same as that in the flattened state; when the external force continues to be applied, the hinge assembly changes to the state shown in Figure 3(d), the housing support 32 rotates counterclockwise relative to the arc arm 31, and the housing support 32 will maintain this counterclockwise rotation to change to the state shown in Figure 3(e).

[0060] As described above, after the rotation shaft assembly is transformed from the unfolded state to the folded state, the housing support 32 rotates counterclockwise relative to the arc arm 31, but at some time during the rotation process, the housing support 32 rotates clockwise relative to the arc arm 31, that is, during the rotation process, the housing support 32 rotates both clockwise and counterclockwise relative to the arc arm 31; this is because the housing support 32 is a directly stressed component, so the housing support 32 rotates first, and after the housing support 32 rotates, the arc arm 31 rotates under the drive of the housing support 32; during this process, the housing support 32 rotates faster than the arc arm 31, so that the housing support 32 rotates clockwise relative to the arc arm 31, causing the arc arm 31 and the housing support 32 to rotate out of synchronization, causing the flexible screen fixed on the arc arm 31 to arch and be damaged.

[0061] It should be noted that during the process of transforming the rotation shaft assembly 30 from the unfolded state to the folded state, the process of the housing support 32 rotating counterclockwise relative to the arc arm 31 needs to be preserved, and the process of the housing support 32 rotating clockwise relative to the arc arm 31 indicates that the rotation speed of the housing support 32 is faster than that of the arc arm 31, causing the out-of-synchronization problem.

[0062] Therefore, in view of the out-of-synchronization problem of the rotation shaft during the rotation process of the foldable device, the embodiments of the present application provide a rotation shaft assembly and a foldable electronic device, which can make the housing support and the arc arm rotate synchronously and reduce damage to the flexible screen and the small a shell.

[0063] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a rotation shaft assembly according to an embodiment of the present application, and FIG. 5 is a schematic exploded view of the rotation shaft assembly shown in FIG. 4.

[0064] Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotation shaft assembly 30 can include the arc arm 31, the housing support 32, and the main shaft part 33, and the arc arm 31 and the housing support 32 are arranged in pairs on both sides of the main shaft part 33, that is, the rotation shaft assembly 30 can include two arc arms 31 and two housing supports 32, and the following embodiments describe the arrangement mode and connection relationship between the arc arm 31 and the housing support 32 on one side of the main shaft part 33, and the arrangement mode and connection relationship between the arc arm 31 and the housing support 32 on the other side of the main shaft part 33 can also be referred to the following description.

[0065] FIGS. 6 and 7 are schematic exploded views of a rotation shaft assembly at different angles according to an embodiment of the present application, and FIGS. 4 to 7 are combined to introduce the rotation shaft assembly 30 according to an embodiment of the present application, as shown in the figures, the arc arm 31 includes the first circular arc part 311 and the second circular arc part 312 connected to each other, the housing support 32 is connected to the arc arm 31 through the first circular arc part 311 of the arc arm 31, and the main shaft part 33 is connected to the arc arm 31 through the second circular arc part 312 of the arc arm 31.

[0066] It should be noted that the connection between the arc arm 31 and the main shaft part 33 is a rotating connection, and the connection between the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 is a rotating connection.

[0067] The shell support 32 includes a first slot 321 that can extend along the x direction, the first arc part 311 of the arc arm 31 is accommodated in the first slot 321 of the shell support 32, the first arc part 311 of the arc arm 31 cooperates with the first slot 321 of the shell support 32, and the first arc part 311 is buckled with the first slot 321, the first arc part 311 is in rotating connection with the first slot 321, when the shell support 32 rotates around the axial direction of the main shaft part 33, the shell support 32 can drive the arc arm 31 to rotate around the axial direction of the main shaft part 33 at the same time, and the shell support 32 can also rotate around the axial direction of the first arc part 311 of the arc arm 31, that is, the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 rotate around the axial direction of the main shaft part 33 at the same time, and there are two rotation centers.

[0068] As described above, when the shell support 32 drives the arc arm 31 to rotate around the axial direction of the main shaft part 33 at the same time, the first arc part 311 of the arc arm 31 and the first slot 321 of the shell support 32 are connected through a rotating pair, for example, the first shell 10, and referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, when a user uses the foldable electronic device 1, the force direction of the first shell 10 can be perpendicular to the plane where the surface of the outer side of the first shell 10 is located, the shell support 32 rotates with the rotation of the first shell 10, at the same time, the shell support 32 drives the arc arm 31 to rotate, in the above rotation process, due to the non-uniform rotation speed of the shell support 32 and the arc arm 31, loosening or misplacement may occur, which causes the flexible screen fixed on the arc arm 31 to arch.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 6, the first arc part 311 of the arc arm 31 includes a groove 3111, the recess direction of the groove 3111 is away from the shell support 32, the rotating shaft assembly 30 further includes a limiting piece 34, the limiting piece 34 can be arranged on the shell support 32, for example, the limiting piece 34 is arranged on the shell support 32 in the direction where the groove 3111 is recessed, the limiting piece 34 is accommodated in the groove 3111, when the rotating shaft assembly 30 is in the unfolded state, the limiting piece 34 is in contact with a first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, the first wall 3111a is the wall of the groove 3111 away from the center of the rotating shaft assembly 30 in the horizontal direction, and the size of the groove 3111 in the horizontal direction is greater than the size of the limiting piece 34 in the horizontal direction.

[0070] In some possible implementation manners, the first slot 321 of the shell support 32 is arranged with the limiting piece 34 in the direction where the groove 3111 is recessed, and the first slot 321 can also be referred to as a first arc-shaped slot.

[0071] In some possible implementation manners, when the rotating shaft assembly 30 is in the folded state, the limiting piece 34 is not in contact with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111.

[0072] It should be noted that the contact relationship between the limiting piece 34 and the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111 changes multiple times in the process in which the rotating shaft assembly 30 is converted from the unfolded state to the folded state, and the process is described below.

[0073] When the rotating shaft assembly 30 is in the unfolded state, the arc-shaped arm 31 and the shell support 32 are not relatively rotated, and no external force is applied to the shell support 32. At this time, the limiting piece 34 can be in contact with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, or the limiting piece 34 is not in contact with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111 due to the machining process and tolerance of each component during preparation, but the distance between the limiting piece 34 and the first wall 3111a is relatively small, which can be regarded as an approximate contact state.

[0074] The process in which the rotating shaft assembly 30 is converted from the unfolded state to the folded state can be divided into multiple processes, and the processes can be divided into a first process and a second process according to whether the arc-shaped arm 31 and the shell support 32 are relatively rotated. In the first process, the arc-shaped arm 31 and the shell support 32 are not relatively rotated, that is, the arc-shaped arm 31 and the shell support 32 are relatively stationary in the first process. In the second process, the arc-shaped arm 31 and the shell support 32 are relatively rotated. In the first process, when the first shell 10 is initially applied with an external force and the first shell 10 drives the shell support 32 to rotate, the limiting piece 34 and the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111 change from a non-contact state or a contact state to an abutting state. When the limiting piece 34 abuts against the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, it indicates that the shell support 32 and the arc-shaped arm 31 do not relatively rotate in the process, and the shell support 32 and the arc-shaped arm 31 rotate together. In the first process, the shell support 32 and the arc-shaped arm 31 can be regarded as a whole. With the application of the external force on the first shell 10, the shell support 32 and the arc-shaped arm 31 tend to relatively rotate. At a certain moment, the limiting piece 34 and the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111 change from the abutting state under force to the contact state without force, and after the moment, the rotating shaft assembly 30 enters the second process, the shell support 32 and the arc-shaped arm 31 relatively rotate, the limiting piece 34 moves away from the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, and the limiting piece 34 and the first wall 3111a are no longer in contact. When the rotating shaft assembly 30 enters the second process, that is, the shell support 32 and the arc-shaped arm 31 relatively rotate, the limiting piece 34 and the first wall 3111a remain in the state of not being in contact during the process in which the rotating shaft assembly 30 is converted from the unfolded state to the folded state.

[0075] In some possible implementation manners, when the first process of the rotation shaft assembly 30 from the unfolded state to the folded state, the limiting piece 34 is in abutment with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, and the housing support 32 drives the first arc part 311 of the arc arm 31 to rotate around the main shaft part 33, that is, when the limiting piece 34 is in contact or abutment with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, the housing support 32 can drive the first arc part 311 of the arc arm 31 to rotate synchronously.

[0076] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the rotation shaft assembly shown in FIG. 4 along the A-A plane.

[0077] The setting relationship of the components in the rotation shaft assembly 30 provided in the embodiments of the present application is further described in combination with FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the rotation shaft assembly 30 is in the unfolded state, the housing support 32 is provided with the limiting piece 34 in the direction of the recessed groove 3111, the limiting piece 34 is accommodated in the groove 3111, and the limiting piece 34 is in contact with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111 of the arc arm 31.

[0078] The functions of the limiting piece 34 and the groove 3111 are described in combination with the rotation process shown in FIG. 3. When an external force is applied to the housing support 32, so that the rotation shaft assembly 30 starts to rotate, because the limiting piece 34 is in abutment with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, the housing support 32 can drive the arc arm 31 to rotate synchronously when it starts to rotate. When the limiting piece 34 is in abutment with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111, the housing support 32 and the arc arm 31 will not rotate relatively. In other words, during the process of the rotation shaft assembly 30 provided in the embodiments of the present application from the state shown in (a) of FIG. 3 to the state shown in (c) of FIG. 3, the housing support 32 and the arc arm 31 will not rotate relatively, but synchronously. When the rotation shaft assembly 30 provided in the embodiments of the present application changes from the state shown in (c) of FIG. 3 to the state shown in (e) of FIG. 3, because the size of the groove 3111 in the horizontal direction is greater than the size of the limiting piece 34 in the unfolded state, the housing support 32 can rotate counterclockwise relative to the arc arm 31. In other words, the groove 3111 provides the space required when the housing support 32 and the arc arm 31 rotate.

[0079] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of another rotation shaft assembly provided in the embodiments of the present application.

[0080] In some possible implementation manners, a distance between the second wall 3111b of the groove 3111 and the limiting piece 34 in the axial direction of the first circular arc portion 311 is greater than 0, the second wall 3111b is a wall of the groove 3111 on a side close to the main shaft portion 33 in the horizontal direction, when the shell support 32 rotates around the first circular arc portion 311 in the axial direction, the shell support 32 does not rotate clockwise relative to the arc arm 31 due to the contact or abutment between the limiting piece 34 and the first wall 3111a, and the shell support 32 rotates counterclockwise relative to the arc arm 31, and the contact or abutment between the limiting piece 34 and the second wall 3111b needs to be avoided.

[0081] In some possible implementation manners, when the distance between the second wall 3111b and the limiting piece 34 in the axial direction of the first circular arc portion 311 is large enough, the second wall 3111b can be regarded as not existing, or in other words, the groove 3111 on the side close to the main shaft portion 33 in the horizontal direction can be regarded as being provided through, which can be referred to FIG. 8 for a case where the second wall 3111b does not exist.

[0082] In some possible implementation manners, the shell support 32 further includes a through hole 3211 provided corresponding to the groove 3111 of the arc arm 31, and the limiting piece 34 can pass through the through hole 3211 and enter the groove 3111 of the first circular arc portion 311.

[0083] In some possible implementation manners, the through hole 3211 is provided on the first groove 321 of the shell support 32.

[0084] It should be noted that the first groove 321 further includes a limiting groove 321a, and the first circular arc portion 311 is partially accommodated in the limiting groove 321a, and the arc arm 31 can be screwed to rotate the first circular arc portion 311 of the arc arm 31 into the limiting groove 321a of the first groove 321, so as to realize the rotational connection between the shell support 32 and the arc arm 31.

[0085] It should be noted that when the foldable electronic device 1 is switched between the unfolded state and the folded state, the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 rotate together around the axial direction of the main shaft portion 33, and therefore the limiting groove 321a can be provided in the first groove 321 of the shell support 32, and the arc arm 31 can be regarded as being mounted into the shell support 32, so that the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 rotate together around the axial direction of the main shaft portion 33.

[0086] In some possible implementation manners, the arc arm 31 can be provided with a plurality of grooves 3111, and the shell support 32 is correspondingly provided with a plurality of through holes 3211, and each set of groove 3111 and through hole 3211 is provided with a limiting piece 34, and the consistency of the rotation of the arc arm 31 and the shell support 32 around the axial direction of the main shaft portion 33 can be better improved through the provision of multiple sets of limiting structures.

[0087] In some possible implementation manners, the through hole 3211 can include a first hole section 3211a and a second hole section 3211b, the hole diameter of the first hole section 3211a is greater than the hole diameter of the second hole section 3211b, the limiting piece 34 partially contacts the first hole section 3211a and passes through the second hole section 3211b to enter the groove 3111, and the limiting piece 34 entering the groove 3111 can be in contact with or abut against the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111.

[0088] The limiting piece 34 includes a first end 341 and a second end 342, the size of the second end 342 in the plane of the through hole 3211 is greater than the size of the through hole 3211, the first end 341 is in contact with the first hole section 3211a, and the second end 342 of the limiting piece 34 passes through the first hole section 3211a and the second hole section 3211b to enter the groove 3111, so that the second end 342 is in contact with or abut against the first wall 3111a.

[0089] In some possible implementation manners, the limiting piece 34 can be a pin, also known as a stud, which is a commonly used fastener, usually made of cylindrical wood, metal or other materials; the shape of the pin can be various, generally having the characteristics of one end cylindrical, one end conical, or one end large size and one end small size. The pin can be easily inserted and fixed in the corresponding hole, thereby playing a connecting or fixing role.

[0090] It should be noted that the limiting piece 34 and the through hole 3211 can be connected by interference fit, which means that the tight connection between two components is achieved by a certain pressure or friction force between the two components. The size of the second end 342 in the plane of the through hole 3211 is greater than the size of the through hole 3211, when the second end 342 is inserted into the through hole 3211, the friction force between the second end 342 and the through hole 3211 enables the limiting piece 34 to be tightly connected with the through hole 3211, for example, the size of the second end 342 in the plane of the second hole section 3211b is greater than the hole diameter of the second hole section 3211b, so that the second end 342 and the second hole section 3211b are interference fit.

[0091] In some possible implementation manners, the second end 342 of the limiting piece 34 is a rectangle with a size of 0.95 mm*0.85 mm, and the second hole section 3211b is a corresponding rectangular hole with a size of 0.9 mm*0.8 mm. Since the size of the second end 342 is larger than that of the second hole section 3211b, when the second end 342 of the limiting piece 34 passes through the second hole section 3211b, the second end 342 is fixedly connected to the second hole section 3211b through frictional force, so that the limiting piece 34 is fixedly connected to the shell support 32, and when the shell support 32 rotates around the axial direction of the main shaft part 33, the limiting piece 34 will not fall off from the shell support 32, thereby improving the reliability of the rotating shaft assembly 30.

[0092] In some possible implementation manners, the shape of the through hole 3211 can also be circular or elliptical, and the second end 342 of the limiting piece 34 is correspondingly circular or elliptical. The embodiments of the present application do not limit the shape of the through hole 3211.

[0093] In order to make the limiting piece 34 more firmly fixed in the through hole 3211, the first end 341 of the limiting piece 34 can be connected to the through hole 3211 of the shell support 32 by welding, for example, the first end 341 is welded to the first hole section 3211a, that is, the limiting piece 34 and the shell support 32 can be fixedly connected, and the limiting piece 34 and the shell support 32 do not move relative to each other.

[0094] It can be understood that the first end 341 of the limiting piece 34 and the through hole 3211 of the shell support 32 can be welded, which can be that the first end 341 is welded to the first hole section 3211a, or the second end 342 is welded to the second hole section 3211b.

[0095] In some possible implementation manners, the limiting piece 34 and the shell support 32 are made of the same metal material.

[0096] In some possible implementation manners, after the first end 341 of the limiting piece 34 contacts the first hole section 3211a, the first end 341 can be welded to the side wall of the first hole section 3211a.

[0097] In some possible implementation manners, the first end 341 of the limiting piece 34 can also be glued to the first hole section 3211a by spot gluing, so that the limiting piece 34 is fixedly connected to the through hole 3211.

[0098] Next, the setting method and connection relationship between the arc arm 31 and the main shaft part 33 are introduced.

[0099] The arc arm 31 further comprises a second circular arc portion 312 connected with the first circular arc portion 311. The second circular arc portion 312 can extend towards the main shaft portion 33 in the plane of the x direction and the y direction. The main shaft portion 33 comprises a second groove 331. The second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31 is accommodated in the second groove 331 of the main shaft portion 33. The second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31 drives the arc arm 31 to rotate around the axis of the main shaft portion 33 in the second groove 331 of the main shaft portion 33.

[0100] The main shaft portion 33 is provided with the second groove 331 on the side facing the second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31. The second groove 331 can extend along the x direction. The second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31 is accommodated in the second groove 331 of the main shaft portion 33. The second circular arc portion 312 is rotationally connected with the second groove 331. The second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31 can rotate around the axis of the main shaft portion 33 in the second groove 331 of the main shaft portion 33. The arc arm 31 as a whole rotates around the axis of the main shaft portion 33. The housing support 32 simultaneously drives the arc arm 31 to rotate around the axis of the main shaft portion 33, so that the foldable electronic device 1 changes between the unfolded state and the folded state.

[0101] In some possible implementation manners, the second groove 331 of the main shaft portion 33 can also be referred to as a second arc-shaped groove. The second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31 is accommodated in the second arc-shaped groove of the main shaft portion 33. The second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31 drives the arc arm 31 to rotate around the axis of the main shaft portion 33 in the second arc-shaped groove.

[0102] Based on the above technical solutions, in the process of common rotation of the arc arm 31 and the housing support 32, the limiting piece 34 can drive the arc arm 31 to move synchronously with the housing support 32, so as to avoid damage to the flexible screen during rotation.

[0103] The following describes a possible assembly method of the rotating shaft assembly 30. First, the second circular arc portion 312 of the arc arm 31 is installed into the second groove 331 of the main shaft portion 33. Then, the first circular arc portion 311 of the arc arm 31 is installed into the first groove 321 of the housing support 32. The first circular arc portion 311 is further arranged in the limiting groove 321a, so that the arc arm 31 is partially accommodated in the housing support 32 and is prevented from falling off. Finally, the limiting piece 34 is inserted into the recess 3111 through the through hole 3211 of the housing support 32. The first end 341 of the limiting piece 34 is welded to the first hole segment 3211a of the through hole 3211.

[0104] The setting relationship of the components in the rotating shaft assembly 30 provided by the embodiment of the application is further explained in combination with FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the rotating shaft assembly 30 is in an unfolded state, the limiting piece 34 passes through the through hole 3211 of the shell support 32, the first end 341 of the limiting piece 34 is connected with the first hole segment 3211a by welding, and the second end 342 of the limiting piece 34 is in contact with the first wall 3111a of the groove 3111 of the arc arm 31. The second arc segment 312 of the arc arm 31 is accommodated in the second groove 331 of the main shaft part 33, and the second arc segment 312 is rotationally connected with the second groove 331.

[0105] In some possible implementation manners, the groove 3111 of the arc arm 31 is recessed in a direction away from the shell support 32 to form a second through hole.

[0106] When the groove 3111 is recessed in a direction away from the shell support 32 to form the second through hole, the limiting piece 34 passes through the through hole 3211 and enters the second through hole, thereby connecting the arc arm 31 with the shell support 32.

[0107] The limiting piece 34 is in contact with or abuts against the second through hole, and can rotate synchronously in the process that the shell support 32 drives the arc arm 31 to rotate around the axis of the main shaft part 33.

[0108] In some possible implementation manners, the second through hole can be rectangular, circular, elliptical or of other shapes, and the embodiment of the application does not make a limitation in this aspect.

[0109] Based on the technical solution described above, the limiting piece 34 can be fixedly connected with the shell support 32, so as to ensure that the limiting piece 34 does not fall off in the rotating shaft assembly 30.

[0110] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working process of the system, device and unit described above can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiments, which will not be described herein.

[0111] In the several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed system, device and method can be implemented in other ways. For example, the device embodiments described above are only schematic. The division of the units is only a logical function division. There can be another division manner in actual implementation, for example, multiple units or components can be combined or integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the displayed or discussed mutual couplings or direct couplings or communication connections between the units can be indirect couplings or communication connections through some interfaces, devices or units, and can be electrical, mechanical or in other forms.

[0112] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, may be located in one place, or may be distributed to multiple network units. Part or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of the embodiment of the present application according to actual needs.

[0113] In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present application can be integrated in one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically alone, or two or more units can be integrated in one unit.

[0114] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Any person skilled in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A rotating shaft assembly, characterized in that, The pivot shaft assembly comprises an arc arm (31), a shell support (32), a main shaft part (33) and a limiting part (34). The arc arm (31) comprises a first circular arc part (311). The shell support (32) comprises a first slot (321), the first circular arc part (311) is accommodated in the first slot (321), and the first circular arc part (311) is rotationally connected with the first slot (321) to enable the shell support (32) to rotate around the first circular arc part (311). The arc arm (31) further comprises a second circular arc part (312) connected with the first circular arc part (311), the main shaft part (33) comprises a second slot (331), the second circular arc part (312) is accommodated in the second slot (331), and the second circular arc part (312) is rotationally connected with the second slot (331) to enable the second circular arc part (312) to drive the arc arm (31) to rotate around the main shaft part (33) in the second slot (331). The first circular arc part (311) is provided with a groove (3111) on the side close to the first slot (321), and the recess direction of the groove (3111) is away from the first slot (321). The limiting part (34) is fixed to the shell support (32) and accommodated in the groove (3111).

2. The pivot shaft assembly according to claim 1, wherein when the pivot shaft assembly is in the unfolded state, the limiting part (34) is in contact with a first wall (3111a) of the groove (3111), the first wall (3111a) is the wall of the groove (3111) on the side away from the main shaft part (33) in the horizontal direction, and the size of the groove (3111) in the horizontal direction is greater than the size of the limiting part (34) in the horizontal direction.

3. The pivot shaft assembly according to claim 2, wherein when the pivot shaft assembly is in the folded state, the limiting part (34) is not in contact with the first wall (3111a).

4. The pivot shaft assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein in a first process in which the pivot shaft assembly changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the limiting part (34) is in abutment with the first wall (3111a) to enable the shell support (32) to drive the first circular arc part (311) to rotate together; the first process is a process in which the shell support (32) and the arc arm (31) are relatively stationary.

5. The pivot shaft assembly according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein the first slot (321) further comprises a through hole (3211) corresponding to the groove (3111), and the limiting part (34) passes through the through hole (3211) to enter the groove (3111).

6. The pivot shaft assembly according to claim 5, wherein the limiting part (34) comprises a first end (341) and a second end (342), and the second end (342) passes through the through hole (3211) to enter the groove (3111). ​ 7. The pivot assembly according to claim 6, wherein a size of the second end (342) is greater than a size of the through hole (3211), and the second end (342) is in interference connection with the through hole (3211).

8. The pivot assembly according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the through hole (3211) comprises a first hole section (3211a) and a second hole section (3211b), a hole diameter of the first hole section (3211a) is greater than a hole diameter of the second hole section (3211b), the first end (341) contacts the first hole section (3211a), and the second end (342) passes through the second hole section (3211b) into the recess (3111).

9. The pivot assembly according to claim 8, wherein the first end (341) is in welded connection with the first hole section (3211a).

10. The pivot assembly according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the limiting piece (34) comprises a pin.

11. A foldable electronic device, characterized by The foldable electronic device comprises the pivot assembly according to any one of claims 1-10.

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