Foldable Hinge Cam Assembly With External Elastic Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
As the thickness of electronic devices decreases, the diameter of elastic members in hinge assemblies also decreases, leading to a reduction in elastic force, which can result in uneven wear, increased driving sounds during folding or unfolding, and reduced functionality.
Innovation Solution
The hinge assembly is designed with a cam structure and an elastic member positioned on the outer side of a hinge bracket, which reduces the thickness of the hinge assembly while maintaining or enhancing the elastic force, thereby minimizing uneven wear and driving sounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the thickness of the electronic device is decreased, then the overall device thickness is reduced, but the diameter of the elastic member must also be decreased which reduces the elastic force
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member is repositioned from an internal location to the outer side of the hinge bracket, utilizing the external space dimension. This dimensional relocation allows the elastic member to maintain its original diameter and elastic force even when the overall device thickness is reduced, as the elastic component no longer occupies space within the device's thickness envelope.
2Length of moving object
If the diameter of the elastic member is decreased, then the hinge assembly thickness can be reduced, but the elastic force decreases leading to uneven wear
Solution Approach 1:
By moving the elastic member to the outer side of the hinge bracket, the design utilizes external spatial dimension rather than reducing the member's cross-sectional dimensions. This allows the elastic member to maintain sufficient diameter for uniform wear characteristics while the hinge assembly's overall thickness is reduced through external placement of the elastic component.
3Length of moving object
If the diameter of the elastic member is decreased, then the hinge assembly thickness can be reduced, but driving sounds increase during folding or unfolding operations
Solution Approach 1:
The elastic member is relocated to the outer side of the hinge bracket, utilizing the external dimension. This repositioning maintains the elastic member's diameter and thus its ability to dampen operational sounds, while the overall hinge assembly thickness is reduced by placing the sound-dampening elastic component outside the main assembly envelope.
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
The solution effectively reduces the thickness of the hinge assembly while maintaining or improving the elastic force, thereby addressing issues of uneven wear and driving sounds, and enhancing the overall functionality of the electronic device.
Implementation Method 1
a pair of elastic members respectively connected to the pair of pins and each configured to press the pin cam toward the arm cam
Data Source
AI summary
In an example embodiment, an electronic device may include a display, a first housing; a second housing, and a hinge assembly, wherein the hinge assembly may include a bracket structure, a pair of rotator structures respectively rotatable on a pair of hinge axes, a pair of arms respectively rotatable on a pair of arm axes, and each including an arm cam and a penetrating rail, a pair of pins respectively passing through the penetrating rails, connected to the rotator structure, respectively rotatable on a pair of pin axes, and each including a pin cam interoperating with the arm cam and a sliding guide slidable along the penetrating rail, and a pair of elastic members respectively connected to the pair of pins and each configured to press the pin cam toward the arm cam.