Foldable Display Hinge Mechanism With Bending Space Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The bending areas of flexible displays in electronic devices are prone to squeezing during the folding process, leading to excessive bending and potential damage.

Innovation Solution

A folding mechanism with a base, housing seats, screen supporting plates, and swing arms that allow the flexible display to be folded and unfolded while preventing excessive bending by creating an accommodation space for the bending area, using rotating and sliding mechanisms to balance weight and prevent damage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the flexible display is folded, then the device becomes portable and compact, but the bending area is squeezed and excessive bending occurs

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveportabilityVSAvoiddisplay durability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a sliding mechanism that moves in a direction perpendicular to the folding direction, creating additional dimensional space for the bending area. The support plate slides relative to the housing along a sliding groove, providing extra accommodation space that prevents squeezing of the flexible display during folding operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The support plate acts as an intermediary component between the housing and the flexible display. It provides direct support to the bending area of the flexible display during folding, distributing the mechanical stress and preventing excessive bending that would otherwise occur at the hinge location.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If the folding mechanism uses simple rotation, then the structure is simple, but the bending area lacks accommodation space

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanism simplicityVSAvoidaccommodation space
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines rotational and sliding movements to create a dynamic folding mechanism. The support plate both rotates with the housing and slides independently along the sliding groove, adapting its position dynamically during the folding process to provide optimal accommodation space for the bending area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The sliding groove is integrated within the housing structure, and the support plate is nested within the housing cavity. This nested arrangement allows the sliding mechanism to operate within the existing structural boundaries without significantly increasing the overall device volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

Data Source

PatentEP4311209B1Folding mechanism and electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.07.30 VIVO MOBILE COMM CO LTD
  • EP4311209B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4311209B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4311209B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

This application discloses a folding mechanism and an electronic device and belongs to the field of communication devices. The folding mechanism includes a base, a first housing seat, a second housing seat, a first screen supporting plate, a second screen supporting plate and a hinge mechanism, where the first housing seat and the second housing seat are both rotatably connected to the base by means of the hinge mechanism, the first housing seat is rotatably arranged on the first screen supporting plate, and the second housing seat is rotatably arranged on the second screen supporting plate; and both first ends of the first swing arm and the second swing arm are provided with first rotating portions and second rotating portions which are arranged along an extension direction of the base, the base is provided with third rotating portions and fourth rotating portions, the first rotating portions are in rotation fit with the third rotating portions, the second rotating portions are in rotation fit with the fourth rotating portions, and the base and each of the first swing arm and the second swing arm are limited by each other in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the base.