Foldable Display Support Plate Structure to Prevent Hinge Sticking

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing foldable assemblies for electronic devices face issues where the support plate gets stuck in the gap between the floating plate and the groove structure during folding, preventing smooth unfolding.

Innovation Solution

The proposed foldable assembly includes a support plate with a first and second connection part, where the second connection part has a protruding and recessed part structure, allowing it to fit on the upper end face of the floating plate in the unfolded state and preventing separation during folding, thus avoiding sticking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Shape

If the support plate is disposed between the door plate and the floating plate to ensure flatness, then the flatness between door plate and floating plate is improved, but the support plate is easy to slide into the gap between the floating plate and groove structure to cause sticking

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveflatnessVSAvoidsticking prevention
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The support plate is segmented into a first connection part and a second connection part, with the second connection part having protruding and recessed parts that correspond to gaps in the floating plate. This segmentation allows the support plate to maintain flatness while the protruding parts fit into the gaps to prevent the support plate from sliding into the gap between the floating plate and groove structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protruding and recessed parts act as intermediary structures between the support plate and the floating plate. These intermediary features create mechanical interlocking that prevents the support plate from sliding into the problematic gap, while still allowing the support plate to fulfill its function of ensuring flatness between the door plate and floating plate.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If the floating plate floats downward during folding to reduce overall size, then the compactness after folding is improved, but the support plate may separate from the floating plate and get stuck

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoverall sizeVSAvoidsmooth operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the support plate into connection parts with protruding and recessed features, the design maintains continuous contact between the support plate and floating plate during the folding motion. The protruding parts fit into corresponding gaps in the floating plate, ensuring that even when the floating plate floats downward, the support plate remains properly positioned and does not separate or get stuck.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The support plate design accommodates the dynamic motion of the floating plate during folding. The protruding and recessed parts allow for relative movement while maintaining connection, enabling the floating plate to float downward for compact folding while preventing the support plate from separating or sticking during the dynamic folding process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the door plate rotates to drive the flexible display to fold and unfold, then the flexibility of the display is improved, but the support plate may be bent and stuck causing rotation to fail

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefolding capabilityVSAvoidrotation smoothness
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The segmented design of the support plate with protruding and recessed parts in the second connection part creates a mechanism that guides the rotation motion. The protruding parts fit into gaps in the floating plate, ensuring proper alignment and preventing the support plate from bending or sticking during the rotation of the door plate, thus maintaining smooth folding and unfolding operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The protruding and recessed parts serve as intermediary mechanical features that mediate between the rotating door plate and the floating plate. These features ensure that during rotation, the support plate maintains proper positioning and does not bend or stick, allowing smooth folding and unfolding of the flexible display.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

This design ensures that the door plate can rotate smoothly to fold and unfold the flexible display, preventing the support plate from getting stuck and maintaining the structural integrity and functionality of the foldable assembly.

Implementation Method 1

the protruding part is elastically bent and abuts against the upper end face of the floating plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic bending: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4224826B1Folding assembly of electronic device and electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.05.07 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP4224826B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4224826B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4224826B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

Disclosed are a foldable assembly of an electronic device and an electronic device. The electronic device may be a terminal product that includes a foldable flexible display, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, a virtual reality device, a notebook computer, a super mobile personal computer, a netbook, or a personal digital assistant. Support plates are respectively disposed between each door plate and the floating plate of the foldable assembly, and a protruding part and a recessed part are disposed on a side of the support plate facing the floating plate. In an unfolded state, a protruding part and a recessed part of two support plates correspondingly fit with each other. In a folded state, the protruding part is elastically bent and abuts against an upper end face of the floating plate, and the recessed part is separated from the floating plate. Disposing the protruding part and the recessed part can increase an overall width of the support plate, so that after bending occurs, the support plate can still be located on the upper end face of the floating plate, so as to avoid a case in which the support plate is separated from the floating plate to cause sticking, thereby ensuring that the flexible display can be smoothly folded and unfolded.