Foldable Display Linking Assembly Strain Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable electronic devices experience strain distribution when bent, leading to buckling and rupture due to internal strain, and existing mechanisms fail to prevent wrinkles or excessive stretching on the surface.
Innovation Solution
A linking assembly with N+1 blocks and linking sets, where each block has fitting portions and links that allow relative movement, maintaining a virtual center within the foldable display to prevent wrinkles and excessive stretching, ensuring a smooth surface during bending.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the foldable electronic element is bent, then the foldable electronic device can be folded, but the internal strain causes buckling and rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into multiple rigid portions connected by linking assemblies, with the foldable display segmented into first and second portions. This segmentation allows strain to be distributed across multiple joints rather than concentrated in one location, preventing buckling and rupture while maintaining foldability.
Solution Approach 2:
Linking assemblies serve as intermediary structures between rigid portions and the foldable display. These assemblies include virtual centers positioned within the display scope that act as mediators to distribute and manage internal strain during bending, protecting the display from damage.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the foldable electronic element is bent, then the device can be folded, but the surface develops wrinkles or folds
Solution Approach 1:
The linking assemblies are designed with virtual centers that create controlled curvature patterns during folding. By positioning virtual centers within the display scope and designing the geometric configuration of links and blocks, the assembly guides the bending to maintain a smooth curved surface without wrinkles or folds.
Solution Approach 2:
The linking assembly incorporates movable links that can rotate and adjust relative to blocks, creating a dynamic structure that adapts during folding. This dynamic mechanism ensures uniform distribution of bending stress and maintains surface smoothness throughout the folding process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the foldable electronic element is bent, then the device can be folded, but excessive strain causes rupture
Solution Approach 1:
The device structure is segmented into multiple rigid portions connected by linking assemblies, distributing the strain across multiple joints and connection points. This prevents excessive strain concentration that would cause rupture in a single location.
Solution Approach 2:
Virtual centers positioned within the foldable display scope act as intermediaries that manage and distribute internal strain during bending. The linking assemblies with these virtual centers serve as strain-management mechanisms that protect the foldable display from excessive strain.
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable electronic device and a linking assembly are provided. The foldable electronic device includes a host and a foldable display attached to the host. The host has a first portion, a second portion and a linking assembly connected therebetween. The linking assembly includes N+1 blocks (wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to 2) and a plurality of linking sets. Each block has a body and a pair of fitting portions disposed at two opposite sides of the body in a sliding mirror symmetry manner along a first direction, and the fitting portion of the Nth block is fitted with the fitting portion of the N+1 block. Each linking set has two links, and two ends of the two links overlapping each other lean against the Nth block and can move relative to the Nth block. Other two ends of the two links without overlapping each other are respectively fixed to the N−1th and N+1th blocks. When the link assembly is bent, a virtual center of any two adjacent blocks locates within a scope of the foldable display.