Foldable Display Hinge Structure for Stable Rear-Side Support
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Solution Overview
Problem
Flexible displays in foldable electronic devices face challenges in withstanding repetitive folding operations and are vulnerable to shock, requiring stable support in a folded state without level differences on the rear face.
Innovation Solution
The electronic apparatus features a hinge device with a hinge main body and support plates that securely support the flexible display, using locking strips to maintain flatness and stability during folding and unfolding, ensuring no level differences between components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the flexible display is made thin to reduce device size, then the device becomes more compact and portable, but the display becomes vulnerable to shock and requires stable support
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge device includes support plates positioned to contact and support the rear face of the flexible display before shock or damage can occur. These support plates act as a protective structure that is already in place, preventing damage to the thin display during folding operations or external impacts.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge device serves as an intermediary structure between the flexible display and the external environment. It includes components such as support plates and locking strips that mediate the mechanical stresses, protecting the vulnerable thin display from direct exposure to shock and deformation forces.
2Volume of moving object
If the display is folded with a small radius of curvature to achieve compact form, then the folded device becomes smaller, but the flexible display may deform or fail
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge device includes support plates positioned to contact and support the rear face of the flexible display before folding occurs. These support plates prevent excessive bending stresses by providing a backing structure that maintains the display's structural integrity during folding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge device controls the folding parameters by using locking strips and support plates to regulate the radius of curvature during folding. This ensures the display is folded within safe mechanical limits that prevent deformation or failure while still achieving compact form.
3Stability of the object's composition
If locking mechanisms are added to stabilize the display in folded state, then the display stability improves, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking strips are integrated into the hinge device structure itself rather than being separate components. The support plates are also merged with the hinge body, creating a unified structure that provides both support and locking functions without requiring additional separate mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge device performs multiple functions: it provides structural support for the flexible display, enables folding motion, and includes locking strips that stabilize the display in the folded state. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention aims to provide an electronic apparatus which makes it possible to stably support a display to be folded. The electronic apparatus includes a first chassis, a second chassis, a hinge device which so connects the first chassis and the second chassis as to be rotationally movable relative to each other and a display which is so installed as to range from the first chassis to the seconds chassis. The hinge device has a hinge main body, a first support plate and a second support plate. The hinge main body has a first locking strip which is locked on the rear face side of the first support plate and a second locking strip which is locked on the rear face side of the second support plate. The first support plate has a first plate-side locking strip which is locked on the rear face side of the hinge main body and the second support plate has a second plate-side locking strip which is locked on the rear face side of the hinge main body.