Extendable Phone Housing Joint Structure for Gap Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electronic devices with extendable housings suffer from gaps that compromise aesthetics, user experience, and increase the risk of dust and foreign matter entry, affecting their service life.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of joint parts that move relative to the housings to fill gaps, combined with an actuating mechanism using elastic members and actuators to automate the process, ensuring a seamless appearance and preventing dust ingress.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the mobile phone housing is in a drawn-out state with a gap between housing parts, then the extendability function is achieved, but the appearance becomes less fine and user experience deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveextendabilityVSAvoidappearance fineness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

A filling component is introduced as an intermediary element between the first and second housing parts. This filling component moves to fill the gap formed when the housing is in the drawn-out state, thereby maintaining appearance fineness while preserving extendability functionality. The filling component acts as a mediator that resolves the contradiction between the gap necessary for extendability and the gapless appearance desired by users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a gap is formed between housing parts in drawn-out state, then extendability is enabled, but leakproofness is reduced and dust entry increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveextendabilityVSAvoidleakproofness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The filling component serves as a mediator that seals the gap between housing parts when in the drawn-out state. By moving into the gap, it restores leakproofness and prevents dust and foreign matter from entering the device, while still allowing the housing to extend when needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The filling component is designed to be movable rather than fixed, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position. It moves to fill the gap when the housing is drawn out, maintaining sealability, and can be repositioned when the housing needs to extend, thus resolving the contradiction between extendability and leakproofness through dynamic behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Shape

If joint parts move to fill gaps, then appearance and leakproofness are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveappearance finenessVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The filling component is designed with multi-functionality, serving both aesthetic purposes (filling gaps for appearance) and protective purposes (sealing gaps for leakproofness). This universal component performs multiple functions simultaneously, reducing the need for separate mechanisms and thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enhances the device's appearance and user experience while effectively preventing dust and foreign matter entry, improving longevity by eliminating gaps and simplifying the transition between states.

Implementation Method 1

a first elastic member, disposed on the device body, to push the first joint part to move along the second direction

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

an actuating mechanism using elastic members and actuators to automate the process

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP4418638B1Electronic device
Publication Date: 2026.01.28 VIVO MOBILE COMM CO LTD
  • EP4418638B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4418638B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4418638B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This application pertains to the field of communications technologies, and discloses an electronic device. The electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a display screen, and a first joint part. The display screen is disposed on the first housing and the second housing. There are a drawn-out state and a drawn-back state of the electronic device. When the drawn-back state of the electronic device is switched to the drawn-out state, the first housing and the second housing become farther from each other along a first direction, and the first joint part moves along a second direction to join a lateral wall of the first housing and a lateral wall of the second housing. The first direction is perpendicular to the second direction, and the first direction and the second direction both are parallel to a plane on which the display screen is located.