Floating-Plate Hinge Structure for Flatter Foldable Displays
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable electronic devices often suffer from screens that are not flat when unfolded, degrading user experience.
Innovation Solution
A hinge design featuring a rotating assembly with a floating plate and slidable components that pivotably couple to mounting positions, allowing the assembly to adapt to the natural bending shape of the screen, ensuring higher flatness and better support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If traditional hinge structures are used to support the screen, then the device can be folded and unfolded, but the screen cannot maintain flatness when unfolded
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge structure employs dynamic components including a rotating assembly that can rotate relative to the base, a floating plate that can move dynamically, and slidable connections that adapt during folding and unfolding operations. These dynamic elements enable the hinge to maintain screen flatness by adjusting their positions during movement, transforming a static support structure into an adaptive dynamic system that preserves screen stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge is divided into multiple independent functional segments: a base, a rotating assembly with multiple mounting positions, and a floating plate. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function independently while contributing to the overall screen support, enabling complex motion control without requiring a monolithic complicated structure.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple mounting positions are provided on the floating plate, then the rotating assembly can adapt to different screen positions, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rotating assembly is designed with multiple mounting positions (first and second mounting positions) on the floating plate, allowing a single component to serve multiple mounting functions. This multi-functionality enables the hinge to adapt to different screen positions and configurations without requiring separate specialized components for each position, thereby improving adaptability while controlling manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating plate acts as an intermediary component between the base and the screen, providing multiple mounting positions that mediate the connection. This intermediary structure allows the rotating assembly to adapt to different positions while maintaining a standardized interface, simplifying the manufacturing process compared to creating multiple specialized mounting components.
3Manufacturing precision
If the rotating assembly is made slidable relative to the mounting position, then the screen support and flatness are improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The slidable connection between the rotating assembly and the mounting position on the floating plate introduces dynamic adjustment capability. This allows the rotating assembly to slide along the mounting position during folding and unfolding, enabling precise adaptation to the screen's natural bending shape and improving fitting precision without requiring overly complex mechanical mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The slidable connection allows for parameter changes in the position and orientation of the rotating assembly relative to the mounting position. By enabling continuous adjustment of these parameters during movement, the hinge achieves high screen fitting precision and flatness while maintaining a relatively simple mechanism compared to rigid fixed-position connections.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
A hinge includes a base and a rotating component. The base extends along a first direction, and the rotating component includes a floating plate and a rotating assembly. A first mounting position and a second mounting position are on the floating plate and spaced apart along a second direction. The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. A first end of the rotating assembly is pivotably coupled to the base, a second end of the rotating assembly is pivotably coupled to the first mounting position and the second mounting position. The rotating assembly is slidable relative to the second mounting position along the second direction.