Foldable Electronic Device Hinge Base for Shaft Cover Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Foldable electronic devices often suffer structural damage and operational failure due to impacts from falling, particularly affecting the shaft cover and flexible screen, leading to deformation and impaired functionality.

Innovation Solution

A rotating shaft mechanism design where the base protrudes or is flush with the shaft cover, enhancing structural rigidity by absorbing impact forces, and incorporating a baffle wall structure to support and limit deformation, thereby reducing damage to the shaft cover and screen.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the shaft cover is designed to protect the rotating shaft mechanism, then the structural integrity is improved, but the shaft cover itself becomes vulnerable to deformation from falling impacts

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural integrityVSAvoidshaft cover deformation resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The base protrudes beyond the shaft cover in advance, creating a sacrificial structural element that contacts the ground first during falling. This preliminary action prevents the shaft cover from bearing the full impact force, thereby resolving the contradiction between protecting the mechanism and preventing shaft cover deformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The protruding base acts as an intermediary between the ground and the shaft cover. It absorbs and distributes the impact force, serving as a mediator that protects the shaft cover from direct contact with the ground during falling, thus maintaining both structural integrity and shaft cover reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Volume of moving object

If the base is positioned close to the main body part to reduce mechanism height, then device compactness is improved, but impact force transmission to the shaft cover increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemechanism heightVSAvoidimpact force transmission
Core Design Contradiction:
Volume of moving objectVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The protruding base extends beyond the shaft cover before impact occurs, ensuring it contacts the ground first. This preliminary positioning allows the base to absorb impact energy through deformation and friction, reducing the force transmitted to the shaft cover even when the base is positioned close to the main body part.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The base material properties and geometric parameters are optimized to balance compactness and impact resistance. By adjusting the protrusion distance and material characteristics, the design achieves a compromise between minimizing mechanism height and reducing impact force transmission to the shaft cover.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

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 design effectively mitigates shaft cover deformation and screen impact, improving the device's shatter resistance and ensuring normal operation post-impact.

Implementation Method 1

The base can effectively bear all or a part of impact force, thereby effectively ameliorating a problem that the shaft cover is deformed and the flexible screen is impacted

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectImpact force absorption: Impact Force

Data Source

PatentEP4287593B1Electronic device
Publication Date: 2025.08.06 HONOR DEVICE CO LTD
  • EP4287593B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4287593B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4287593B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device may be a mobile phone, a wearable device, a vehicle-mounted device, or another device. The electronic device in this application uses a design in which a base protrudes in a Y direction or is flush with a shaft cover, thereby improving structural rigidity. The base can effectively bear all or a part of impact force, thereby effectively ameliorating a problem that the shaft cover is deformed and a flexible screen is impacted, and improving shatter resistance of the entire electronic device.