Foldable Display Hinge Mechanism With Guided Support Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hinge mechanisms for foldable electronic devices struggle to effectively accommodate and support flexible displays during folding and unfolding, leading to potential damage from squeezing or pulling, which affects the device's longevity and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A hinge mechanism with a base and main shaft module, featuring first and second rotation assemblies, support plates, and guiding structures that allow the support plates to rotate and slide relative to housing fastening brackets, forming display accommodation space in the folded state and providing flat support in the unfolded state, thereby reducing the risk of damage to the flexible display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the hinge mechanism uses a simple support plate structure, then the device complexity is reduced, but the support plate cannot effectively prevent squeezing or pulling on the flexible display
Solution Approach 1:
The support plate is divided into multiple components: a first support plate rotatably connected to the housing fastening bracket, and a second support plate rotatably connected to the first support plate. This segmentation allows each plate to independently move and adapt to the flexible display's bending requirements, preventing squeezing or pulling while maintaining a manageable overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism employs dynamic rotation capabilities where the first support plate rotates relative to the housing fastening bracket, and the second support plate rotates relative to the first support plate. This dynamic structure enables the support plates to adjust their positions during folding and unfolding, ensuring the flexible display is properly accommodated without damage.
2Measurement precision
If the hinge mechanism uses multiple rotation assemblies and guiding structures, then the rotation angle precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Guiding structures are introduced as intermediary elements between the rotation assemblies and support plates. These guiding structures constrain and direct the motion paths, ensuring precise rotation angles while simplifying the control mechanism. The guideways act as mediators that translate complex rotational movements into controlled, precise angular positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge mechanism includes more guiding structures than the minimum required, with multiple guideways provided for each rotation assembly. This excessive action ensures that the rotation angles are precisely controlled within acceptable ranges, providing redundancy and reliability in the precision control while maintaining structural integrity.
3Reliability
If the support plate moves during folding and unfolding, then the flexible display protection is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge mechanism combines multiple functions into an integrated structure: the support plates serve both as protective elements for the flexible display and as the moving components that accommodate folding movements. The rotation assemblies and guiding structures are merged with the support plates to form a unified mechanism that protects the display while enabling controlled movement during folding and unfolding.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge mechanism includes a base and a main shaft module, where the main shaft module includes two rotation assemblies, and the two rotation assemblies are located on two sides of the base. Each rotation assembly includes a support plate, a swing arm, a support arm, and a housing fastening bracket. The support plate has two guiding parts, and each guiding part has a groove. Both the support arm and the swing arm are rotatably connected to the base. The support arm and the swing arm each have a guiding structure, and the two guiding structures each are correspondingly inserted into a groove. When the two housing fastening brackets rotate toward each other, the support arm and the swing arm on a corresponding side may be driven to rotate around the base, and the support plate on the corresponding side is driven to rotate relative to the housing fastening bracket.