Foldable Hinge Housing Structure to Protect Display Internals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable electronic devices face damage to internal structures due to external impacts, particularly when the hinge housing collides with internal components like the digitizer, leading to potential deformation or damage to the display.
Innovation Solution
A foldable electronic device design featuring a hinge housing with protruding structures on the housings that overlap the hinge housing, preventing it from entering the interior and causing damage, and including protective members to maintain the hinge housing's position, thereby reducing impact-induced deformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hinge housing is allowed to move freely during impact, then the device structure remains simple, but the internal components (digitizer, display) are damaged due to collision with the hinge housing
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge housing is divided into multiple functional zones: the main body housing, protruding structures extending from the housing, and protective members positioned at critical locations. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific protective function while maintaining overall structural simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
Protective members are introduced as intermediary elements between the hinge housing and internal components (digitizer, display). These protective members act as mediators that absorb or redirect impact forces, preventing direct collision between the hinge housing and sensitive internal components
2Reliability
If protruding structures are added to the hinge housing to prevent collision, then internal components are protected from damage, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective members are integrated with the hinge housing structure, merging the protective function into the existing housing design. This integration allows the housing to serve dual purposes: structural support and impact protection, thereby minimizing the increase in device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
Protruding structures and protective members are strategically positioned only at specific locations where impact damage is most likely to occur (near the digitizer and display areas). This localized approach provides targeted protection without adding unnecessary complexity to the entire housing structure
Data Source
AI summary
A foldable electronic device may include a first housing, a second housing, at least one hinge structure, including a hinge, that connects the first housing and the second housing, a flexible display that is positioned on the first housing, the second housing, and the at least one hinge structure, and a hinge housing in which at least a portion of the at least one hinge structure is seated, and the first housing includes a first protruding structure, at least a portion of which overlaps one side of the hinge housing with respect to a first direction that faces the hinge housing when the foldable electronic device is in a folded state.