Hinge and folding electronic device

Abstract

The present application provides a hinge, and a folding electronic device. The hinge comprises a housing and a first damping swing arm mechanism. The first damping swing arm mechanism comprises a first swing arm, a first sliding block, and a first elastic member. An arc-shaped mating surface is provided in the housing, one end of the first swing arm along a first direction is an arc-shaped structure, and the arc-shaped structure is attached to the arc-shaped mating surface, and rotates, the rotation axis being along a second direction. At least one side of the first swing arm along the second direction engages with the first sliding block by means of a concave-convex structure. The first elastic member on the side of the first sliding block distant from the first swing arm undergoes elastic deformation during movement of the first sliding block. In the present application, the arc-shaped structure of the first swing arm is rotatably mated with the arc-shaped mating surface to form a revolute pair, eliminating the need to provide a solid shaft. In the case of the electronic device being light and thin, the electronic device can have a larger radius, thereby increasing the force arm of the concave-convex structure. With the same restoring force, the first damping swing arm mechanism can generate a larger damping force, thereby improving the opening and closing experience of the folding electronic device.

Description

Hinges and foldable electronic devices

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411468884.3, filed on October 18, 2024, entitled "Hinge and Foldable Electronic Device", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of electronic devices, and in particular to a hinge and foldable electronic device. Background Technology

[0003] With the rapid development of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, larger screen sizes improve the user experience. However, larger screens can also lead to inconvenience in carrying them. Therefore, foldable electronic devices have emerged.

[0004] The folding principle of foldable electronic devices is as follows: the display screen of the foldable electronic device rotates around the hinge to achieve folding. During the folding process, the user experiences resistance to the force applied by the display screen, creating a damping force feel and giving the user a sense of technological sophistication. For this purpose, a damping swing arm mechanism is set on the hinge to generate damping force during the folding process. This damping swing arm mechanism generates resistance to the rotation of the display screen, thus creating a damping force feel for the user.

[0005] However, with the trend towards thinner and lighter electronic devices, the damping force generated by the current damping swing arm mechanism will decrease, failing to meet the damping force requirements of users during the folding of electronic devices, thus affecting the user experience. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a hinge and a foldable electronic device that increases the damping force generated while making the electronic device thinner and lighter.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution:

[0008] In a first aspect, this application provides a hinge for a foldable electronic device, comprising: a housing having an arc-shaped mating surface inside; a first damping swing arm mechanism, the first damping swing arm mechanism comprising: a first swing arm, a first slider, and a first elastic element; one end of the first swing arm along a first direction is an arc-shaped structure, the arc-shaped structure is in contact with the arc-shaped mating surface and rotates along the arc-shaped mating surface, and the rotation axis of the first swing arm is along a second direction, the other end of the first swing arm along the first direction extends out of the housing and is used to connect with the display screen of the electronic device; a first slider is provided on at least one side of the first swing arm along the second direction, and the first swing arm and the first slider are connected by a concave-convex structure, the first slider is installed inside the housing and is movable along the second direction; a first elastic element is provided on the side of the first slider away from the first swing arm, the first elastic element is installed inside the housing and is capable of generating elastic deformation along the second direction during the movement of the first slider along the second direction; the first direction is the width direction of the housing, and the second direction is the length direction of the housing.

[0009] As can be seen from the above, the arc-shaped structure of the first swing arm rotates with the arc-shaped mating surface inside the shell to form a revolute pair. This is equivalent to the first swing arm rotating around a virtual axis, eliminating the need for a real axis. Therefore, there is no need to set a circular hole structure on the first swing arm; only an arc-shaped surface is required. Thus, under the premise of making the phone thinner and lighter, the radius of the arc-shaped structure of the first swing arm can be maximized within a limited space, thereby increasing the lever arm of the concave and convex structure at the edge of the first swing arm. This allows the first damping swing arm mechanism to generate a greater damping force when the force generated by elastic deformation is the same. This increases the damping force during the opening and closing process of the first and second main bodies, improving the opening and closing experience of the foldable screen phone. In addition, the use of an arc-shaped structure and an arc-shaped mating surface reduces the use of a pivot, thereby reducing the number of hinge parts and simplifying the hinge structure.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the housing includes: a shaft cover having a first mounting groove with an arc-shaped bottom, and a first swing arm confined within the first mounting groove along a second direction; a fixed support plate stacked and connected to the shaft cover along a third direction, and the fixed support plate having a first mounting surface on the side near the shaft cover, the first mounting surface being an arc-shaped surface, and a rotation space for the arc-shaped structure of the first swing arm being formed between the first mounting surface and the first mounting groove, wherein at least one of the first mounting groove and the first mounting surface has an arc-shaped mating surface; the third direction is the thickness direction of the housing.

[0011] As can be seen from the above, an arc-shaped space is formed between the shaft cover and the fixed support plate, which facilitates the guidance of the rotation of the first swing arm.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the dimension of the arc-shaped mating surface along the second direction is smaller than the dimension of the arc-shaped structure along the second direction, and both the first mounting groove and the first assembly surface have arc-shaped mating surfaces, and the arc-shaped mating surfaces are opposite to each other and limit the first swing arm along the third direction.

[0013] As can be seen from the above, the arc-shaped mating surface is used to limit the first swing arm in the third direction to prevent the first swing arm from moving in the third direction; the size of the arc-shaped mating surface is smaller than the size of the arc structure, which can reduce the friction area of ​​the first swing arm during rotation, reduce the friction force of the first swing arm, and reduce the wear of the first swing arm.

[0014] In one possible implementation, the bushing has a limiting baffle for limiting the angle of rotation of the first swing arm.

[0015] As can be seen from the above, by setting a limit baffle, the rotation angle of the first swing arm can be limited, preventing the first swing arm from detaching from the housing.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the shaft cover has a second mounting groove, the fixed support plate has a second mounting surface on the side near the shaft cover, and the first slider is locked between the second mounting groove and the second mounting surface in a third direction by a connector.

[0017] As can be seen from the above, the first slider is limited in the third direction by the cooperation of the shaft cover and the fixed support plate, so as to prevent the first slider from moving in the third direction.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the first slider has a sliding tongue on at least one side along a first direction, and the shaft cover and the fixed support plate are used to clamp the sliding tongue, restricting the first slider's degree of freedom along a third direction.

[0019] As can be seen from the above, the sliding tongue of the first slider is clamped by the shaft cover and the fixed support plate to achieve the limiting of the first slider in the third direction. The structure is simple and easy to operate.

[0020] In one possible implementation, the first slider has a waist-shaped clearance hole extending in a second direction, through which the connector passes and limits the movement of the first slider in the second direction.

[0021] As can be seen from the above, the first slider is provided with a clearance hole, which, while connecting the shaft cover and the fixed support plate, does not affect the movement of the first slider in the second direction, and can limit the movement of the first slider when the connecting piece abuts against the clearance hole. In other words, multiple purposes are achieved simultaneously using a simple structure, resulting in functional integration and simplifying the hinge structure.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the fixed support plate has a positioning block on the side near the shaft cover; the first slider has a guide groove along the second direction, and the positioning block and the guide groove are connected in a limiting manner along the first direction.

[0023] As can be seen from the above, the first slider is limited along the first direction by the cooperation of the positioning block and the guide groove, so as to prevent the first slider from being misaligned along the first direction during the rotation of the first swing arm, which would affect the opening and closing movement of the electronic device.

[0024] In one possible implementation, the shaft cover has a second mounting groove, and the two sidewalls of the second mounting groove along the first direction each have a slot; the first slider has a sliding tongue on both sides along the first direction, the sliding tongue is engaged in the slot and can slide along the second direction, the slot is limited to the sliding tongue along the third direction, and the first slider is limited to the shaft cover along the first direction.

[0025] As can be seen from the above, by setting a slot on the side wall of the second mounting groove of the shaft cover and inserting the tongue of the first slider into the slot, the first slider can be limited along the third direction and the first direction by using the slot. There is no need to rely on the fixed support plate and the shaft cover to press and limit the limit. The limiting method is simpler and the structure is more simplified.

[0026] In one possible implementation, the dimension of the card slot along the second direction is smaller than the dimension of the second mounting slot along the second direction; the dimension of the slider along the second direction is smaller than the dimension of the slider body of the first slider along the second direction.

[0027] As can be seen from the above, reducing the size of the slot and the sliding tongue makes it easier for the sliding tongue to be assembled into the slot.

[0028] In one possible implementation, the first damping swing arm mechanism includes two first swing arms symmetrically arranged about the second direction centerline of the housing, and the first sliders on the same side of the two first swing arms are integral structures.

[0029] As can be seen from the above, the first damping swing arm mechanism has two first swing arms, which facilitates the connection of the display screens on both sides of the hinge respectively. The first slider is an integral structure, which simplifies the structure and ensures that the damping force of the display screens on both sides of the hinge is the same during the unfolding or snapping of the electronic device.

[0030] In one possible implementation, multiple first damping swing arm mechanisms are arranged along the second direction of the housing, and the first damping swing arm mechanism includes a first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on one side and a first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on both sides; the first swing arm of the first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on one side along the second direction has a concave cam surface for engaging with a first slider, and the other side has a limiting block for limiting the rotation angle of the first swing arm; the first swing arm of the first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on both sides along the second direction has a concave cam surface for engaging with the first slider on the corresponding side.

[0031] As can be seen from the above, the hinge has different types of first damping swing arm mechanisms, which can meet different damping force requirements and increase the applicability of the hinge.

[0032] In one possible implementation, adjacent first sliders share the same set of first elastic elements.

[0033] As can be seen from the above, using the same set of first elastic elements can reduce the number of first elastic elements and reduce the limiting position of the end of the first elastic element away from the first slider. Directly using the two first sliders to resist and limit the first elastic element is beneficial to simplify the structure, reduce the processing difficulty and processing cost, and also reduce the space occupied by the damping swing arm mechanism along the second direction, which is beneficial to increasing the number of damping swing arm mechanisms.

[0034] In one possible implementation, the hinge further includes: a second damping swing arm mechanism, wherein the first damping swing arm mechanism and the second damping swing arm mechanism are arranged along a second direction of the housing; the second damping swing arm mechanism includes: a second swing arm, a second slider, a second elastic element, and a rotating shaft; the rotating shaft is installed inside the housing and arranged along the second direction of the housing, one end of the second swing arm along the first direction is rotatably sleeved on the rotating shaft, and the other end of the second swing arm along the first direction extends out of the housing and is used to connect with the display screen of the electronic device; a second slider is provided on at least one side of the second swing arm along the second direction, and the second swing arm and the second slider are engaged and connected by a concave-convex structure, the second slider is installed inside the housing and is movable along the second direction; a second elastic element is provided on the side of the second slider away from the second swing arm, the second elastic element is installed inside the housing and is capable of generating elastic deformation along the second direction during the movement of the second slider along the second direction.

[0035] As can be seen from the above, the second damping swing arm mechanism has a different structure from the first damping swing arm mechanism. Under the same force generated by elastic deformation, it can generate different magnitudes of damping force to meet different needs.

[0036] In one possible implementation, a second damping swing arm mechanism is provided at both ends of the hinge along the second direction, and a first damping swing arm mechanism is provided at the middle position of the hinge along the second direction.

[0037] As can be seen from the above, setting the first damping swing arm mechanism at the middle position of the hinge along the second direction can improve the user's feel during operation.

[0038] Secondly, this application provides a foldable electronic device, including a hinge, a first body, and a second body, wherein the hinge is the hinge described in any of the above claims; the first body and the second body are displays distributed on both sides of the hinge in the width direction, and the first body and the second body are respectively connected to first swing arms on both sides of the housing along the first direction.

[0039] As can be seen from the above, the foldable electronic device in this application includes the hinge proposed in the first aspect or any of the possible implementations. Therefore, the foldable electronic device with the hinge also has all the above-mentioned technical effects, which will not be repeated here. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the switching process of different states of the foldable phone provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0041] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the first structure of the hinge provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0042] Figure 3 is a front view of the second damping swing arm mechanism that can generate damping force on both sides according to an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the second swing arm provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 5 is a side view of the second swing arm provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 6 is a top view of a second type of hinge structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0046] Figure 7 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the position of the first damping swing arm mechanism on the hinge provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 8 is a breakdown diagram of the structure in Figure 7;

[0048] Figure 9 shows the assembly relationship of some structures in Figure 8;

[0049] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the shell provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a single-sided damping swing arm provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the double-sided damping swing arm provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first slider provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view along the AA direction in Figure 7;

[0054] Figure 15 is a front view of the first swing arm provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0055] Figure 16 is a top view of a third type of hinge structure provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 17 is a front view of the position of the first damping swing arm mechanism on the hinge provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 18 is a structural breakdown diagram of Figure 17;

[0058] Figure 19 shows the assembly relationship of some structures in Figure 18;

[0059] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0060] Figure 21 is a magnified view of C in Figure 20;

[0061] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the second slider provided in the embodiment of this application;

[0062] Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view along the BB direction in Figure 17.

[0063] Among them, 100 is the hinge, 200 is the first main body, and 300 is the second main body; 101 is the second damping swing arm mechanism, 102 is the first damping swing arm mechanism, 103 is the fixed support plate, 104 is the shaft cover, 105 is the first screw, 106 is the second screw, 1011 is the second swing arm, 1012 is the second slider, 1013 is the second spring, 1014 is the baffle, 1015 is the rotating shaft, 10111 is the concave-convex surface, 10112 is the assembly end, and 10113 is the mounting hole; 1021 is the first swing arm, 1022 is the first slider, and 1023 is the first spring; 10211 is the single-sided damping swing arm, and 10212 is the first spring. 1001 is a double-sided damping swing arm, 1002 is a rotating part, 1002 is a connecting part, 1003 is a clearance hole, 1004 is a concave cam surface, 1005 is a positioning surface, 1006 is a limiting block, 10221 is a slider body, 10222 is a connecting rod, 10223 is a clearance hole, 10224 is a concave cam mating surface, 10225 is a sliding tongue, 10226 is a first guide groove, 10227 is a second guide groove, 10228 is a connecting block, 1031 is a first mounting hole, 1032 is a second mounting hole, 10... 33 is the first assembly surface, 1034 is the second assembly surface, 1035 is the third assembly surface, 1036 is the positioning groove, 1037 is the positioning plate, 1038 is the first positioning block, 1039 is the second positioning block, 1041 is the first connecting post, 1042 is the second connecting post, 1043 is the first mounting groove, 1044 is the second mounting groove, 1045 is the third mounting groove, 1046 is the limiting baffle, 1047 is the guide mating plate, 1048 is the guide block, 10441 is the slot, and 10442 is the top surface. Detailed Implementation

[0064] With the rapid development of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets, the larger the screen area, the better the user experience of related functions. However, a large screen area can lead to inconvenience in carrying the device. Therefore, foldable electronic devices have emerged.

[0065] The electronic devices may include handheld devices, in-vehicle devices, wearable devices, terminal devices, or other processing devices connected to a wireless modem. They may also include cellular phones, smartphones, personal digital assistant (PDA) computers, tablets, laptops, camcorders, video recorders, cameras, smartwatches, smart wristbands, augmented reality (AR) devices, virtual reality (VR) devices, in-vehicle computers, and other devices. This application does not impose any special limitations on the specific form of the aforementioned electronic devices.

[0066] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0067] For ease of understanding, Figure 1 in this application uses a mobile phone as an example to illustrate the structure of a foldable electronic device. Figure 1 shows the switching process of different states of a foldable mobile phone. Figure 1(a) shows the structure of the foldable mobile phone in the unfolded state, Figure 1(b) shows the structure of the foldable mobile phone in the folded state, and Figure 1(c) shows the structure of the foldable mobile phone in the intermediate state.

[0068] As shown in Figure 1, the mobile phone includes a first body 200, a second body 300, and a hinge 100.

[0069] It should be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," "having," and their variations, used herein all mean "including but not limited to," unless otherwise specifically emphasized. In the description of the embodiments of this application, words such as "first," "second," etc., are used only for the purpose of distinguishing descriptions and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, nor as indicating or implying order.

[0070] The first body 200 and the second body 300 are distributed on both sides of the hinge 100 and are both connected to the hinge 100, so as to realize the relative rotation of the first body 200 and the second body 300, and realize the switching between the unfolded state and the latched state of the mobile phone during the rotation of the first body 200 and the second body 300.

[0071] For example, in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1, the first body 200 and the second body 300 rotate around the hinge 100 in the direction of the arrow, realizing the transformation of the first body 200 and the second body 300 from the fully unfolded state through the intermediate state (also known as the bracket state) to the fastened state, that is, realizing the fastening process of the mobile phone.

[0072] In this paper, it is defined that when the first body 200 and the second body 300 are fully unfolded, the direction of the line connecting the first body 200 and the second body 300 is the first direction, the direction in which the hinge 100 extends is the second direction, the thickness direction of the mobile phone is the third direction, and the first direction, the second direction and the third direction are perpendicular to each other.

[0073] It should be noted that the mobile phone shown in Figure 1 is a horizontally folding, inward-folding phone. In some embodiments, the phone can also be folded in other ways, such as outward-folding, vertically folding, or multiple (two or more) folding methods. Regardless of whether the folding screen phone uses "outward-folding" or "inward-folding," and regardless of whether it uses "vertical folding" or "horizontal folding," the core component for achieving phone folding is the hinge 100. The damping arm mechanism is a structure on the hinge 100 that dampens the rotation of the first body 200 and the second body 300. The damping force on the first body 200 and the second body 300 during rotation allows the user to feel resistance during phone folding, i.e., the user experiences a damping force feel, thus improving the opening and closing experience of the folding screen phone. The structure of the hinge 100 will be described below with reference to the first structure of the hinge 100 shown in Figure 2.

[0074] The hinge 100 in Figure 2 includes a damped swing arm mechanism 101 and a bushing 104.

[0075] The bearing cap 104 serves as the mounting base for the hinge 100. Its shape, size, and material can be customized according to different needs and are not specifically limited in this application. A damping swing arm mechanism 101 is mounted on the bearing cap 104, and a portion of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 extends beyond the bearing cap 104. The damping swing arm mechanism 101 has a symmetrical structure about the bearing cap 104, and the portions of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 on both sides of the bearing cap 104 are respectively used to connect with the first main body 200 and the second main body 300.

[0076] Multiple damping swing arm mechanisms 101 are arranged on the shaft cover 104 along the second direction. In this application embodiment, "multiple" refers to two or more. In some embodiments, among the multiple damping swing arm mechanisms 101 arranged along the second direction, the damping swing arm mechanism 101 near the end of the shaft cover 104 can generate damping force on only one side, while the damping swing arm mechanism 101 near the middle position of the shaft cover 104 can generate damping force on both sides. The number and arrangement of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that generates damping force on one side and the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that can generate damping force on both sides can be set according to different needs. For example, the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that can generate damping force on both sides can be arranged continuously, or the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that can generate damping force on both sides and the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that generates damping force on one side can be arranged alternately. For example, two damping swing arm mechanisms 101 that can generate damping force on both sides are provided in the middle position of the shaft cover 104, and one damping swing arm mechanism 101 that generates damping force on one side is provided at each end of the shaft cover 104 along the second direction.

[0077] The type and arrangement of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 have been described above. The specific structure of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 will be described below with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figure 3 is a front view of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that can generate damping force on both sides, Figure 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the first swing arm, and Figure 5 is a side view of the first swing arm.

[0078] As shown in Figure 3, the damping swing arm mechanism 101 includes: a swing arm 1011, a slider 1012, a spring 1013, a baffle 1014, and a rotating shaft 1015.

[0079] Among them, the rotating shaft 1015 is the rotation center of the damping swing arm mechanism 101. During the process of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 being arranged on the shaft cover 104 in Figure 2, the axis of the rotating shaft 1015 is arranged along the second direction of the shaft cover 104.

[0080] The first end of the swing arm 1011 along the first direction is connected to the rotating shaft 1015 and can rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 1015. The first end of the swing arm 1011 has a concave-convex surface 10111 on its side along the second direction. There are two swing arms 1011, which are arranged symmetrically about the second direction. The other ends of the two swing arms 1011 along the first direction are respectively connected to the first body 200 and the second body 300 in Figure 1, so that the first body 200 and the second body 300 can rotate around the rotating shaft 1015. The swing arms 1011 and the rotating shaft 1015 are rotatably connected in a one-to-one correspondence, and the rotating shaft 1015 is arranged in parallel.

[0081] The slider 1012 is sleeved on the rotating shaft 1015 and can move along the axial direction of the rotating shaft 1015. The slider 1012 has a concave-convex mating surface 10121 on the side near the swing arm 1011, and the concave-convex surface 10111 engages with the concave-convex mating surface 10121. In some embodiments, the slider 1012 is sleeved on two rotating shafts 1015 simultaneously, and the slider 1012 has two concave-convex mating surfaces 10121, which engage with both swing arms 1011 respectively. It can be understood that the slider 1012 is a single entity that engages with both swing arms 1011 simultaneously, simplifying the structure and ensuring that the damping force during the rotation of the two swing arms 1011 is approximately the same.

[0082] A spring 1013 is provided on the side of slider 1012 away from the swing arm 1011, and a baffle 1014 is provided on the side of spring 1013 away from slider 1012. The baffle 1014 is fixed on the rotating shaft 1015. It can be understood that spring 1013 abuts against slider 1012 and baffle 1014.

[0083] In some embodiments, the spring 1013 is limited to being fitted onto the rotating shaft 1015 for limiting its position, or it can be limited by connecting both ends of the spring 1013 to a baffle 1014 and a slider 1012 respectively. The baffle 1014 is fitted onto the two rotating shafts 1015, and the baffle 1014 and the slider 1012 are arranged in parallel to ensure that the springs 1013 on the two rotating shafts 1015 are of the same size and can generate the same damping force. It should be noted that the spring 1013 can also be other elastic elements capable of elastic deformation.

[0084] The working process of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 is described below with reference to the structure of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 disclosed in Figure 3: During the folding process of the mobile phone, the two swing arms 1011 rotate around the axis of the pivot 1015 in a direction that moves closer to each other. During the rotation of the swing arms 1011, the protruding position of the concave-convex surface 10111 gradually abuts against the protruding position of the concave-convex mating surface 10121, causing the swing arms 1011 to push the slider 1012 to move away from the swing arms 1011 along the second direction. During the movement of the slider 1012, it will compress the spring 1013, causing the spring 1013 to compress and generate a restoring force. The restoring force of the spring 1013 generates a damping force on the rotation of the swing arms 1011. In some embodiments, as the protruding position of the concave-convex surface 10111 gradually shifts away from the protruding position of the concave-convex mating surface 10121, the two swing arms 1011 rotate to a first state. For example, the first state can be the mobile phone being in a fully latched state.

[0085] During the counter-rotation of the two swing arms 1011, the protruding positions of the concave-convex surfaces 10111 gradually abut against the protruding positions of the concave-convex mating surfaces 10121, thereby generating a damping force on the rotation of the swing arms 1011 using the spring 1013. This, in turn, generates a damping force during the rotation of the first body 200 and the second body 300, until the swing arms 1011 rotate to the second state. For example, the second state is when the mobile phone is fully unfolded.

[0086] For example, when the protruding position of the concave-convex surface 10111 is misaligned with the protruding position of the concave-convex mating surface 10121, the mobile phone is in a fully unfolded state or a fully locked state. In this state, the spring 1013 provides resistance to the reverse rotation of the swing arm 1011 relative to the rotating shaft 1015. It can be understood that the spring 1013 provides the flattening force required when the mobile phone is in a flattened state or the closing force required when it is in a closed state, so that the mobile phone can be stably maintained in the unfolded state or the locked state.

[0087] In some possible embodiments, the swing arm 1011 in Figure 3 rotates about the axis of the rotating shaft 1015 in the following ways: the rotating shaft 1015 is rotatably mounted on the shaft cover 104 in Figure 2, the swing arm 1011 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 1015, and the rotating arm 1011 drives the rotating shaft 1015 to rotate synchronously during rotation. The swing arm 1011 may also rotate about the axis of the rotating shaft 1015 in the following ways: the rotating shaft 1015 is fixed to the shaft cover 104 in Figure 2, the swing arm 1011 is rotatably sleeved on the rotating shaft 1015, and the rotating shaft 1015 is fixed during rotation of the swing arm 1011.

[0088] For example, in Figure 4, the swing arm 1011 includes a connecting end and an assembly end 10112.

[0089] The connecting end includes a mounting hole 10113 for connecting to the rotating shaft 1015 in Figure 3. The mounting hole 10113 is a round hole for relative rotational connection with the rotating shaft 1015, allowing the swing arm 1011 to rotate relative to the rotating shaft 1015. The connecting end has a concave-convex surface 10111 on one outer edge of the mounting hole 10113. For example, the concave-convex surface 10111 has four protruding positions.

[0090] The shape and size of the assembly end 10112 can be set according to different needs, and are not specifically limited here, as long as they can be assembled with the first main body 200 or the second main body 300.

[0091] It should be noted that the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that generates damping force on one side and the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that can generate damping force on both sides have the same structure. The only difference is that the swing arm of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that generates damping force on one side is provided with a slider, spring and baffle, and the swing arm is provided with concave and convex surfaces on one side. All other structures are the same. Therefore, the structure of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that generates damping force on one side will not be described in detail.

[0092] The slider, spring, and baffle of the damping swing arm mechanism 101 that generates damping force on one side are oriented toward the middle position of the shaft cover 104 in Figure 2.

[0093] The above describes how the spring 1013 provides a compressive force to the swing arm 1011, generating a damping force during the rotation of the swing arm 1011. This achieves the purpose of damping the rotation of the first main body 200 and the second main body 300 by the damping swing arm mechanism 101. However, as foldable screen phones become thinner and lighter, the diameter of the pivot 1015 will become smaller and smaller, as shown in Figure 5. The diameter R of the mounting hole 10113 of the swing arm 1011 will also become smaller and smaller. The concave and convex surfaces 10111 on the edge of the mounting hole 10113 and the concave surfaces 10111 that mate with the concave and convex surfaces 10111 will also become smaller and smaller. The size of the convex mating surface 10121 will also become smaller and smaller. The torque generated by the mating of the concave and convex surfaces 10111 and 10121 (the torque is the product of the lever arm and the torque, where the lever arm is the diameter of the mounting hole 10113) will decrease. That is, the damping force of the swing arm 1011 during the rotation of the rotating shaft 1015 will decrease, resulting in insufficient damping force during the opening and closing of the first body 200 and the second body 300. In particular, the flattening force required when the phone is in the flattened state and the closing force required when it is in the closed state are insufficient, which affects the opening and closing experience of the foldable screen phone.

[0094] Based on the above-mentioned technical problems, and in conjunction with Figures 6 and 7, this application also discloses a hinge 100 in the embodiment, which solves the problem of insufficient damping force after the pivot is made thinner. Figure 6 is a top view of the second structure of the hinge 100, and Figure 7 is a partial structural schematic diagram of the position of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 on the hinge 100.

[0095] For ease of distinction, the aforementioned damping swing arm mechanism 101 is renamed the second damping swing arm mechanism 101, the swing arm 1011 is renamed the second swing arm 1011, the slider 1012 is renamed the second slider 1012, and the spring 1013 is renamed the second spring 1013.

[0096] The hinge 100 disclosed in Figure 6 includes: a second damping swing arm mechanism 101, a first damping swing arm mechanism 102, and a shaft cover 104.

[0097] The structure of the shaft cover 104 can be seen in Figure 2, and will not be described again here.

[0098] A second damping swing arm mechanism 101 and a first damping swing arm mechanism 102 are arranged along the second direction of the shaft cover 104. The second damping swing arm mechanism 101 is arranged at the end of the shaft cover 104 along the second direction. For example, the second damping swing arm mechanism 101 is a structure that generates damping force on one side. The first damping swing arm mechanism 102 is arranged at the middle position of the shaft cover 104, and multiple first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 are arranged along the second direction. For example, three first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 are arranged.

[0099] The structure of the second damping swing arm mechanism 101 can be seen in the descriptions of Figures 2 and 3, and will not be repeated here.

[0100] The first damping swing arm mechanism 102 includes a structure that generates damping force on one side and a structure that generates damping force on both sides. For example, among the three first damping swing arm mechanisms 102, the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 located in the middle position is a second damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on both sides, while the two sides are second damping swing arm mechanisms that generate damping force on one side. In some embodiments, the number and arrangement of the first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 that generate damping force on one side and the first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 that can generate damping force on both sides can be set according to different needs. For example, the first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 that can generate damping force on both sides can be arranged continuously, or the first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 that can generate damping force on both sides and the first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 that generate damping force on one side can be arranged alternately.

[0101] It should be noted that the second damping swing arm mechanism 101 and the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 together form a damping swing arm mechanism.

[0102] The hinge 100 in Figure 7 includes: a second damping swing arm mechanism 101, a first damping swing arm mechanism 102, and a housing 1, wherein the housing 1 includes a fixed support plate 103 and a shaft cover 104.

[0103] The fixed support plate 103 and the shaft cover 104 are stacked and connected in a third direction. The fixed support plate 103 covers the upper surface of the shaft cover 104, and an accommodating space is formed between them. A portion of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 is located within the accommodating space, and another portion extends outward from the accommodating space. The first body 200 and the second body 300 of the mobile phone are connected by the extended portion of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102.

[0104] The basic structure of hinge 100 has been described above. The specific structure of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 will be described below with reference to Figures 8 and 9. Figure 8 is an exploded view of the structure in Figure 7, and Figure 9 is an assembly diagram of some of the structures in Figure 8.

[0105] The hinge 100 in Figure 8 includes: a first damping swing arm mechanism 102, a fixed support plate 103, a shaft cover 104, a first screw 105, and a second screw 106.

[0106] The first damping swing arm mechanism 102 is mounted on the shaft cover 104, and multiple such mechanisms are arranged along the second direction of the shaft cover 104.

[0107] The first damping swing arm mechanism 102 includes: a first swing arm 1021, a first slider 1022, and a first spring 1023.

[0108] The first swing arm 1021, the first slider 1022, and the first spring 1023 are sequentially arranged on the shaft cover 104 along the second direction. Each first damping swing arm mechanism 102 has two first swing arms 1021, which are symmetrically arranged along the first direction of the shaft cover 104, and a portion of the first swing arms 1021 is exposed outside the shaft cover 104. The first swing arms 1021 on both sides of the shaft cover 104 along the first direction are used to connect to the first body 200 and the second body 300 of the mobile phone, respectively.

[0109] In some embodiments, the first swing arm 1021 is provided with a first slider 1022 and a first spring 1023 on both sides along the second direction, which can form a first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on both sides. Alternatively, the first slider 1022 and the first spring 1023 can be provided on one side of the first swing arm 1021 along the second direction, which can form a first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on one side. For example, the first slider 1022 and the first spring 1023 are provided on the side of the first swing arm 1021 facing the center of the shaft cover 104.

[0110] The shaft cover 104 has a first connecting post 1041, and the fixed support plate 103 has a first mounting hole 1031. During the assembly of the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103, the fixed support plate 103 covers the surface of the shaft cover 104, and the first connecting post 1041 and the first mounting hole 1031 are opposite to each other. The first screw 105 is inserted into the first connecting post 1041 and the first mounting hole 1031 to realize the connection between the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103.

[0111] The shaft cover 104 has a second connecting post 1042, which passes through the clearance hole of the first slider 1022. The fixed support plate 103 has a second assembly hole 1032. During the assembly of the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103, the fixed support plate 103 covers the surface of the shaft cover 104, and the second connecting post 1042 and the second assembly hole 1032 are opposite to each other. The second screw 106 is inserted into the second connecting post 1042 and the second assembly hole 1032 to realize the connection between the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103.

[0112] In some embodiments, when the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on one side and the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on both sides are arranged adjacent to each other, the first spring 1023 of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on one side and the first spring 1023 of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on both sides can be shared, so as to reduce the number of parts. It can also reduce the limiting of the end of the first spring 1023 away from the first slider 1022, and directly use the two first sliders 1022 to resist and limit the first spring 1023, which is beneficial to simplify the structure, reduce the processing difficulty and processing cost, and also reduce the space occupied by the damping swing arm mechanism along the second direction, which is beneficial to increasing the number of damping swing arm mechanisms. It should be noted that the first spring 1023 can also be other elastic elements that can generate elastic deformation.

[0113] The above describes the positional relationship of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 on the shaft cover 104. The following describes the connection method of each component of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 on the shaft cover 104 with reference to Figure 9.

[0114] The hinge 100 in Figure 9 includes the following components: a first rocker arm 1021, a first slider 1022, a first spring 1023, and a shaft cover 104. The shaft cover 104 includes: a first connecting post 1041, a second connecting post 1042, a first mounting groove 1043, a second mounting groove 1044, and a third mounting groove 1045.

[0115] The first mounting groove 1043, the second mounting groove 1044, and the third mounting groove 1045 are arranged sequentially along the second direction, with the first connecting post 1041 located in the first mounting groove 1043 and the second connecting post 1042 located in the second mounting groove 1044. The first swing arm 1021 is mounted in the first mounting groove 1043 and can rotate relative to the shaft cover 104 within the first mounting groove 1043, with its axis of rotation parallel to the second direction. The first swing arm 1021 is confined within the first mounting groove 1043 along the second direction, and its third-direction limitation is achieved by the action of the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103 in Figure 8.

[0116] In some embodiments, the first swing arm 1021 includes a single-sided damping swing arm 10211 and a double-sided damping swing arm 10212. The double-sided damping swing arm 10212 is located between the two single-sided damping swing arms 10211 along the second direction of the shaft cover 104. The single-sided damping swing arm 10211 has a concave cam surface 1004 on one side facing the double-sided damping swing arm 10212, and the double-sided damping swing arm 10212 has concave cam surfaces 1004 on both sides along the second direction. The single-sided damping swing arm 10211 is the swing arm of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on one side, and the double-sided damping swing arm 10212 is the swing arm of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on both sides.

[0117] The first slider 1022 is installed in the second mounting groove 1044, and the first slider 1022 can move in the second direction within the second mounting groove 1044. The second connecting post 1042 passes through the first slider 1022 and can limit the movement distance of the first slider 1022 in the second direction. Under the action of the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103 in Figure 8, the third-direction limitation of the first slider 1022 can be achieved.

[0118] In some embodiments, the first slider 1022 includes a connecting rod 10222 and a concave cam mating surface 10224.

[0119] When the first slider 1022 is connected to the first rocker arm 1021, the concave cam mating surface 10224 engages with the concave cam surface 1004.

[0120] The first spring 1023 is disposed within the third mounting groove 1045 and is capable of elastic deformation along the second direction within the third mounting groove 1045. For example, the first spring 1023 is sleeved on the connecting rod 10222 and abuts against two adjacent first sliders 1022.

[0121] It should be noted that the number of connecting rods 10222 is not limited to two, and each connecting rod 10222 is fitted with a first spring 1023. By increasing the number of connecting rods 10222, the number of first springs 1023 can be increased, thereby changing the compressive force applied by the first spring 1023 to the first swing arm 1021, and thus changing the damping force during the rotation of the first swing arm 1021.

[0122] Based on the structure of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 disclosed in Figure 9, taking the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on both sides as an example, the action of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 during the folding process of the mobile phone is explained:

[0123] During the folding process of the phone, the double-sided damping swing arms 10212 distributed along the first direction on the axle cover 104 rotate simultaneously. The protruding position of the concave cam surface 1004 of the double-sided damping swing arms 10212 gradually abuts against the protruding position of the concave cam mating surface 10224 of the first slider 1022, causing the first slider 1022 to gradually move away from the double-sided damping swing arms 10212 along the second direction. During the movement of the first slider 1022, it compresses the first spring 1023, causing the first spring 1023 to compress and deform and generate a restoring force. The restoring force of the first spring 1023 generates a damping force on the rotation of the double-sided damping swing arms 10212, causing the first body 200 and the second body 300 to generate a damping force during rotation. In some embodiments, as the protruding position of the concave cam surface 1004 gradually shifts away from the protruding position of the concave cam mating surface 10224, the two double-sided damping swing arms 10212 rotate to the first state.

[0124] During the reverse rotation of the two double-sided damping swing arms 10212, the protruding position of the concave cam surface 1004 gradually abuts against the protruding position of the concave cam mating surface 10224, thereby generating a damping force on the rotation of the double-sided damping swing arms 10212 by the first spring 1023, which in turn generates a damping force during the rotation of the first body 200 and the second body 300 until the double-sided damping swing arms 10212 rotate to the second state.

[0125] It should be noted that the action of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on one side is the same as the action of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 that generates damping force on both sides. Please refer to the above description and it will not be repeated here.

[0126] The basic structure and operation process of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 have been described above. The specific structure and installation method of each component of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 14. Figure 10 is a structural schematic diagram of the housing 1, Figure 11 is a structural schematic diagram of the single-sided damping swing arm 10211, Figure 12 is a structural schematic diagram of the double-sided damping swing arm 10212, and Figure 13 is a structural schematic diagram of the first slider 1022.

[0127] In Figure 10, the housing 1 includes a fixed support plate 103 and a shaft cover 104.

[0128] It should be noted that the fixed support plate 103 in Figure 10 is a view from below, and the shaft cover 104 is a view from above. The dashed arrows in Figure 10 indicate that the components have an assembly relationship.

[0129] The fixed support plate 103 includes: a first assembly hole 1031, a second assembly hole 1032, a first assembly surface 1033, a second assembly surface 1034, a third assembly surface 1035, a positioning groove 1036, a positioning plate 1037, a first positioning block 1038, and a second positioning block 1039.

[0130] The first mounting hole 1031 is located on the first mounting surface 1033, the second mounting hole 1032 is located on the second mounting surface 1034, and the third mounting surface 1035 is located between the first mounting surface 1033 and the second mounting surface 1034. A positioning plate 1037 is located on the outer edge of the second mounting surface 1034 along a first direction. The positioning plate 1037 has positioning grooves 1036. In some embodiments, the positioning plate 1037 is integrally formed with the second mounting surface 1034, and the positioning plate 1037 has two positioning grooves 1036, which are symmetrically arranged about the center of the positioning plate 1037 along a second direction. A first positioning block 1038 and a second positioning block 1039 are arranged opposite each other along the second direction, and the first positioning block 1038 and the second positioning block 1039 are distributed on both sides of the second mounting hole 1032 along the second direction.

[0131] The shaft cover 104 includes: a first connecting post 1041, a second connecting post 1042, a first mounting groove 1043, a second mounting groove 1044, a third mounting groove 1045, a limiting baffle 1046, a guide mating plate 1047, and a guide block 1048.

[0132] The first connecting post 1041 is located in the first mounting groove 1043, and the second connecting post 1042 is located in the second mounting groove 1044. The first mounting groove 1043, the second mounting groove 1044, and the third mounting groove 1045 are arranged along the second direction, and the first mounting groove 1043 and the second mounting groove 1044 are adjacent to each other. Guide mating plates 1047 are provided on both sides of the first mounting groove 1043 along the second direction. The end of the first mounting groove 1043 at the upper end of the shaft cover 104 has a limiting baffle 1046, which is connected to the adjacent guide mating plate 1047. The bottom of the second mounting groove 1044 has a guide block 1048 extending along the second direction. For example, the guide block 1048 is located in the middle position of the second mounting groove 1044.

[0133] The single-sided damping swing arm 10211 in Figure 11 and the double-sided damping swing arm 10212 in Figure 12 both include: a rotating part 1001, a connecting part 1002, a clearance part 1003, a concave cam surface 1004, and a positioning surface 1005.

[0134] The rotating part 1001 is connected to the connecting part 1002. A concave cam surface 1004 is provided on the side of the rotating part 1001 along the second direction. In some embodiments, two rotating parts 1001 are arranged along the second direction, and a clearance 1003 is formed between the two rotating parts 1001. The concave cam surface 1004 is provided on the outer surface of the rotating part 1001 away from the other rotating part 1001. The sides of the rotating part 1001 and the connecting part 1002 have stepped positioning surfaces 1005.

[0135] It should be noted that the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 has a concave cam surface 1004 on the outer surface of any rotating part 1001 along the second direction, and a limit block 1006 is provided on the outer surface of the other rotating part 1001; the double-sided damping swing arm 10212 has a concave cam surface 1004 on the outer surface of both rotating parts 1001 along the second direction.

[0136] The first slider 1022 in Figure 13 includes: slider body 10221, connecting rod 10222, clearance hole 10223, concave cam mating surface 10224, sliding tongue 10225, first guide groove 10226, second guide groove 10227, and connecting block 10228.

[0137] The slider body 10221 comprises two entities arranged side-by-side along a first direction. For example, the two slider bodies 10221 are integrally formed. A connecting rod 10222 is provided at one end of each slider body 10221 along a second direction, and a concave cam mating surface 10224 is provided at the other end. The number of connecting rods 10222 includes, but is not limited to, two. A waist-shaped clearance hole 10223 extending along the second direction is provided on each slider body 10221, and a sliding tongue 10225 is provided on the side of each slider body 10221 along the first direction away from the other slider body 10221. There is a first guide groove 10226 and a second guide groove 10227 between the two slider bodies 10221, and the first guide groove 10226 and the second guide groove 10227 are arranged along a second direction, and there is a connecting block 10228 between the two slider bodies 10221. The dimension of the connecting block 10228 along the third direction is smaller than the dimension of the slider body 10221 along the third direction, so that a guide groove is formed between the two slider bodies 10221.

[0138] In some embodiments, the dimension of the first guide groove 10226 along the first direction is greater than the dimension of the second guide groove 10227 along the first direction.

[0139] The above content discloses the specific structure of each component. The connection relationship between the components is explained in detail below with reference to Figures 9 to 14. Among them, Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view along the AA direction in Figure 7.

[0140] In Figure 10, the first mounting groove 1043 is an arc-shaped groove, and the first assembly surface 1033 is an arc-shaped surface. During the assembly of the housing 1, the first assembly hole 1031 is opposite to the first connecting post 1041 and is fixedly connected by screws, including but not limited to screws. An arc-shaped space is formed between the first mounting groove 1043 and the first assembly surface 1033 for mounting the rotating part 1001 in Figure 11 or Figure 12. The rotating part 1001 can rotate in the arc-shaped space, and the rotation axis of the rotating part 1001 is along the second direction.

[0141] In some embodiments, the first mounting groove 1043 includes a first mounting groove 1043 located in the middle and a first mounting groove 1043 located at the end. The first mounting groove 1043 located at the end is used to mount the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 in FIG. 9, and the first mounting groove 1043 located in the middle is used to mount the double-sided damping swing arm 10212 in FIG. 9.

[0142] Guide plates 1047 are provided on both sides of the first mounting groove 1043 along the second direction. The guide plates 1047 are arc-shaped plates fixed within the first mounting groove 1043, and the axis of the guide plates 1047 coincides with the axis of rotation of the first swing arm 1021. The guide plates 1047 support the first swing arm 1021, and the first swing arm 1021 can fit and rotate with the guide plates 1047, thus guiding the rotation of the first swing arm 1021 and improving its stability during rotation. It is understood that the guide plates 1047 are arc-shaped mating surfaces that mate with the rotating part 1001.

[0143] The guide plate 1047 protrudes from the first mounting groove 1043. The guide plate 1047 cooperates with the positioning surface 1005 in Figure 11 or Figure 12 to limit the first swing arm 1021 along the second direction.

[0144] In some embodiments, the first mounting surface 1033 is a stepped structure along the second direction, and has an arc-shaped mating surface that can fit against the first swing arm 1021 at a position opposite to the guide mating plate 1047. In some embodiments, the first swing arm 1021 can be limited along a third direction by the cooperation of the arc-shaped mating surface of the shaft cover 104 and the arc-shaped mating surface of the fixed support plate 103.

[0145] In some embodiments, a limiting baffle 1046 is provided on one side of the first mounting groove 1043 at the end near the end of the shaft cover 104.

[0146] The limiting baffle 1046 is a stepped structure along the first direction, with the stepped surface facing the first swing arm 1021. The dimension of the segment of the limiting baffle 1046 near the first mounting groove 1043 along the third direction is larger than the dimension of the segment away from the first mounting groove 1043. The limiting baffle 1046 is used to abut against the limiting block 1006 of the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 in FIG. 11 to limit the rotation angle of the single-sided damping swing arm 10211. During the rotation of the single-sided damping swing arm 10211, the limiting block 1006 approaches the limiting baffle 1046 until the limiting block 1006 abuts against the limiting baffle 1046, so that the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 can no longer rotate, preventing the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 from disengaging from the first mounting groove 1043.

[0147] The limiting baffle 1046 is connected to the adjacent guide mating plate 1047. For example, the limiting baffle 1046 and the adjacent guide mating plate 1047 are integrally formed, forming a transition structure. It can be understood that the cross-section of the limiting baffle 1046 and the adjacent guide mating plate 1047 in the horizontal direction is L-shaped. The transition structure formed by the limiting baffle 1046 and the adjacent guide mating plate 1047 is used to limit the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 in Figure 11 along the second direction, preventing the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 from moving along the second direction.

[0148] The above describes the structure of the installation space of the first swing arm 1021 and the limiting method of the first swing arm 1021. The following describes the installation space of the first slider 1022 and the limiting method of the first slider 1022.

[0149] During the assembly process of the housing 1 and the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 shown in Figures 10 to 13:

[0150] The first slider 1022 is placed in the second mounting groove 1044, and the clearance hole 10223 of the first slider 1022 is sleeved on the outside of the second connecting post 1042; the sliding tongue 10225 of the first slider 1022 is in contact with the surface of the groove wall of the second mounting groove 1044 along the third direction; the concave cam mating surface 10224 of the first slider 1022 meshes with the concave cam surface 1004 of the first rocker arm 1021, and the first guide groove 10226 of the first slider 1022 cooperates with the first positioning block 1038, and the second guide groove 10227 of the first slider 1022 cooperates with the second positioning block 1039, thereby restricting the degree of freedom of the first slider 1022 along the first direction; the connecting block 10228 of the first slider 1022 is opposite to the guide block 1048 in the second mounting groove 1044, so that the guide block 1048 is opposite to the guide groove.

[0151] In some embodiments, during the movement of the first slider 1022 along the second direction, the second connecting post 1042 abuts against the side wall of the clearance hole 10223 along the second direction, thereby limiting the movement of the first slider 1022 along the second direction. It is understood that the clearance hole 10223 on the first slider 1022, while connecting the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103, does not affect the movement of the first slider 1022 along the second direction, and can limit the movement of the first slider 1022 when the second connecting post 1042 abuts against the clearance hole. That is, multiple purposes are achieved simultaneously using a simple structure, resulting in functional integration and simplifying the structure of the hinge 100.

[0152] The second mounting hole 1032 and the second connecting post 1042 are fixedly connected by screws, thereby fixing the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103. A space for mounting the slider body 10221 of the first slider 1022 is formed between the second mounting groove 1044 and the second mounting surface 1034. A space is formed between the second mounting groove 1044 and the third mounting surface 1035 on the outer circumferential surface of the concave cam mating surface 10224 for mounting the first slider 1022. A space for engaging the sliding tongue 10225 of the first slider 1022 is formed between the groove wall of the second mounting groove 1044 and the positioning groove 1036. This can be understood as the sliding tongue 10225 being limited in a third direction between the groove wall of the second mounting groove 1044 and the positioning groove 1036, thus restricting the freedom of the first slider 1022 in a third direction using the fixedly connected shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103.

[0153] In some embodiments, the third mounting surface 1035 is an arc-shaped surface to fit the outer contour of the concave cam mating surface 10224 of the first slider 1022 in FIG9. The shape of the second mounting surface 1034 and the shape of the second mounting groove 1044 can be set according to different needs. For example, the second mounting surface 1034 can be a plane and the second mounting groove 1044 can be an arc surface.

[0154] In some embodiments, the dimension of the positioning groove 1036 along the second direction is larger than the dimension of the slider 10225 along the third direction, so as to ensure that the first slider 1022 can move in the second direction. The side of the slider 10225 near the concave cam mating surface 10224 along the second direction forms a stepped surface with the concave cam mating surface 10224 to avoid the guide mating plate 1047.

[0155] Referring to Figure 14, after the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 is assembled and connected by the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103, a space for mounting the slider body 10221 of the first slider 1022 is formed between the second mounting groove 1044 of the shaft cover 104 and the third mounting surface 1035 of the fixed support plate 103. A slide is formed between the groove wall of the second mounting groove 1044 and the positioning plate 1037. The slide fits precisely with the sliding tongue 10225 of the first slider 1022, restricting the freedom of the first slider 1022 in the third direction. The first positioning block 1038 and the second positioning block 1039 of the first slider 1022 respectively fit with the first guide groove 10226 and the second guide groove 10227, restricting the freedom in the first direction, so that the first slider 1022 can only slide in the second direction.

[0156] It should be noted that the above embodiments only disclose the provision of a first guide groove 10226 and a second guide groove 10227 on the first slider 1022, and other numbers of guide grooves are also within the scope of protection.

[0157] The above describes the specific structure and installation method of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102. The following describes the effect of the damping force generated by the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 with reference to Figure 15, where Figure 15 is the front view of the first swing arm 1021.

[0158] As shown in Figure 15, the rotating part 1001 is a semi-arc surface, and the first swing arm 1021 rotates by forming an arc-shaped space between the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103 in Figure 10. There is no need to set a rotating shaft; a rotating pair is formed only by the cooperation of the rotating part 1001 and the arc-shaped space. It can be understood that the rotating part 1001 achieves rotation by relying on the arc-shaped space formed by the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103. This is equivalent to the rotating part 1001 rotating around a virtual axis, without the need to set a real axis. Therefore, it is not necessary to set the rotating part 1001 as a circular hole structure, but only as an arc-shaped surface. Thus, under the premise of making the phone thinner and lighter, the rotating part 1001 can maximize the radius R1 of the rotating part 1001 within a limited space, thereby increasing the lever arm of the concave cam surface 1004 at the edge of the rotating part 1001. This allows the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 to generate a greater damping force than the second damping swing arm mechanism 101 when the spring force is the same. This increases the damping force during the opening and closing process of the first main body 200 and the second main body 300, improving the opening and closing experience of the foldable screen phone.

[0159] Furthermore, by using the combination of the rotating part 1001 and the arc-shaped space, the use of the pivot is reduced, thereby reducing the number of parts in the hinge 100 and simplifying the structure of the hinge 100.

[0160] It should be noted that the shape and size of the connecting part 1002 of the first swing arm 1021 in this article can be set according to different connection relationships, including but not limited to the connection structure with through holes shown in Figure 15. The arc and radius of the rotating part 1001 of the first swing arm 1021 can be set according to different needs, and all are within the protection range.

[0161] In some embodiments, a first damping swing arm mechanism 102 can be added at locations on the hinge 100 where the damping force is insufficient, so that the hinge 100 simultaneously has a first damping swing arm mechanism 102 and a second damping swing arm mechanism 101; alternatively, the hinge 100 can be entirely equipped with the first damping swing arm mechanism 102, without using the second damping swing arm mechanism 101. For example, the number of second damping swing arms 102 can also be limited to one, as shown in the third structure of the hinge 100 in Figure 16.

[0162] It should be noted that during the process of folding the phone, the force is usually applied to the middle position of the phone along the second direction. Therefore, in an optional embodiment, a first damping swing arm mechanism 102 is provided at the middle position of the hinge 100 along the second direction to improve the user's feel during operation.

[0163] The above discloses one structure of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102. The following describes another structure of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 with reference to Figures 17 and 18. Among them, Figure 17 is a front view of the position of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 on the hinge 100, Figure 18 is an exploded view of the structure in Figure 17, and Figure 19 is an assembly relationship diagram of part of the structure in Figure 18.

[0164] As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the hinge 100 includes: a first damping swing arm mechanism 102, a fixed support plate 103, a shaft cover 104, and a first screw 105. The fixed support plate 103 and the shaft cover 104 form the housing 1. The first damping swing arm mechanism 102 includes: a first swing arm 1021, a first slider 1022, and a first spring 1023.

[0165] The assembly relationship of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102, the fixed support plate 103, the shaft cover 104 and the first screw 105 can be seen in the description of Figure 8, and will not be repeated here.

[0166] The connection relationship between the first swing arm 1021, the first slider 1022 and the first spring 1023 can be seen in the description of Figure 8, and will not be repeated here.

[0167] It should be noted that the first slider 1022 in Figure 18 does not need to be locked between the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103 using the second screw 106 in Figure 8.

[0168] The shaft cover 104 in Figure 19 includes: a first connecting post 1041, a first mounting groove 1043, a second mounting groove 1044, and a third mounting groove 1045. The first swing arm 1021 includes a single-sided damping swing arm 10211 and a double-sided damping swing arm 10212.

[0169] The connection relationship between the first connecting post 1041, the first mounting groove 1043, the second mounting groove 1044 and the third mounting groove 1045 is shown in Figure 9. The structure and installation relationship between the single-sided damping swing arm 10211 and the double-sided damping swing arm 10212 are also shown in Figure 9, and will not be repeated here.

[0170] The first slider 1022 in Figure 19 includes a connecting rod 10222 and a concave cam mating surface 10224. The positional relationship and connection relationship between the connecting rod 10222 and the concave cam mating surface 10224 can be found in the description of Figure 9. It should be noted that the connecting rod 10222 of the first slider 1022 in Figure 19 includes, but is not limited to, two rods, and the connecting rod 10222 is set in a one-to-one correspondence with the first spring 1023.

[0171] Since the structure of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 of the hinge 100 in Figure 18 and Figure 9 is basically the same, the working process of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 in Figure 18 during the folding process of the mobile phone can also be referred to the description in Figure 9.

[0172] The above discloses another structure of the first damping swing arm mechanism 102. The following description, in conjunction with Figures 20 and 21, explains the structure and installation method of the first slider 1022 in the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 shown in Figure 17, highlighting the differences between this part and the first damping swing arm mechanism 102 shown in Figures 8 and 9. Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the housing 1, Figure 21 is a partial enlarged view of C in Figure 20, and Figure 22 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the first slider 1022.

[0173] The housing 1 in Figure 20 includes a fixed support plate 103 and a shaft cover 104.

[0174] It should be noted that the fixed support plate 103 in Figure 20 is a view from below, and the shaft cover 104 is a view from above. The dashed arrows in Figure 20 indicate that the components have an assembly relationship.

[0175] The fixed support plate 103 includes a first mounting hole 1031, a first mounting surface 1033, and a second mounting surface 1034. The shaft cover 104 includes a first connecting post 1041, a first mounting groove 1043, a second mounting groove 1044, a third mounting groove 1045, a limiting baffle 1046, a guide mating plate 1047, and a guide block 1048.

[0176] The functions and connection relationships of the first assembly hole 1031, the first assembly surface 1033, the second assembly surface 1034, the first connecting post 1041, the first mounting groove 1043, the second mounting groove 1044, the third mounting groove 1045, the limiting baffle 1046, the guide mating plate 1047, and the guide block 1048 are the same as those of the structures in the shell 1 in Figure 10, and will not be repeated here.

[0177] It should be noted that the difference between the housing 1 in Figure 20 and the housing 1 in Figure 10 is that the second assembly surface 1034 of the fixed support plate 103 in Figure 20 does not have a second assembly hole, the second mounting groove 1044 does not have a second connecting post, and the side wall structure of the second mounting groove 1044 is different.

[0178] The sidewall of the second mounting groove 1044 in Figures 20 and 21 has a slot 10441, which has a certain depth along the first direction and extends along the second direction. The slot 10441 is at a preset distance from the top surface 10442 of the sidewall of the second mounting groove 1044.

[0179] The first slider 1022 in Figure 22 includes: slider body 10221, connecting rod 10222, concave cam mating surface 10224, sliding tongue 10225, first guide groove 10226 and connecting block 10228.

[0180] The functions and connections of the slider body 10221, connecting rod 10222, concave cam mating surface 10224, sliding tongue 10225, first guide groove 10226, and connecting block 10228 are the same as those of the slider body 10221, connecting rod 10222, concave cam mating surface 10224, sliding tongue 10225, first guide groove 10226, and connecting block 10228 of the first slider 1022 in Figure 13, and will not be repeated here.

[0181] It should be noted that the difference between the first slider 1022 in Figure 22 and the first slider 1022 in Figure 13 is that the slider body 10221 of the first slider 1022 in Figure 22 does not have a clearance hole, and the first slider 1022 has a first guide groove 10226 on one side of the concave cam mating surface 10224 along the second direction. The shape and size of the slider body 10221 can be set according to different needs, and all are within the protection range.

[0182] The specific structures of the first slider 1022 and the housing 1 have been described above. The connection relationship between the first slider 1022 and the housing 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 20 to 23. Figure 23 is a cross-sectional view along the BB direction in Figure 17.

[0183] During the assembly of the first slider 1022 between the shaft cover 104 and the fixed support plate 103, the first slider 1022 is placed in the second mounting groove 122, and the concave cam mating surface 10224 engages with the concave cam surface 1004 of the first rocker arm 1021. The connecting rod 10222 is used to sleeve the first spring 1023. The sliding tongues 10225 of the first slider 1022 on both sides along the first direction are respectively inserted into the corresponding slots 10441, and the first slider 1022 is limited in the first direction and the third direction under the action of the slots 10441.

[0184] In some embodiments, the length of the slot 10441 along the second direction is less than the length of the second mounting groove 1044 along the second direction, thereby forming an inlet and outlet for the slider 10225 to enter and exit the slot 10441 on the sidewall of the second mounting groove 1044. In some embodiments, the length of the slider 10225 along the second direction is less than the length of the slider body 10221 along the second direction, so as to facilitate the movement of the slider 10225 into and out of the slot 10441.

[0185] As shown in Figure 23, the second mounting groove 1044 of the shaft cover 104 is designed with slots 10441 on both sides. The slots 10441 are precisely matched with the sliding tongues 10225 on both sides of the first slider 1022 in the first direction and the third direction, which restricts the degree of freedom of the first slider 1022 in the first direction and the third direction, and ensures that the first slider 1022 can slide stably along the second direction.

[0186] Since Figure 23 uses a slot 10441 directly designed on the side wall of the second mounting groove 1044, and the slot 10441 can limit the first slider 1022 in both the first and third directions at the same time, compared with the limiting method of the first slider 1022 in Figure 14, it does not need to rely on the pressing of the fixed support plate 103 and the shaft cover 104 to form a sliding groove. The connection of the first slider 1022 can eliminate the cooperation relationship of the second screw, the second connecting post 1042 and the second assembly hole 1032. Therefore, the limiting method of the first slider 1022 in Figure 23 is simpler and the structure is more simplified.

[0187] In some embodiments, the second damping swing arm mechanism 101 disclosed herein and two different first damping swing arm mechanisms 102 disclosed herein may be provided on the hinge 100 according to different needs, and all of them are within the scope of protection.

[0188] This article uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications to the present invention without departing from the principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hinge of a foldable electronic device, characterized by, include: A housing, the interior of which has an arc-shaped mating surface; The first damping swing arm mechanism includes: a first swing arm, a first slider, and a first elastic element; One end of the first swing arm along the first direction is an arc-shaped structure, which fits against the arc-shaped mating surface and rotates along the arc-shaped mating surface. The rotation axis of the first swing arm is along the second direction. The other end of the first swing arm along the first direction extends out of the housing and is used to connect with the display screen of the electronic device. The first slider is provided on at least one side of the first swing arm along the second direction, and the first swing arm and the first slider are connected by a concave-convex structure. The first slider is installed inside the housing and can move along the second direction. The first elastic element is provided on the side of the first slider away from the first swing arm. The first elastic element is installed inside the housing and can generate elastic deformation along the second direction during the movement of the first slider along the second direction. The first direction is the width direction of the housing, and the second direction is the length direction of the housing.

2. Hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that The housing includes: A shaft cover, the shaft cover having a first mounting groove, the bottom of the first mounting groove being an arc-shaped surface, and the first swing arm being confined within the first mounting groove along a second direction; A fixed support plate is stacked and connected to the shaft cover in a third direction. The fixed support plate has a first mounting surface on the side near the shaft cover. The first mounting surface is an arc-shaped surface. The first mounting surface and the first mounting groove form a rotation space for the arc-shaped structure of the first swing arm. At least one of the first mounting groove and the first mounting surface has the arc-shaped mating surface. The third direction is the thickness direction of the shell.

3. Hinge according to claim 2, characterized in that The dimension of the arc-shaped mating surface along the second direction is smaller than the dimension of the arc-shaped structure along the second direction, and both the first mounting groove and the first assembly surface have the arc-shaped mating surface, and the arc-shaped mating surfaces are opposite to each other and limit the first swing arm along the third direction.

4. Hinge according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that The shaft cover has a limiting baffle for limiting the angle of rotation of the first swing arm.

5. Hinge according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The shaft cover has a second mounting groove, and the fixed support plate has a second mounting surface on the side near the shaft cover. The first slider is locked between the second mounting groove and the second mounting surface in the third direction by a connector.

6. Hinge according to claim 5, characterized in that The first slider has a sliding tongue on at least one side along the first direction, and the shaft cover and the fixed support plate are used to clamp the sliding tongue, restricting the degree of freedom of the first slider along the third direction.

7. Hinge according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that The first slider has a waist-shaped clearance hole extending along the second direction, and the connector passes through the clearance hole and limits the movement of the first slider along the second direction.

8. Hinge according to any of claims 5 to 7, characterized in that The fixed support plate has a positioning block on the side near the shaft cover; The first slider has a guide groove along the second direction, and the positioning block is limited to the guide groove along the first direction.

9. Hinge according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that The shaft cover has a second mounting groove, and the two sidewalls of the second mounting groove along the first direction each have a retaining groove; The first slider has sliding tongues on both sides along the first direction. The sliding tongues are engaged in the slots and can slide along the second direction. The slots are limited to the sliding tongues along the third direction. The first slider is limited to the space between the shaft covers along the first direction.

10. Hinge according to claim 9, characterized in that The dimension of the card slot along the second direction is smaller than the dimension of the second mounting slot along the second direction; The dimension of the slider along the second direction is smaller than the dimension of the slider body of the first slider along the second direction.

11. Hinge according to any of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that The first damping swing arm mechanism includes two first swing arms symmetrically arranged about the second direction centerline of the housing, and the first slider on the same side of the two first swing arms is an integral structure.

12. Hinge according to claim 11, characterized in that The first damping swing arm mechanism is arranged in multiple ways along the second direction of the housing, and the first damping swing arm mechanism includes a first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on one side and a first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on both sides. The first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on one side has a concave cam surface on one side along the second direction, the concave cam surface being used to engage with the first slider, and a limiting block on the other side for limiting the rotation angle of the first swing arm. The first damping swing arm mechanism that generates damping force on both sides has concave cam surfaces on both sides along the second direction, and the concave cam surfaces are used to engage with the first slider on the corresponding side.

13. The hinge of claim 11, wherein, Adjacent first sliders share the same set of first elastic elements.

14. Hinge according to any of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that Also includes: The second damping swing arm mechanism, wherein the first damping swing arm mechanism and the second damping swing arm mechanism are arranged along the second direction of the housing; The second damping swing arm mechanism includes: a second swing arm, a second slider, a second elastic element, and a rotating shaft; The rotating shaft is installed inside the housing and arranged along the second direction of the housing. One end of the second swing arm along the first direction is rotatably sleeved on the rotating shaft, and the other end of the second swing arm along the first direction extends out of the housing and is used to connect with the display screen of the electronic device. The second slider is provided on at least one side of the second swing arm along the second direction, and the second swing arm and the second slider are connected by a concave-convex structure. The second slider is installed inside the housing and can move along the second direction. The second elastic element is provided on the side of the second slider away from the second swing arm. The second elastic element is installed inside the housing and can generate elastic deformation along the second direction during the movement of the second slider along the second direction.

15. Hinge according to claim 14, characterized in that The hinge is provided with the second damping swing arm mechanism at both ends along the second direction, and the hinge is provided with the first damping swing arm mechanism at the middle position along the second direction.

16. A foldable electronic device, characterized by It includes a hinge, a first body, and a second body, wherein the hinge is the hinge as described in any one of claims 1 to 15; The first body and the second body are display screens distributed on both sides of the width direction of the hinge, and the first body and the second body are respectively connected to the first swing arms on both sides of the housing along the first direction.

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