Folding device, and display terminal

Abstract

A folding device, comprising a sliding arm (201), which is slidably connected to a second housing (12) in a first direction, and is further rotatably connected to a third housing (13); and a linkage mechanism (202), one end of which is rotatably connected to a first housing (11), and the other end of which extends to the side of the sliding arm (201) facing the second housing (12). When the first housing (11), the second housing (12) and the third housing (13) are unfolded, the linkage mechanism (202) drives a limiting member body (2031) to at least abut against the sliding arm (201), so as to lock a rotation position between the sliding arm (201) and the third housing (13). In addition, when the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are closed, the linkage mechanism (202) is configured to drive the limiting member body (2031) to at least not abut against the sliding arm (201), so as to unlock the rotation position between the sliding arm (201) and the third housing (13), thereby limiting the folding sequence of a display terminal. Further provided is a display terminal comprising the folding device.

Description

A folding device, a display terminal

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202411642172.9, filed on November 15, 2024, entitled "A Folding Device and Display Terminal", the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application relates to the field of foldable display technology, and more particularly to a foldable device and a display terminal. Background Technology

[0003] With the continuous development of display technology, foldable display terminals are gradually becoming a development trend for future mobile electronic products. When unfolded, foldable display terminals offer a larger display area, enhancing the viewing experience. When folded, they offer a smaller size, making them easy for users to carry. The more foldable parts a display terminal has (referred to as the number of folds), the larger the display area it can provide. However, the more folds a display terminal has, the greater the possibility of users accidentally mishandling the folding sequence, thus increasing the likelihood of damage due to misoperation. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a folding device and a display terminal to reduce the probability of incorrect folding sequence during the folding process of a multi-fold display terminal.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this application adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In one aspect, this application provides a folding device comprising a first housing, a second housing, and a third housing arranged sequentially along a first direction. The folding device also includes a sliding arm, a linkage mechanism, and a limiting assembly. The first and second housings are rotatably connected, and the third housing is rotatably connected to the second housing. Furthermore, the sliding arm is slidably connected to the second housing along the first direction and is also rotatably connected to the third housing. A first end of the linkage mechanism is rotatably connected to the first housing, and a second end of the linkage mechanism extends toward the side where the sliding arm is located. The limiting assembly includes a limiting member body located at the end of the linkage mechanism facing the third housing, and the limiting member body is located between the sliding arm and the second housing. When the first, second, and third housings are in a flattened state, the linkage mechanism drives the limiting member body to at least abut against the sliding arm to lock the rotational position between the sliding arm and the third housing. Furthermore, when the first and second housings are in a closed state, the linkage mechanism drives the limiting member body to at least abut against the sliding arm to unlock the rotational position between the sliding arm and the third housing.

[0007] Based on this, since the third housing is rotatably connected to the second housing, and the sliding arm is slidably connected to the second housing along the first direction, and is also rotatably connected to the third housing, during the rotation of the third housing relative to the second housing, the third housing and the sliding arm rotate relative to each other, causing the sliding arm to slide relative to the second housing along the first direction. In this case, with the first, second, and third housings in a flattened state, the linkage mechanism is used to drive the limiting member body to at least abut against the sliding arm. At this time, the sliding arm cannot move further relative to the second housing, thus preventing the third housing from rotating relative to the sliding arm, thereby locking the rotational position between the sliding arm and the third housing, and thus achieving the purpose of locking the rotational position of the second and third housings. In this way, with the first, second, and third housings in a flattened state, the second and third housings cannot rotate relative to each other.

[0008] Furthermore, when the first housing rotates relative to the second housing, so that the first and second housings are in a closed state, the linkage mechanism is used to drive the limiting member body to at least be in a non-abutting state with the sliding arm. At this time, the sliding arm can move relative to the second housing, thereby allowing the third housing to rotate relative to the sliding arm, thus unlocking the rotational position between the sliding arm and the third housing, thereby achieving the purpose of unlocking the rotational position between the second and third housings. In this way, when the first and second housings are in a closed state, the third housing can rotate relative to the second housing.

[0009] In summary, the second and third housings cannot rotate relative to each other until the first and second housings are closed. Only when the first and second housings are closed can the user rotate the third housing to engage with either the second or first housing. This restricts the folding sequence of the display terminal and reduces the probability of incorrect folding sequence during the folding process of multi-fold display terminals.

[0010] In one optional embodiment, the linkage mechanism includes a first link having a third end and a fourth end disposed opposite to each other. The third end of the first link is rotatably connected to the first housing. The fourth end of the first link is connected to the limiting member body, or, at least when the first housing, second housing, and third housing are in a flattened state, the fourth end of the first link abuts against the limiting member body. The third end of the first link can serve as the first end of the aforementioned linkage mechanism and be rotatably connected to the first housing. The fourth end of the first link can serve as the second end of the aforementioned linkage mechanism and abut against or be connected to the limiting member body. The first link can convert the torque of the first housing into a force that drives the movement of the limiting member body. The first link can be a rod-shaped structure with uniform dimensions along the extension direction of the first link, which is simple in structure and easy to manufacture. Alternatively, as another example, the aforementioned first link can have a bent portion to avoid other components in the display terminal.

[0011] In one optional embodiment, the second housing has a bearing surface, and the linkage mechanism is located on the bearing surface. At least when the first, second, and third housings are in a flattened state, the fourth end abuts against the limiting member body. The surface of the fourth end facing the sliding arm has a first inclined surface. The first inclined surface, facing the end where the first and second housings are rotatably connected, has a first distance L1 between itself and the bearing surface. The first inclined surface, facing the end where the third and second housings are rotatably connected, has a second distance L2 between itself and the second housing, where L1 > L2. When the first, second, and third housings are in a flattened state, the limiting member body also abuts against a portion of the first inclined surface. In this case, during the flattening process of the first, second, and third housings, as described above, the fourth end of the first link can move from right to left along a first direction, allowing the portion with the smaller height of the first inclined surface to contact the limiting member body first. Then, as the first link continues to move to the left, the limiting member body can gradually be positioned at the portion with a larger height on the first inclined surface, and with the first housing, second housing, and third housing in a flattened state, the limiting member body abuts against the sliding arm and a portion of the first inclined surface. In this way, under the action of the aforementioned first inclined surface, the height of the limiting member body can be gradually raised, allowing it to abut against the sliding arm. Furthermore, while the limiting member body abuts against the sliding arm, it also abuts against a portion of the first inclined surface, allowing the upper and lower parts of the limiting member body to abut against other components, thereby improving the stability of the abutment between the limiting member body and the sliding arm.

[0012] In one optional embodiment, the portion of the first inclined surface that abuts against the body of the limiting member is a stepped surface. The height variation trend along the stepped surface is the same as the height variation trend of the first inclined surface. In this case, when the body of the limiting member abuts against different steps in the stepped surface, the fourth end of the first connecting rod can cause the body of the limiting member to abut against the sliding arm, thereby locking the relative rotational position of the second and third housings. In this way, the flattened state of the first, second, and third housings can be finely adjusted so that the included angle between the first and second housings, and the included angle between the second and third housings, can be slightly less than 180°, for example, 175° or 177°, thereby allowing the first and third housings to be slightly tilted, which is beneficial for improving the viewing effect or achieving the purpose of privacy protection.

[0013] In one optional embodiment, the limiting assembly further includes a slider and a first elastic member. The slider is located on the side of the limiting member body facing the rotational connection position between the third housing and the second housing; the slider is slidably connected to the second housing along a first direction. The first elastic member is located on the side of the slider facing the rotational connection position between the third housing and the second housing. One end of the first elastic member is connected to the second housing, and the other end of the first elastic member is connected to the slider. When the first housing, second housing, and third housing are in a flattened state, the limiting member body also abuts against the slider. In this way, when the first housing, second housing, and third housing need to be flattened, during the process of the first connecting rod moving along the first direction to drive the limiting member body to at least abut against the sliding arm, the limiting member body can abut against the slider. In this case, during the movement of the slider, the first elastic member can undergo elastic deformation, such as compressive deformation, thereby absorbing the pressure applied to the slider by the limiting member body, avoiding a direct rigid collision between the limiting member body and the second housing, which could cause damage to the limiting member body or the second housing, thus achieving the purpose of overload protection. Furthermore, the first elastic element that undergoes compression deformation can provide a reaction force to the slider, so that the slider pushes the limiting body and other components (e.g., the sliding arm) to abut more closely, thereby improving the stability of the slider and the sliding arm in clamping the limiting body, increasing the friction between the limiting body and the sliding arm to limit the sliding arm from sliding, and locking the rotational position between the second housing and the third housing, so that the second housing and the third housing cannot rotate relative to each other.

[0014] In one optional embodiment, the limiting component further includes a stop member located on the side of the limiting component body facing the rotational connection position between the first and second housings. The stop member is connected to the second housing, and a fourth end of the stop member passes through it. When the first, second, and third housings are in a flattened state, the stop member abuts against the first connecting rod and the sliding arm. Thus, when the first, second, and third housings are in a flattened state, the stop member, by abutting against the first connecting rod, prevents the leftward movement of the first connecting rod from exceeding a preset value, thereby preventing the first housing from over-flattening due to an excessively large angle of rotation relative to the second housing. Furthermore, by abutting against the sliding arm, the stop member prevents the rightward movement of the sliding arm from exceeding a preset value, thereby preventing the third housing from over-flattening due to an excessively large angle of rotation relative to the second housing.

[0015] In one optional embodiment, the linkage mechanism includes: a linkage body, a second elastic member, and a swing arm. The linkage body is rotatably connected to the first housing. The second elastic member is located on the side of the linkage body opposite to the rotatable connection position between the first and second housings; one end of the second elastic member is connected to the second housing. The swing arm is located on the side of the linkage body opposite to the rotatable connection position between the first and second housings. The extension direction of the swing arm intersects with the first direction, and the swing arm is rotatably connected to the second housing. Along the extension direction of the swing arm, the swing arm has a fifth end and a sixth end. The rotatable connection position between the swing arm and the second housing is located between the fifth end and the sixth end; the sixth end of the swing arm is connected to the linkage body. Wherein, when the first, second, and third housings are in a flattened state, the fifth end of the swing arm abuts against the other end of the second elastic member. The sixth end of the swing arm abuts against the limiting member body. Based on this, when the first, second, and third housings are in a flattened state, the fifth end of the swing arm abuts against the other end of the second elastic member. As can be seen from the above, one end of the second elastic member is connected to the second housing. At this point, the elastic force generated by the elastic deformation of the second elastic element can push the fifth end of the swing arm, allowing the swing arm to rotate relative to the second housing. This causes the sixth end of the swing arm to push the limiting member body against the sliding arm, thereby locking the rotational position between the second and third housings. Furthermore, when the first and second housings are closed, the linkage body can pull the sixth end of the swing arm to the right. When the pulling force applied by the linkage body to the sixth end of the swing arm is greater than the pressure applied by the second elastic element to the fifth end of the swing arm, the swing arm can rotate relative to the second housing, causing the sixth end of the swing arm to no longer push the limiting member body. At this point, the limiting member body no longer abuts against the sliding arm, i.e., a gap exists between the limiting member body and the sliding arm, unlocking the rotational position between the second and third housings.

[0016] In one optional embodiment, the linkage mechanism further includes a third elastic element located between the linkage body and the sixth end of the swing rod. The two ends of the third elastic element are connected to the linkage body and the sixth end of the swing rod, respectively. When the first and second housings are closed, the linkage body can apply a pulling force to the third elastic element; conversely, the third elastic element applies a reaction force to the linkage body. This reaction force allows the linkage body to rotate relative to the first housing, causing the first housing to tilt upwards. At this time, the angle between the first and second housings in the closed state can be slightly greater than 0°, for example, 5°. This facilitates the user's subsequent unfolding of the first and second housings.

[0017] In one optional embodiment, the linkage body is a second connecting rod, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first housing, and the other end of which is connected to the sixth end of the swing rod. The arrangement of the second connecting rod is the same as that of the first connecting rod described above, and will not be repeated here. Alternatively, the linkage body is a steel wire, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first housing, and the other end of which is connected to the sixth end of the swing rod. As can be seen from the above, when the first housing, second housing, and third housing are in a flattened state, even if the linkage body does not apply a pushing force to the sixth end of the swing rod, the sixth end of the swing rod can still push the limiting member body to abut against the sliding arm under the elastic force of the second elastic member. Therefore, when the linkage body can be a steel wire, it can ensure that the sixth end of the swing rod can push the limiting member body to move when the first housing, second housing, and third housing are in a flattened state, and it can also simplify the structure, size, and weight of the linkage body, which is beneficial to the miniaturization design of the product.

[0018] In one optional embodiment, the second housing has a bearing surface, and the linkage mechanism is located on the bearing surface. The limiting component further includes a first protrusion disposed on the bearing surface. The first protrusion has a second inclined surface. The end of the second inclined surface facing away from the linkage mechanism is higher than the end facing the linkage mechanism. When the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing are in a flattened state, the limiting member body also abuts against at least a portion of the second inclined surface. Similarly, during the flattening process of the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing, as described above, the fourth end of the first connecting rod can move from right to left along the first direction, so that the portion with the smaller height of the second inclined surface can first contact the limiting member body. Then, as the first connecting rod continues to move to the left, the limiting member body can gradually be located at the portion with the larger height of the second inclined surface, and when the first housing, the second housing, and the third housing are in a flattened state, the limiting member body abuts against the sliding arm and at least a portion of the second inclined surface to clamp the limiting member body from top to bottom, thereby improving the stability of the abutment between the limiting member body and the sliding arm.

[0019] In one optional embodiment, the end of the second inclined surface facing the third housing is a stepped surface. The technical effects and arrangement of this stepped surface are the same as described above, and will not be repeated here.

[0020] In one optional embodiment, the folding device further includes a second protrusion disposed on the surface of the sliding arm facing the limiting member body; when the first housing, second housing, and third housing are in a flattened state, the limiting member body abuts against the second protrusion. In this way, the second protrusion can further restrict the movement of the limiting member body, fixing the relative position of the limiting member body and the sliding arm, thus improving the effect of locking the relative rotational position of the second and third housings.

[0021] In one optional embodiment, a first receiving groove is provided on the second housing, and the linkage mechanism and the limiting component are located in the first receiving groove. In this way, by placing the linkage mechanism and the limiting component in the first receiving groove, they can be embedded within the second housing, preventing them from protruding from the surface of the second housing. This improves the flatness of the upper surface of the second housing and enhances the reliability of the adhesion or contact between the upper surface and the display screen.

[0022] In one optional embodiment, the folding device further includes a support portion located within a first receiving groove and connected to a second housing. The support portion has a second receiving groove communicating with the first receiving groove. A limiting component is located within the second receiving groove. This allows the various components of the limiting component and the support portion to be positioned on a single supporting surface of the second housing, simplifying the manufacturing process. Furthermore, the second receiving groove can communicate with the first receiving groove; therefore, the linkage mechanism (i.e., the first connecting rod) located in the first receiving groove can extend into the second receiving groove during movement along the first direction, causing the limiting component body to abut against the sliding arm.

[0023] In one optional embodiment, the folding device further includes at least one cover plate that covers at least a portion of the sliding arm, the support portion, the limiting component, and the linkage mechanism, and the cover plate is connected to the second housing. This protects at least a portion of the sliding arm, the support portion, and the limiting component, preventing these components from being exposed and damaged.

[0024] In one optional embodiment, the limiting member body is a ball or roller. The aforementioned ball or roller has a simple structure and is easy to manufacture, thereby helping to reduce costs.

[0025] In another aspect, this application provides a display terminal, which includes a display screen and any of the folding devices described above. The display screen is connected to at least one of the first housing, second housing, and third housing in the folding device. The above-described display terminal has the same technical effects as the folding device provided in the foregoing embodiments, and will not be repeated here.

[0026] In one optional embodiment, the first and second housings are in a closed state, with the portion of the display screen covered by the first and second housings located between them. The third housing is also in a closed state with the second housing, with the portion of the display screen covered by the third housing located between it and the second housing. In this case, the first, second, and third housings can be folded into a "G" shape. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a display terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of another display terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of one structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0030] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0031] Figure 5 is a folding schematic diagram of a display terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0032] Figure 6 is a folding schematic diagram of another display terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 7 is a folding schematic diagram of another display terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0034] Figure 8 is a folding schematic diagram of another display terminal provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device shown in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0036] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0037] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0038] Figure 12 is an enlarged view of the local structure at point A2 in Figure 10;

[0039] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0040] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B1-B2 in Figure 10;

[0041] Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B3-B4 in Figure 3;

[0042] Figure 16 is an enlarged view of a partial mechanism at point A3 in Figure 14;

[0043] Figure 17 is an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at point A3 in Figure 14;

[0044] Figure 18 is an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at point A3 in Figure 14;

[0045] Figure 19 is an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at point A3 in Figure 14;

[0046] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0047] Figure 21 is another sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B1-B2 in Figure 10;

[0048] Figure 22 is an enlarged view of section A4 in Figure 21;

[0049] Figure 23 shows another sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B3-B4 in Figure 3;

[0050] Figure 24 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0051] Figure 25 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0052] Figure 26 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0053] Figure 27 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0054] Figure 28 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0055] Figure 29 is another sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B1-B2 in Figure 10;

[0056] Figure 30 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2;

[0057] Figure 31 is an enlarged view of a partial mechanism at point A6 in Figure 29;

[0058] Figure 32 is an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at point A6 in Figure 29;

[0059] Figure 33 is another sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B3-B4 in Figure 3;

[0060] Figure 34 is a schematic diagram of another structure of the folding device in Figure 1 or Figure 2.

[0061] Reference numerals: 01-Display terminal; 10-Display screen; 20-Folding device; 11-First housing; 12-Second housing; 13-Third housing; 101-First hinge mechanism; 102-Second hinge mechanism; 200-Folding sequence limiting mechanism; 201-Sliding arm; 202-Linkage mechanism; 121-Bearing surface; 301-First receiving groove; 203-Limiting component; 2021-First connecting rod; 2031-Limiting component body; 402-Second protrusion S1 - First inclined surface; 401 - First protrusion; S2 - Second inclined surface; 2031 - Limiting component body; 2032 - Slider; 2033 - First elastic component; 2034 - Stop component; 204 - Bearing part; 2041 - Second receiving groove; 205 - First cover plate; 206 - Second cover plate; 2022 - Linkage component body; 2023 - Second elastic component; 2024 - Rocker arm; 20241 - Pin; 2025 - Third elastic component. Detailed Implementation

[0062] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments.

[0063] In the following description, the terms "first," "second," etc., are used for descriptive convenience only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined with "first," "second," etc., may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, unless otherwise stated, "a plurality of" means two or more.

[0064] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the term "connection" shall be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" may be a fixed mechanical connection, a detachable mechanical connection, or an integral part; or, "connection" may be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium.

[0065] In the embodiments of this application, the terms "vertical" and "parallel" respectively indicate approximately vertical and approximately parallel within a certain error range. This error range can be a range where the deviation angle relative to absolute verticality and absolute parallelism is less than or equal to 5°, 8°, or 10°, respectively, and is not specifically limited here.

[0066] In the embodiments of this application, directional terms such as "up," "down," "left," and "right" may be defined relative to the orientation of the components shown in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that these directional terms can be relative concepts, used for relative description and clarification, and can change accordingly depending on the orientation of the components in the accompanying drawings.

[0067] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this application, components are represented by guide lines with arrows; parts are represented by guide lines only; openings, holes, and other openings are represented by guide lines with wavy lines at the ends.

[0068] This application provides a display terminal that can be applied to various communication systems or protocols, such as Bluetooth (BT), Global Positioning System (GPS), Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, and other future communication technologies. The display terminal in this application can be a mobile phone, tablet, laptop, smart home device, smart wearable device (e.g., smartwatch, smart bracelet, smart glasses, smart helmet), virtual reality (VR) display terminal, augmented reality (AR) display terminal, etc. The display terminal can also be a handheld device with wireless communication function, a computing device or other processing device connected to a wireless modem, a vehicle-mounted device, a display terminal in a 5G network, or a display terminal in a future public land mobile network (PLMN), etc., and the embodiments of this application are not limited to this.

[0069] In some embodiments, the display terminal may have a display function. In this case, the display terminal may include a display screen and a processor electrically connected to the display screen. The processor may provide display data to the display screen to drive the display screen to display images. For example, the processor may include one or more processing units, such as an application processor (AP), a modem processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), an image signal processor (ISP), a controller, a video codec, a digital signal processor (DSP), a baseband processor, and / or a neural network processing unit (NPU). Different processing units may be independent devices or integrated into one or more processors.

[0070] In addition, the aforementioned display terminal may also include an external memory interface electrically connected to the processor, internal memory, a universal serial bus (USB) interface, a charging management module, a power management module, a battery, an antenna, a mobile communication module, a wireless communication module, an audio module, a speaker, a receiver, a microphone, a headphone jack, a sensor module, buttons, and a camera. The sensor module may include pressure sensors, gyroscopes, barometric pressure sensors, magnetic sensors, accelerometers, proximity sensors, near-field sensors, fingerprint sensors, temperature sensors, touch sensors, ambient light sensors, and bone conduction sensors.

[0071] For ease of explanation, the following description uses a foldable phone as an example of the display terminal. In this case, as shown in FIG1, the display terminal 01 may include a display screen 10. In some embodiments of this application, the display screen 10 may be a self-emissive display screen, such as an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display screen, a micro (or mini) light-emitting diode (LED) display screen, or a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED) display screen, etc. Alternatively, in other embodiments of this application, the display screen 10 may also be a liquid crystal display (LCD) that requires a backlight.

[0072] Furthermore, in order to support the display screen 10 during the folding or unfolding process of the display terminal 01, as shown in FIG1, the display terminal 01 may also include a folding device 20. This folding device 20 can be stacked on the back of the display screen 10. In some embodiments of this application, when the display terminal 01 is a three-fold display terminal, the folding device 20 may include a first housing 11, a second housing 12, and a third housing 13 arranged sequentially along a first direction X. The display screen 10 can be connected to at least one of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13.

[0073] For example, any one of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 described above may include a middle frame and a rear housing located on the side of the middle frame opposite to the display screen 10. The middle frame and the rear housing may enclose a receiving space for accommodating components such as circuit boards, batteries, cameras, and sensors.

[0074] Furthermore, the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are rotatably connected, and the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 are rotatably connected, thereby allowing the display terminal 01 to be in the flattened state shown in FIG. 1. For example, when the display terminal 01 is in the flattened state shown in FIG. 1, the included angle α between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, or the included angle β between the first housing 11 and the third housing 13, can be or approximately 180°. Alternatively, where a certain angular tolerance is allowed, for example, the aforementioned included angle α or β can also be values ​​such as 165°, 177°, or 185°. In this case, the surfaces of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 facing the display screen 10 can be in or approximately in the same plane. In this case, when the display terminal 01 is in the flattened state shown in FIG. 1, the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are also in the flattened state.

[0075] Based on this, in order to allow the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 to rotate relative to each other, and the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 to rotate relative to each other, as shown in FIG2, the folding device 20 may further include a first hinge mechanism 101 and a second hinge mechanism 102. The first hinge mechanism 101 may be located between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, and the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are respectively rotatably connected to the first hinge mechanism 101, so that the first housing 11 can be indirectly rotatably connected to the second housing 12 through the first hinge mechanism 101. Furthermore, the second hinge mechanism 102 may be located between the third housing 13 and the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 are respectively rotatably connected to the second hinge mechanism 102, so that the third housing 13 can be indirectly rotatably connected to the second housing 12 through the second hinge mechanism 102.

[0076] In this application embodiment, the structure of the first hinge mechanism 101 and the second hinge mechanism 102 is not limited, as long as the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are rotatably connected to the first hinge mechanism 101 respectively, and the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 are rotatably connected to the second hinge mechanism 102 respectively.

[0077] Based on the fact that, when the display terminal 01 is in the flattened state as shown in Figure 1, and the user needs to fold the display terminal 01, in some embodiments, the first housing 11 can be folded first. As shown in Figure 3, an external force can be applied to the first housing 11, causing the first housing 11 to rotate relative to the second housing 12, flipping the first housing 11 above the second housing 12, thus folding the first housing 11 and placing the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 in a closed state. At this time, the included angle between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can be 0°. Alternatively, if a certain angular tolerance is allowed, when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in the closed state, the included angle between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 can also be 2° or 5°, etc.

[0078] Next, as shown in Figure 4, the third housing 13 is folded. For example, an external force can be applied to the third housing 13, causing it to rotate relative to the second housing 12, flipping it over to be above the first housing 11, thus folding the third housing 13 so that it closes behind the first housing 11. In this case, the angle between the first housing 11 and the third housing 13 can be 0°. Alternatively, if a certain angular tolerance is allowed, the angle can be 2° or 5°, etc.

[0079] To illustrate the positional relationships of the various components in the display terminal 01, an XYZ coordinate system is established in the accompanying drawings. For example, the XY plane can be parallel to the display surface (the surface used to display images) of the display screen 10 when the display terminal 01 is in its flattened state as shown in Figure 1. The X direction can be the direction in which the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are arranged sequentially when the display terminal 01 is in its flattened state as shown in Figure 1. The Y direction can be parallel to the extension direction of the first hinge mechanism 101 or the second hinge mechanism 102 in Figure 2. That is, when the first housing 11 rotates relative to the second housing 12, the Y direction can be parallel to the direction of the rotation center of the first housing 11. Similarly, when the third housing 13 rotates relative to the second housing 12, the Y direction can be parallel to the direction of the rotation center of the third housing 13.

[0080] Furthermore, the Z direction can be the stacking direction of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 when they are in the closed state shown in FIG. 4. That is, the Z direction can be the thickness direction of the display terminal 01 or the aforementioned housings. The Y direction is perpendicular to the Z direction. The X direction can be perpendicular to the extension direction of the first hinge mechanism 101 or the extension direction of the second hinge mechanism 102 (i.e., the Y direction), and the X direction is also perpendicular to the thickness direction of the aforementioned display terminal 01 or the aforementioned housings (i.e., the Z direction). Therefore, the X, Y, and Z directions are mutually perpendicular. For ease of explanation, the X direction will be referred to as the first direction X below.

[0081] Furthermore, the above example illustrates that the folding device 20 has three sequentially adjacent housings, such as a first housing 11, a second housing 12, and a third housing 13. This application does not limit the number of housings in the folding device 20, as long as it includes at least three sequentially adjacent housings (e.g., a first housing 11, a second housing 12, and a third housing 13). For ease of explanation, the following examples all use the folding device 20 having the aforementioned first housing 11, second housing 12, and third housing 13.

[0082] This application does not limit the position of the display screen 10 when the display terminal 01 is folded. For example, the display terminal 01 can be an inward-folding display terminal, in which case, when the display terminal 01 is folded, the display screen 10 is enclosed by the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13. Alternatively, as another example, the display terminal 01 can be an outward-folding or partially outward-folding display terminal, in which case, when the display terminal 01 is folded, at least one of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 is enclosed by the display screen 10, and at least a portion of the display surface of the display screen 10 can serve as the outer side of the display terminal 01.

[0083] Furthermore, Figure 4 illustrates an example where the first housing 11 is folded between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13, all in the closed state. In this case, the first housing 11, second housing 12, and third housing 13 can be folded into a "G" shape. As shown in Figure 5, with the first housing 11 and second housing 12 closed, the portion of the display screen 10 covered by the first housing 11 and second housing 12 is located between the first housing 11 and second housing 12. Similarly, with the third housing 13 and second housing 12 closed, the portion of the display screen 10 covered by the third housing 13 is located between the third housing 13 and second housing 12.

[0084] As described above, in order to fold the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 into the "G" shape shown in Figure 5, the first housing 11 must be folded first, and then the third housing 13, while the display terminal 01 is in the flattened state shown in Figure 1. However, if the user misoperates the folding sequence during the folding process, as shown in Figure 6, the third housing 13 will rotate relative to the second housing 12 first, and then the first housing 11 will be folded. In this case, the first housing 11 and the third housing 13 will collide at position A1 during the folding process. Alternatively, the third housing 13 may close onto the second housing 12 first, preventing the first housing 11 from closing with the second housing 12, thus increasing the probability of damage to the display terminal 01.

[0085] Alternatively, in some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG7, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are all in a closed state, the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 can be folded into an "S" shape. In this case, the portion of the display screen 10 covered by the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 is located between the third housing 13 and the second housing 12. Furthermore, when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in a closed state, the portion of the display screen 10 covered by the first housing 11 is located on the side of the first housing 11 facing away from the second housing 12, so that this portion of the display screen 10 is exposed to the outside of the entire display terminal 01.

[0086] Therefore, when the display terminal 01 is in the flattened state as shown in Figure 1, and it is necessary to fold the display terminal 01 into an "S" shape as shown in Figure 7, it can be done as shown in Figure 8: first, close the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, and then close the third housing 13 and the second housing 12. In this way, when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are closed, the portion of the display screen 10 covering the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 can still provide approximately 2 / 3 of the display area to the user. If the user makes a mistake in the folding sequence during the folding process, for example, closing the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 first, only the portion of the display screen 10 covering the first housing 11 will provide approximately 1 / 3 of the display area to the user, thus reducing the display effect.

[0087] Therefore, for both the display terminal 01 folded into a "G" shape as shown in Figure 5 and the display terminal 01 folded into an "S" shape as shown in Figure 7, folding in the preset folding sequence improves the user experience. This application does not limit the folding form of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 in the closed state. For ease of explanation, the following description uses the folding device 20 folded into a "G" shape as shown in Figure 5 as an example to illustrate the structure of the folding device 20 capable of folding in the preset folding sequence. The structure and technical effects of the folding device 20 folded into an "S" shape are similar and will not be elaborated further.

[0088] Based on this, in some embodiments of this application, the folding device 20 further includes a folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 as shown in FIG. 9, which can be disposed between the first housing 11 and the third housing 13. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 can be disposed on the second housing 12. In some embodiments, the second housing 12 can have a bearing surface 121, and the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 can be disposed on the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12.

[0089] For example, as shown in Figure 11, a first receiving groove 301 may be formed on the second housing 12, and the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 may be located within the first receiving groove 301. In this case, the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12 can be the bottom of the first receiving groove 301. In this way, by setting the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 within the first receiving groove 301, the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 can be embedded within the second housing 12, thereby preventing the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 from protruding from the surface of the second housing 12 (e.g., the upper surface of the second housing 12 in Figure 11), thus improving the flatness of the upper surface of the second housing 12, which is more conducive to improving the reliability of the adhesion or contact between the upper surface and the display screen 10. This application does not limit the shape of the first receiving groove 301 and the bearing surface 121.

[0090] Alternatively, as another example, the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12 can be the surface on which the second housing 12 connects to or contacts the display screen 10 (as shown in FIG. 5). In this case, the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 can be located between the display screen 10 and the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12. This application does not limit the arrangement of the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12. For ease of explanation, the following examples use the bottom of the first receiving groove 301 shown in FIG. 11 as an example.

[0091] Continuing as shown in Figure 10, before the first housing 11 is closed with the second housing 12, the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 can lock the rotational position between the third housing 13 and the second housing 12, preventing rotation between them. Furthermore, after the first housing 11 is closed with the second housing 12, the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 can unlock the rotational position between the third housing 13 and the second housing 12, allowing the third housing 13 to rotate relative to the second housing 12, thus limiting the folding sequence of the first housing 11 and the third housing 13 and reducing the probability of folding sequence errors. For example, the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 may include a sliding arm 201 and a linkage mechanism 202. For example, the sliding arm 201 and the linkage mechanism 202 may be located within the first receiving groove 301 shown in Figure 11.

[0092] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12 (an enlarged view of the partial structure at A2 in Figure 10), the sliding arm 201 can be slidably connected to the second housing 12 along the first direction X, and the sliding arm 201 can also be rotatably connected to the third housing 13. For example, when the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 are in a flattened state, during the rotation of the third housing 13 relative to the second housing 12 (e.g., clockwise along the solid arrow in Figure 12), the third housing 13 can also rotate relative to the sliding arm 201 (e.g., clockwise along the solid arrow in Figure 12), thereby allowing the sliding arm 201 to slide relative to the second housing 12 along the first direction X (e.g., close to the second hinge mechanism 102 along the solid arrow in Figure 12).

[0093] Conversely, when the third housing 13 is closed onto the first housing 11 as shown in FIG. 5, during the rotation of the third housing 13 relative to the second housing 12 (e.g., counterclockwise along the dashed arrow in FIG. 12), the third housing 13 can also rotate relative to the sliding arm 201 (e.g., counterclockwise along the dashed arrow in FIG. 12), thereby allowing the sliding arm 201 to slide relative to the second housing 12 along the first direction X (e.g., sliding away from the second hinge mechanism 102 along the direction of the dashed arrow in FIG. 12).

[0094] Based on this, as shown in Figure 13, the first end a1 of the linkage mechanism 202 can be rotatably connected to the first housing 11, and the second end a2 of the linkage mechanism 202 can extend toward the side where the sliding arm 201 is located. For example, the second end a2 of the linkage mechanism 202 can extend toward the side where the sliding arm 201 is located and is located below the sliding arm 201 (i.e., the side where the sliding arm 201 faces the bearing surface 121). Alternatively, for another example, the second end a2 of the linkage mechanism 202 can extend toward the side where the sliding arm 201 is located and is located above the sliding arm 201 (i.e., the side where the sliding arm 201 faces away from the bearing surface 121). This application does not limit the relative positional relationship between the second end a2 of the linkage mechanism 202 and the sliding arm 201. For ease of explanation, the following example uses the case where the second end a2 of the linkage mechanism 202 is located below the sliding arm 201 (i.e., the side where the sliding arm 201 faces the bearing surface 121).

[0095] In this case, continuing as shown in FIG13, when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in a flattened state, during the process of the first housing 11 rotating relative to the second housing 12 (e.g., rotating counterclockwise along the solid arrow in FIG13), the first housing 11 can rotate relative to the linkage mechanism 202 (e.g., rotating counterclockwise along the solid arrow in FIG13), thereby allowing the linkage mechanism 202 to slide relative to the second housing 12 along the first direction X (e.g., sliding close to the first hinge mechanism 101 along the solid arrow direction in FIG13).

[0096] Conversely, with the first housing 11 closed onto the second housing 12 as shown in FIG. 5, and continuing as shown in FIG. 13, as the first housing 11 rotates relative to the second housing 12 (e.g., rotates clockwise along the dashed arrow in FIG. 13), the first housing 11 can rotate relative to the linkage mechanism 202 (e.g., rotates clockwise along the dashed arrow in FIG. 13), thereby allowing the linkage mechanism 202 to slide relative to the second housing 12 along the first direction X (e.g., slides away from the first hinge mechanism 101 along the direction of the dashed arrow in FIG. 13).

[0097] Building upon this, as shown in FIG13, the folding sequence limiting mechanism 200 may further include a limiting component 203. In some embodiments, the limiting component 203 may include a limiting member body 2031 as shown in FIG14 (a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed lines B1-B2 in FIG10). The limiting member body 2031 can be located between the sliding arm 201 and the second housing 12.

[0098] Based on this, as shown in Figure 14, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a flattened state, the linkage mechanism 202 can be used to drive the limiting member body 2031 to at least abut against the sliding arm 201. As mentioned above, the sliding arm 201 is rotatably connected to the third housing 13, and the sliding arm 201 is slidably connected to the second housing 12 along the first direction X. Therefore, when the limiting member body 2031 abuts against the sliding arm 201, the sliding arm 201 cannot move further relative to the second housing 12 (indicated by a double-headed arrow with an "×" in Figure 14), thus preventing the third housing 13 from rotating relative to the sliding arm 201 (indicated by a double-headed arrow with an "×" in Figure 14). This locks the rotational position between the sliding arm 201 and the third housing 13, achieving the purpose of locking the rotational position between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13. In this way, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a flattened state, the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 cannot rotate relative to each other.

[0099] The above example illustrates the situation where the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a fully flattened state as shown in Figure 14 (i.e., the first housing 11 is at a 180° angle to the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 is at a 180° angle to the second housing 12), and the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 cannot rotate relative to each other. In other embodiments of this application, during the flattening process of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13, when a certain preset angle is reached between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12, and between the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 (this preset angle is less than 180°, for example, 160° or 150°), the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a partially flattened state. Similarly, the linkage mechanism 202 can drive the limiting member body 2031 to at least abut against the sliding arm 201, so that the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 cannot rotate relative to each other. For ease of explanation, the following example mainly uses the case where the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a fully flattened state, and the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 cannot rotate relative to each other. Furthermore, when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in the closed state shown in Figure 3, as shown in Figure 15 (a cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along the dotted line B3-B4 in Figure 3), the linkage mechanism 202 is used to drive the limiting member body 2031 to be at least in a non-abutting state with the sliding arm 201 (i.e., there is a gap H between the limiting member body 2031 and the sliding arm 201). At this time, the sliding arm 201 can move relative to the second housing 12 (indicated by a double-headed arrow in Figure 15), thereby allowing the third housing 13 to rotate relative to the sliding arm 201 (indicated by a double-headed arrow in Figure 15), thus unlocking the rotational position between the sliding arm 201 and the third housing 13, achieving the purpose of unlocking the rotational position between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13. In this way, with the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 in the closed state shown in FIG15, the third housing 13 can rotate relative to the second housing 12.

[0100] The above example illustrates the situation where the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in a fully closed state as shown in Figure 15 (i.e., the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are at a 0° angle), and the third housing 13 can rotate relative to the second housing 12. In other embodiments of this application, when the first housing 11 rotates relative to the second housing 12, causing the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 to reach a certain preset angle (the preset angle is greater than 0°, for example, 10°, 20°, or 30°), the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in a partially closed state. In this case, similarly, the linkage mechanism 202 can be used to drive the limiting member body 2031 and the sliding arm 201 into a non-abutting state, so that the third housing 13 can rotate relative to the second housing 12. For ease of explanation, the following example mainly illustrates the situation where the third housing 13 rotates relative to the second housing 12 in a fully closed state.

[0101] In summary, before the user folds the first housing 11 shown in Figure 2 and the second housing 12 are in the closed state shown in Figure 14, the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 cannot rotate relative to each other. Only when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in the closed state shown in Figure 15 can the user rotate the third housing 13 so that the third housing 13 is fastened to the second housing 12 or the first housing 11 as shown in Figure 4. This restricts the folding order of the display terminal to folding the first housing 11 first, and then folding the third housing 13. In this way, the probability of misoperation of the folding order during the folding process of a multi-fold display terminal can be reduced.

[0102] As described above, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a flattened state, the limiting member body 2031 can at least abut against the sliding arm 201. In some other embodiments of this application, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a flattened state, the limiting member body 2031 can also abut against other components besides the sliding arm 201 to improve the reliability of locking the rotational position between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13. The following examples illustrate how the limiting member body 2031 abuts against other components besides the sliding arm 201, based on the specific structures of the linkage mechanism 202 and the limiting component 203.

[0103] In some embodiments of this application, the linkage mechanism 202 may include a first link 2021 as shown in FIG. 14. The first link 2021 may have a third end a3 and a fourth end a4 disposed opposite to each other. The third end a3 of the first link 2021 may serve as the first end a1 of the linkage mechanism 202 (as shown in FIG. 13) and be rotatably connected to the first housing 11. Furthermore, at least when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a flattened state, the fourth end a4 of the first link 2021 may serve as the second end a2 of the linkage mechanism 202 (as shown in FIG. 13) and abut or connect to the limiting member body 2031. The first link 2021 can convert the torque of the first housing 11 into a force that drives the movement of the limiting member body 2031.

[0104] This application does not limit the shape of the first link 2021. For example, the first link 2021 can be a rod-shaped structure with uniform dimensions along its extension direction, which is simple in structure and easy to manufacture. Alternatively, as another example, the first link 2021 can have a bent portion to avoid obstructing other components in the display terminal. Furthermore, the material of the first link 2021 can include metallic or non-metallic materials, and this application does not limit this.

[0105] Based on this, in order to enable the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 to abut against the limiting member body 2031, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG16 (a partial enlarged view of a mechanism at A3 in FIG14), the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can be located below the sliding arm 201 (i.e., the side of the sliding arm 201 facing the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12). In this way, when the limiting member body 2031, the sliding arm 201, and the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 abut against each other, the sliding arm 201 and the first connecting rod 2021 can clamp the limiting member body 2031 from the upper and lower directions respectively, so that the limiting member body 2031 can abut against the sliding arm 201 more tightly, thereby improving the reliability of locking the rotational position between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 (as shown in FIG14).

[0106] For example, the limiting member body 2031 shown in Figure 16 can be a ball or a pin. The structure of such a ball or pin is simple and easy to manufacture, thus helping to reduce costs. Furthermore, when the sliding arm 201 and the first connecting rod 2021 no longer clamp the limiting member body 2031, the limiting member body 2031, as a ball or pin, can be in a free state and roll, making it easier to ensure that the limiting member body 2031 is in a non-contact state with the sliding arm 201, as shown in Figure 15.

[0107] Furthermore, continuing as shown in Figure 16, the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 has a first inclined surface S1 on its surface facing the sliding arm 201. The right end of this first inclined surface S1 has a first distance L1 between it and the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12. The right end of the first inclined surface S1 can be the end facing the position where the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are rotatably connected (i.e., the position of the first hinge mechanism 101) as shown in Figure 14. And, the left end of the first inclined surface S1 has a second distance L2 between it and the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12. The left end of the first inclined surface S1 can be the end facing the position where the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 are rotatably connected (i.e., the position of the second hinge mechanism 102) as shown in Figure 14.

[0108] Based on this, continuing as shown in Figure 16, L1 > L2. Therefore, along the first direction X from left to right, the distance between the first inclined surface S1 and the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12 gradually increases. That is, along the first direction X from left to right, the height of the first inclined surface S1 (the dimension along the Z direction) gradually increases. In this case, during the flattening process of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13, as mentioned above, the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can move from right to left along the first direction X, so that the part with the smaller height of the first inclined surface S1 can first contact the limiting member body 2031. Then, as the first connecting rod 2021 continues to move to the left, the limiting member body 2031 can gradually be located at the part with the larger height of the first inclined surface S1, and when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in Figure 14, the limiting member body 2031 abuts against the sliding arm 201 and a part of the first inclined surface S1.

[0109] In this way, under the action of the first inclined surface S1, the height (dimension along the Z direction) of the limiting member body 2031 can be gradually raised, thereby enabling the limiting member body 2031 to abut against the sliding arm 201. Furthermore, while the limiting member body 2031 abuts against the sliding arm 201, it also abuts against a portion of the first inclined surface S1, allowing the upper and lower parts of the limiting member body 2031 to abut against other components, thus improving the stability of the abutment between the limiting member body 2031 and the sliding arm 201.

[0110] Based on this, the folding device 20 may further include a second protrusion 402 as shown in FIG. 16. The second protrusion 402 may be disposed on the surface of the sliding arm 201 facing the limiting member body 2031. When the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in FIG. 14, the limiting member body 2031 can abut against the second protrusion 402. In this way, the second protrusion 402 can further restrict the movement of the limiting member body 2031, thereby fixing the relative position of the limiting member body 2031 and the sliding arm 201, and improving the effect of locking the relative rotational position of the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 (as shown in FIG. 14).

[0111] For example, the second protrusion 402 can be connected to the sliding arm 201 by adhesive bonding. Alternatively, the second protrusion 402 can also be connected to the sliding arm 201 as an integral structural component, so that the second protrusion 402 can be fabricated during the fabrication of the sliding arm 201. This application does not limit the structure, material, or contact position of the second protrusion 402 with the limiting member body 2031. Figure 16 is an example illustration with the second protrusion 402 located on the left side of the limiting member body 2031.

[0112] Furthermore, in other embodiments, as shown in FIG17 (an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at A3 in FIG14), the portion of the first inclined surface S1 of the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 that abuts against the limiting member body 2031 is a stepped surface. The height variation trend of this stepped surface along the Z direction is the same as the height variation trend of the first inclined surface S1 along the Z direction. For example, when the height (dimension along the Z direction) of the first inclined surface S1 gradually increases from left to right along the first direction X, the height (dimension along the Z direction) of the stepped surface also gradually increases from left to right along the first direction X. In this case, when the limiting member body 2031 abuts against different steps in the stepped surface, the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can always cause the limiting member body 2031 to abut against the sliding arm 201, thereby locking the relative rotational position of the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 (as shown in FIG14).

[0113] In this way, the flattened state of the first shell 11, the second shell 12, and the third shell 13 can be finely adjusted, so that when the first shell 11, the second shell 12, and the third shell 13 are not fully flattened, the included angle between the first shell 11 and the second shell 12, and the included angle between the second shell 12 and the third shell 13 can be slightly less than 180°, for example, 175° or 177°, so that the first shell 11 and the third shell 13 can be slightly raised, which is beneficial to improving the viewing effect or achieving the purpose of privacy protection.

[0114] Figures 16 and 17 above illustrate the contact method between the sliding arm 201 and the first connecting rod 2021 and the limiting member body 2031, using the example of the sliding arm 201 and the first connecting rod 2021 clamping the limiting member body 2031 from both top and bottom directions. In other embodiments, as shown in Figure 18 (an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at A3 in Figure 14), the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can be located above the sliding arm 201 (i.e., on the side of the sliding arm 201 away from the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12). Similarly, when the limiting member body 2031 abuts against the sliding arm 201 and the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021, the first connecting rod 2021 and the sliding arm 201 can clamp the limiting member body 2031 from both top and bottom directions, so that the limiting member body 2031 can abut against the sliding arm 201 more tightly.

[0115] This application does not limit the contact method between the sliding arm 201 and the first connecting rod 2021 and the limiting member body 2031. For ease of explanation, the following description uses the example of the sliding arm 201 and the first connecting rod 2021 clamping the limiting member body 2031 from the top and bottom directions, respectively, as shown in Figure 16. Furthermore, the above description is based on the example of the limiting member body 2031 being a ball or roller, and the limiting member body 2031 being in a free state when the sliding arm 201 and the first connecting rod 2021 are no longer clamping it.

[0116] In other embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG19 (an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at A3 in FIG14), the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can be connected to the limiting member body 2031. For example, the limiting member body 2031 can be bonded to the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 by adhesive bonding. Alternatively, the limiting member body 2031 can also be connected to the first connecting rod 2021 as an integral structural component, thereby completing the fabrication of the limiting member body 2031 during the fabrication of the first connecting rod 2021.

[0117] Furthermore, continuing as shown in Figure 19, the aforementioned limiting component 203 also includes a first protrusion 401, which can be disposed on the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12. This first protrusion 401 may have a second inclined surface S2. The left end of the second inclined surface S2 is higher than the right end. Specifically, the left end of the second inclined surface S2 is the end of the second inclined surface S2 that faces away from the linkage mechanism (i.e., the first connecting rod 2021). The right end of the second inclined surface S2 is the end of the second inclined surface S2 that faces the linkage mechanism (i.e., the first connecting rod 2021).

[0118] Similarly, during the flattening process of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13, as described above, the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can move from right to left along the first direction X, so that the portion with the smaller height of the second inclined surface S2 can first contact the limiting member body 2031. Then, as the first connecting rod 2021 continues to move to the left, the limiting member body 2031 can gradually be located at the portion with the larger height of the second inclined surface S2, and when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in Figure 14, the limiting member body 2031 abuts against at least a portion of the sliding arm 201 and the second inclined surface S2 to clamp the limiting member body 2031 from top to bottom, thereby improving the stability of the abutment between the limiting member body 2031 and the sliding arm 201.

[0119] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 19, when the sliding arm 201 is provided with the aforementioned second protrusion 402, the second protrusion 402 can be located on the right side of the limiting member body 2031, so that the limiting member body 2031 can be clamped from the right and left sides respectively by the second protrusion 402 and the second inclined surface S2, thereby making the limiting member body 2031 abut against the sliding arm 201 more tightly.

[0120] As described above, during the flattening process of the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13, the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can move along the first direction X to drive the limiting member body 2031 to at least abut against the sliding arm 201. Based on this, in order to reduce the rigid collision between the limiting member body 2031 and other components, such as the second housing 12, during the process of the first connecting rod 2021 driving the limiting member body 2031, as shown in FIG20, the limiting component 203 in the folding device 20 may also include a slider 2032 and a first elastic member 2033.

[0121] As shown in Figure 21 (another sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B1-B2 in Figure 10), the slider 2032 can be located on the left side of the limiting member body 2031. The left side of the limiting member body 2031 can be the side facing the rotational connection position between the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 (i.e., the location of the second hinge mechanism 102). The first elastic member 2033 can be located on the left side of the slider 2032. The left side of the slider 2032 can be the side facing the rotational connection position between the third housing 13 and the second housing 12 (i.e., the location of the second hinge mechanism 102).

[0122] As shown in Figure 22 (an enlarged view of section A4 in Figure 21), one end c1 of the first elastic member 2033 is connected to the second housing 12, and the other end c2 of the first elastic member 2033 is connected to the slider 2032. For example, to save installation space, a portion of the first elastic member 2033 can be embedded within the slider 2032. Furthermore, the slider 2032 can be slidably connected to the second housing 12 along the first direction X. Based on this, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in Figure 21, the limiting member body 2031 can also abut against the slider 2032.

[0123] As shown in Figure 22, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 need to be flattened, the first connecting rod 2021 moves along the first direction X to drive the limiting member body 2031 to at least abut against the sliding arm 201, allowing the limiting member body 2031 to abut against the slider 2032. In this case, during the movement of the slider 2032, the first elastic member 2033 can undergo elastic deformation, such as compression deformation, thereby absorbing the pressure applied to the slider 2032 by the limiting member body 2031, preventing the limiting member body 2031 from directly colliding rigidly with the second housing 12, which could cause damage to the limiting member body 2031 or the second housing 12, thus achieving the purpose of overload protection.

[0124] Furthermore, continuing with Figure 22, the first elastic element 2033, which undergoes compression deformation, can provide a reaction force to the slider 2032, causing the slider 2032 to push the limiting body 2031 into closer contact with other components (e.g., the sliding arm 201). This improves the stability of the slider 2032 and the sliding arm 201 in clamping the limiting body 2031, increases the friction between the limiting body 2031 and the sliding arm 201 to limit the sliding of the sliding arm 201, and locks the rotational position between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 (as shown in Figure 21), preventing relative rotation between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13. For example, the first elastic element 2033 can be at least one of a compression spring, a tension spring, a wave spring, or a disc spring.

[0125] Based on this, during the flattening process of the first housing 11 and the third housing 13 relative to the second housing 12, if the angle of rotation of the first housing 11 (or the third housing 13) relative to the second housing 12 is too large, exceeding the preset flattening angle, such as 180° (i.e., excessive flattening), it will cause damage to the aforementioned first hinge mechanism 101 (or second hinge mechanism 102). To solve the above problem, during the process of the first connecting rod 2021 moving along the first direction X to drive the limiting member body 2031 to at least abut against the sliding arm 201, in order to avoid excessive flattening of the first housing 11 or the third housing 13, the aforementioned limiting component 203 may also include a stop member 2034 as shown in FIG. 21. The stop member 2034 may be located on the right side of the limiting member body 2031. The right side of the limiting member body 2031 may be the side of the limiting member body 2031 facing the rotational connection position of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 (i.e., the position where the first hinge mechanism 101 is located).

[0126] As shown in Figure 22, the stop 2034 can be connected to the second housing 12, and the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can pass through the stop 2034. For example, as shown in Figure 20, a notch can be provided below the stop 2034 so that the fourth end a4 of the first connecting rod 2021 can pass through the notch to achieve the purpose of passing through the stop 2034. Based on this, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in Figure 21, the stop 2034 can abut against the first connecting rod 2021, for example, at position A5 in Figure 22. In this way, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state, the stop 2034, by abutting against the first connecting rod 2021, can prevent the leftward movement of the first connecting rod 2021 from exceeding a preset value, thereby preventing the first housing 11 from rotating too much relative to the second housing 12 and causing excessive flattening.

[0127] Furthermore, continuing as shown in Figure 22, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a flattened state, the stop member 2034 can also abut against the sliding arm 201. For example, when the second protrusion 402 is provided on the lower surface of the sliding arm 201, the stop member 2034 can abut against the second protrusion 402, so that the stop member 2034 can indirectly abut against the sliding arm 201 through the second protrusion 402. In this way, the amount of movement of the sliding arm 201 to the right can be prevented from exceeding a preset value, thereby preventing the third housing 13 from over-flattening due to an excessively large angle of rotation relative to the second housing 12.

[0128] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 23 (another cross-sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B3-B4 in Figure 3), when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in a flattened state, the first connecting rod 2021 moves away from the limiting member body 2031 along the first direction X, so that the limiting member body 2031 no longer abuts against the sliding arm 201. At this time, the first connecting rod 2021 may also no longer abut against the stop member 2034.

[0129] As described above, the limiting component 203 may include a limiting body 2031, a slider 2032, a first elastic member 2033, and a stop member 2034. To facilitate the placement of the various parts of the limiting component 203 on the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12, in some embodiments of this application, as shown in FIG24, the folding device 20 may further include a bearing portion 204. This bearing portion 204 may be located within the first receiving groove 301 shown in FIG25. Furthermore, the bearing portion 204 can be connected to the second housing 12. Continuing with FIG24, the bearing portion 204 may have a second receiving groove 2041, which may communicate with the first receiving groove 301 in FIG25. The limiting component 203 (e.g., including the limiting body 2031, slider 2032, first elastic member 2033, and stop member 2034) may be located within the second receiving groove 2041.

[0130] In this case, continuing as shown in Figure 24, the limiting component body 2031, slider 2032, first elastic component 2033, and stop component 2034 in the limiting component 203 can be first placed in the second receiving groove 2041 of the bearing portion 204, and then the bearing portion 204 carrying the limiting component 203 can be placed in the first receiving groove 301 in Figure 25. In this way, each component in the limiting component 203 and the bearing portion 204 can be placed on the bearing surface of the second housing 12 as a single unit, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process. In addition, the second receiving groove 2041 shown in Figure 24 can be connected to the first receiving groove 301 in Figure 25. Therefore, the linkage mechanism (i.e., the first connecting rod 2021) located in the first receiving groove 301 can extend into the second receiving groove 2041 during the movement along the first direction X, causing the limiting component body 2031 to abut against the sliding arm 201.

[0131] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 24 or Figure 25, the folding device 20 may also include at least one cover plate. For example, the folding device 20 may include two cover plates, a first cover plate 205 and a second cover plate 206. As shown in Figure 25, the first cover plate 205 may cover at least a portion of the sliding arm 201, the support portion 204, and the aforementioned limiting component 203. The second cover plate 206 may cover the linkage mechanism 202. Furthermore, the first cover plate 205 and the second cover plate 206 may be connected to the second housing 12 by means of adhesion or threaded connection. As another example, the first cover plate 205 and the second cover plate 206 may be connected as a single structural component. This protects at least a portion of the sliding arm 201, the support portion 204, and the aforementioned limiting component 203, preventing damage caused by exposure of these components.

[0132] Based on this, as shown in Figure 26, after the first cover plate 205 and the second cover plate 206 are connected to the second housing 12, the first cover plate 205 and the second cover plate 206 can be flush with or approximately flush with the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12. In this way, when the aforementioned display screen covers the second housing 12, both the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12 and the first cover plate 205 and the second cover plate 206 can support the display screen, improving the manufacturing performance of the folding device 20 for the display screen.

[0133] The above description uses the first link 2021 shown in Figure 24 as an example to illustrate the linkage mechanism 202. In other embodiments of this application, as shown in Figure 27, the linkage mechanism 202 may include a linkage body 2022, a second elastic member 2023, and a swing arm 2024. The linkage body 2022 is rotatably connected to the first housing 11. The second elastic member 2023 may be located on the left side of the linkage body 2022, which can be the side of the linkage body 2022 away from the position where the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are rotatably connected (i.e., the position where the first hinge mechanism 101 is located). One end (e.g., the left end) of the second elastic member 2023 may be connected to the second housing 12.

[0134] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 28, the rocker arm 2024 is located on the left side of the linkage body 2022. The extension direction of the rocker arm 2024 can be intersected with the first direction X, and the rocker arm 2024 is rotatably connected to the second housing 12 (as shown in Figure 27). Along the extension direction of the rocker arm 2024, the rocker arm 2024 can have a fifth end a5 and a sixth end a6. The rotatable connection position of the rocker arm 2024 with the second housing 12 (as shown in Figure 27) (for example, position A6 in Figure 28) can be located between the fifth end a5 and the sixth end a6. In this case, when the rocker arm 2024 rotates relative to the second housing 12 (as shown in Figure 27), the fifth end a5 and the sixth end a6 of the rocker arm 2024 deflect in opposite directions.

[0135] For example, continuing as shown in Figure 28, the folding device 20 may further include a pin 20241, which can be connected to the second housing 12 in Figure 27. Furthermore, the pin 20241 can pass through the swing rod 2024 at position A6 (between the fifth end a5 and the sixth end a6), and the swing rod 2024 can be rotatably connected to the pin 20241, thereby allowing the swing rod 2024 to rotate relative to the second housing 12 via the pin 20241.

[0136] Based on this, the sixth end a6 of the swing arm 2024 can be connected to the linkage body 2022. For example, the linkage body 2022 can be a second link, with one end c3 rotatably connected to the first housing 11 (as shown in Figure 27), and the other end c4 connected to the sixth end a6 of the swing arm 2024. The material, shape, and other settings of the second link are similar to those of the first link 2021, and will not be elaborated here. Alternatively, the linkage body 2022 can be a steel wire, with one end c3 rotatably connected to the first housing 11 (as shown in Figure 27), and the other end c4 connected to the sixth end a6 of the swing arm 2024.

[0137] Based on this, with the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 in a flattened state as shown in Figure 29 (another sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B1-B2 in Figure 10), as shown in Figure 30, the fifth end a5 of the rocker arm 2024 abuts against the other end d2 (e.g., the right end) of the second elastic member 2023. As mentioned above, one end d1 (e.g., the left end) of the second elastic member 2023 is connected to the second housing 12 shown in Figure 29. At this time, the elastic force generated by the elastic deformation of the second elastic member 2023 can push the fifth end a5 of the rocker arm 2024 to the right along the solid arrow, so that the rocker arm 2024 can rotate relative to the second housing 12 via the pin 20241 (e.g., rotate clockwise), so that the sixth end a6 of the rocker arm 2024 moves to the left, thereby pushing the limiting member body 2031 to move to the left.

[0138] Based on this, as shown in Figure 31 (an enlarged view of a partial mechanism at A6 in Figure 29), the leftward-moving limiting member body 2031 can abut against the sliding arm 201 to lock the rotational position between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13 when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in Figure 29. In some embodiments, the aforementioned second protrusion 402 (as shown in Figure 16) can be provided on the surface of the sliding arm 201 facing the limiting member body 2031. The arrangement and technical effects of the second protrusion 402 will not be described in detail here.

[0139] As described above, when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state as shown in Figure 29, even if the linkage body 2022 does not apply a leftward pushing force to the sixth end a6 of the swing rod 2024, the sixth end a6 of the swing rod 2024 can still push the limiting body 2031 to abut against the sliding arm 201 under the elastic force of the second elastic member 2023. Therefore, when the linkage body 2022 can be a steel wire, it can ensure that the sixth end a6 of the swing rod 2024 can push the limiting body 2031 to move to the left when the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state, and it can also simplify the structure, size, and weight of the linkage body 2022, which is beneficial to the miniaturization design of the product.

[0140] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 31, a groove can be formed on the sixth end a6 of the rocker arm 2024 to accommodate the limiting member body 2031. As described above, the limiting member body 2031 can be a ball bearing or a roller, and it can rotate within the groove. When the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in Figure 29, the limiting member body 2031 can simultaneously abut against the sliding arm 201 and the sixth end a6 of the rocker arm 2024, i.e., the sidewall of the groove.

[0141] Alternatively, as shown in Figure 32 (an enlarged view of another partial mechanism at A6 in Figure 29), the limiting member body 2031 can be located to the left of the sixth end a6 of the swing arm 2024. Furthermore, the aforementioned first protrusion 401 can be provided on the bearing surface 121 of the second housing 12. When the first housing 11, second housing 12, and third housing 13 are in the flattened state shown in Figure 29, the limiting member body 2031 can simultaneously abut against the sliding arm 201, the second inclined surface S2 of the first protrusion 401, and the sixth end a6 of the swing arm 2024. The arrangement of the first protrusion 401 and the second inclined surface S2 is as described above and will not be repeated here.

[0142] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 33 (another sectional view obtained by cutting along the dashed line B3-B4 in Figure 3), when the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 are in the closed state, as shown in Figure 34, the linkage body 2022 can move to the right along the solid arrow, thereby driving the sixth end a6 of the rocker arm 2024 to move to the right. When the tension applied by the linkage body 2022 to the sixth end a6 of the rocker arm 2024 is greater than the pressure applied by the second elastic member 2023 to the fifth end a5 of the rocker arm 2024, the rocker arm 2024 can rotate relative to the second housing 12 via the pin 20241 (for example, rotate counterclockwise), so that the sixth end a6 of the rocker arm 2024 no longer pushes the limiting member body 2031. Based on this, continuing as shown in Figure 33, the limiting member body 2031 can be in a free state and no longer abut against the sliding arm 201, that is, there is a gap between the limiting member body 2031 and the sliding arm 201, so as to unlock the rotational position between the second housing 12 and the third housing 13. The above is an example of the relative movement between the limiting member body 2031 and the linkage body 2022. In some other embodiments of this application, the limiting member body 2031 and the linkage body 2022 are connected so that the positions of the limiting member body 2031 and the linkage body 2022 are relatively fixed, and the limiting member body 2031 can move synchronously with the linkage body 2022.

[0143] Based on this, as shown in Figure 34, the linkage mechanism 202 may further include a third elastic element 2025. This third elastic element 2025 can be located between the linkage body 2022 and the sixth end a6 of the swing rod 2024. Both ends of the third elastic element 2025 are connected to the linkage body 2022 and the sixth end a6 of the swing rod 2024, respectively. The arrangement of the second elastic element 2023 and the third elastic element 2025 is similar to that of the first elastic element, and will not be repeated here.

[0144] In this situation, with the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 in the closed state as shown in Figure 33, and continuing as shown in Figure 34, the linkage body 2022 can apply a rightward pulling force to the third elastic member 2025, and conversely, the third elastic member 2025 applies a rightward reaction force to the linkage body 2022. This reaction force allows the linkage body 2022 to rotate relative to the first housing 11 shown in Figure 34, thereby causing the first housing 11 to tilt upwards along the Z direction. At this time, the included angle between the first housing 11 and the second housing 12 in the closed state can be slightly greater than 0°, for example, 5°. This facilitates the user's subsequent unfolding of the first housing 11 and the second housing 12.

[0145] Furthermore, as described above, when the linkage body 2022 is the second linkage mentioned above, and the first housing 11, the second housing 12, and the third housing 13 are in a flattened state, the linkage body 2022 will move to the left, thereby applying pressure to the third elastic member 2025. At this time, the third elastic member 2025 can undergo compression deformation, preventing the linkage body 2022 from directly colliding rigidly with other components, thus avoiding damage to the linkage body 2022 or other components, and achieving the purpose of overload protection.

[0146] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A folding device (20) characterized by, include: A first housing (11), a second housing (12), and a third housing (13) are arranged sequentially along a first direction (X); the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are rotatably connected; the third housing (13) is rotatably connected to the second housing (12); A sliding arm (201) is slidably connected to the second housing (12) along the first direction (X), and the sliding arm (201) is also rotatably connected to the third housing (13); A linkage mechanism (202) is provided, the first end of which is rotatably connected to the first housing (11); the second end of which extends toward the side where the sliding arm (201) is located. The limiting component (203) includes a limiting body (2031), which is located between the sliding arm (201) and the second end of the linkage mechanism (202); When the first housing (11), the second housing (12), and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the linkage mechanism (202) is used to drive the limiting member body (2031) to at least abut against the sliding arm (201) to lock the rotational position between the sliding arm (201) and the third housing (13); when the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are in a closed state, the linkage mechanism (202) is used to drive the limiting member body (2031) to at least abut against the sliding arm (201) to unlock the rotational position between the sliding arm (201) and the third housing (13).

2. The folding device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The linkage mechanism (202) includes a first link (2021), which has a third end and a fourth end that are disposed opposite to each other; the third end is rotatably connected to the first housing (11); The fourth end is connected to the limiting member body (2031), or at least when the first housing (11), the second housing (12) and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the fourth end abuts against the limiting member body (2031).

3. The folding device (20) according to claim 2, characterized in that The second housing (12) has a bearing surface (121), and the linkage mechanism (202) is located on the bearing surface (121); At least when the first housing (11), the second housing (12), and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the fourth end abuts against the limiting member body (2031); The fourth end has a first inclined surface (S1) facing the sliding arm (201); the first inclined surface (S1) is at one end of the rotational connection position between the first housing (11) and the second housing (12), and has a first distance L1 between it and the bearing surface (121); the first inclined surface (S1) is at one end of the rotational connection position between the third housing (13) and the second housing (12), and has a second distance L2 between it and the second housing (12), wherein L1 > L2; When the first housing (11), the second housing (12) and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the limiting member body (2031) also abuts against a portion of the first inclined surface (S1).

4. The folding device (20) according to claim 3, characterized in that In the first inclined surface (S1), the portion that abuts against the limiting member body (2031) is a stepped surface.

5. The folding device (20) according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The limiting component (203) also includes: The slider (2032) is located on the side of the limiting member body (2031) facing the position where the third housing (13) and the second housing (12) are rotatably connected; the slider (2032) is slidably connected to the second housing (12) along the first direction (X); The first elastic element (2033) is located on the side of the slider (2032) facing the position where the third housing (13) and the second housing (12) are rotatably connected; one end of the first elastic element (2033) is connected to the second housing (12), and the other end of the first elastic element (2033) is connected to the slider (2032); When the first housing (11), the second housing (12) and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the limiting member body (2031) also abuts against the slider (2032).

6. The folding device (20) according to any one of claims 2-5, characterized in that The limiting component (203) also includes: A stop (2034) is located on the side of the limiting member body (2031) facing the rotational connection position of the first housing (11) and the second housing (12), and the stop (2034) is connected to the second housing (12); the fourth end passes through the stop (2034); When the first housing (11), the second housing (12), and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the stop (2034) abuts against the first connecting rod (2021) and the sliding arm (201).

7. The folding device (20) according to claim 1, characterized in that The linkage mechanism (202) includes: The linkage body (2022) is rotatably connected to the first housing (11); The second elastic element (2023) is located on the side of the linkage body (2022) away from the rotational connection position between the first housing (11) and the second housing (12); one end of the second elastic element (2023) is connected to the second housing (12); A rocker arm (2024) is located on the side of the linkage body (2022) away from the rotatable connection position between the first housing (11) and the second housing (12); the extension direction of the rocker arm (2024) intersects the first direction (X), and the rocker arm (2024) is rotatably connected to the second housing (12); along the extension direction of the rocker arm (2024), the rocker arm (2024) has a fifth end and a sixth end; the rotatable connection position between the rocker arm (2024) and the second housing (12) is located between the fifth end and the sixth end; the sixth end of the rocker arm (2024) is connected to the linkage body (2022); When the first housing (11), the second housing (12), and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the fifth end of the swing rod (2024) abuts against the other end of the second elastic member (2023); the sixth end of the swing rod (2024) abuts against the limiting member body (2031).

8. The folding device (20) according to claim 7, characterized in that The linkage mechanism (202) also includes: The third elastic element (2025) is located between the linkage body (2022) and the sixth end of the swing rod (2024); the two ends of the third elastic element (2025) are respectively connected to the linkage body (2022) and the sixth end of the swing rod (2024).

9. The folding device (20) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that, The linkage body (2022) is the second link, one end of the second link is rotatably connected to the first housing (11), and the other end of the second link is connected to the sixth end of the swing rod (2024); or, The linkage body (2022) is a steel wire, one end of which is rotatably connected to the first housing (11), and the other end of which is connected to the sixth end of the swing rod (2024).

10. The folding device (20) according to any one of claims 2 or 7-9, characterized in that, The second housing (12) has a bearing surface (121), and the linkage mechanism (202) is located on the bearing surface (121); The limiting component (203) further includes a first protrusion disposed on the bearing surface (121); the first protrusion has a second inclined surface (S2); the end of the second inclined surface (S2) away from the linkage mechanism (202) is higher than the end of the linkage mechanism (202); the end of the second inclined surface (S2) facing the linkage mechanism (202) is higher. When the first housing (11), the second housing (12) and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the limiting member body (2031) also abuts against at least a portion of the second inclined surface (S2).

11. The folding device (20) according to any one of claims 1-10, characterized in that The folding device (20) further includes: The second protrusion (402) is disposed on the surface of the sliding arm (201) facing the limiting member body (2031); when the first housing (11), the second housing (12) and the third housing (13) are in a flattened state, the limiting member body (2031) abuts against the second protrusion (402).

12. The folding device (20) according to any one of claims 1-11, characterized in that The second housing (12) has a first receiving groove (301), and the linkage mechanism (202) and the limiting component (203) are located in the first receiving groove (301).

13. The folding device (20) according to claim 12, characterized in that The folding device (20) further includes: The support part (204) is located in the first receiving groove (301) and is connected to the second housing (12); the support part (204) has a second receiving groove (2041) and is connected to the first receiving groove (301); the limiting component (203) is located in the second receiving groove (2041).

14. The folding device (20) according to claim 13, characterized in that The folding device (20) further includes: At least one cover plate covers at least a portion of the sliding arm (201), the bearing portion (204), the limiting component (203), and the linkage mechanism (202), and the cover plate is connected to the second housing (12).

15. The folding device (20) according to any one of claims 1-14, characterized in that The limiting component body (2031) is a ball or roller.

16. A display terminal (01), characterized by include: Display screen (10); In the folding device (20) according to any one of claims 1-15, the display screen (10) is connected to at least one of the first housing (11), the second housing (12) and the third housing (13) in the folding device (20).

17. The display terminal (01) according to claim 16, characterized in that, When the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) are in a closed state, the portion of the display screen (10) covered by the first housing (11) and the second housing (12) is located between the first housing (11) and the second housing (12); When the third housing (13) and the second housing (12) are in a closed state, the portion of the display screen (10) covered by the third housing (13) is located between the third housing (13) and the second housing (12).

Images