Foldable Hinge Apparatus with Magnetic Pressure Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable electronic devices face challenges in maintaining stable stop operations as they increase in size and decrease in thickness, leading to potential damage and user inconvenience due to sudden unfolding or folding without a free stop mechanism.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a hinge device with gears, a driving device, magnetic members, and sensors to control the folding and unfolding of the device, allowing for controlled opening and closing through a motor-assisted mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If the size of the electronic device increases and the thickness decreases, then the display area and portability are improved, but the hinge device cannot maintain stable stop operation, leading to sudden unfolding or folding
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge device predicts the user's folding/unfolding intention in advance by detecting pressure changes on the display screen. When pressure exceeds a threshold, the system proactively activates the motor to assist the folding operation, preventing sudden or uncontrolled movement before it occurs. This preliminary detection and response mechanism ensures stable stop operation even in thin, large-area devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors pressure sensor data from the display and provides real-time feedback to the control unit. Based on this feedback, the motor adjusts its assistance force dynamically during the folding/unfolding process, ensuring precise control and stable positioning at intermediate states. This closed-loop feedback mechanism maintains reliability despite the device's thin profile and large area.
2Strength
If the weight of the housing increases, then the structural strength is improved, but a greater force is required to open or close the device, and the device may unfold at once without free stop operation
Solution Approach 1:
The motor in the hinge device acts as a counterweight mechanism, providing assistance force that offsets the weight of the housing. When the user initiates folding or unfolding, the motor generates opposing torque to balance the housing weight, reducing the effort required. This allows strong, heavy-housed devices to be operated easily while maintaining controlled movement through intermediate stop positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces pure mechanical folding mechanisms with an electromechanical system. The motor-driven hinge substitutes traditional mechanical springs or elastic elements, allowing precise electronic control of the folding process. This substitution enables the system to compensate for housing weight through controlled motor assistance while maintaining ease of operation and preventing sudden unfolding.
3Speed
If the device transitions quickly from closed to unfolded state, then the operation speed is improved, but the hinge device may be damaged due to lack of free stop operation
Solution Approach 1:
The folding operation is divided into periodic phases: initial detection phase, assisted folding phase with intermediate stops, and final positioning phase. The motor provides periodic assistance at key moments (when pressure threshold is exceeded and at intermediate stop positions) rather than continuous operation. This periodic control enables fast transitions while preventing damage through controlled pause points that allow the hinge to settle at stable positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares for potential impact or sudden movement by implementing pre-positioning stops and controlled deceleration phases. Before the device reaches extreme folded or unfolded positions, the motor reduces speed and provides cushioning force to gently guide the housing into place. This beforehand cushioning prevents shock loads that could damage the hinge mechanism while maintaining overall fast transition performance.
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
Prevents sudden unfolding or folding without a free stop operation, thereby preventing damage to the hinge device and enhancing user convenience by allowing controlled transitions between states.
Implementation Method 1
a first magnetic member disposed in the first housing, a second magnetic member disposed in the second housing to face the first magnetic member when the electronic device is in a folded state
Implementation Method 2
a Hall sensor disposed in one of the first housing and the second housing, the hall sensor facing the magnet when the electronic device is in an unfolded state, and a processor electrically connected to the Hall sensor and the driving device. The processor may be configured to detect a magnetic field value of the magnet through the Hall sensor
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
An electronic device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises: a first housing; a second housing; a hinge apparatus which connects the first housing and the second housing in a foldable manner and includes a plurality of gears that mesh with each other and rotate; a driving apparatus which rotates one of the plurality of gears; a display disposed on the front of the electronic device and in which a partial area is deformed by the rotation of the second housing relative to the first housing; a first magnetic member disposed in the first housing; a second magnetic member disposed in the second housing so as to face the first magnetic member when the electronic device is folded; a first pressure sensor disposed between the display and the first magnetic member; and a processor electrically connected to the first pressure sensor and the driving apparatus, wherein the first magnetic member presses the first pressure sensor through an attractive force acting on the second magnetic member according to the folding motion of the first housing and the second housing, the first pressure sensor generates a pressure signal on the basis of pressure by means of the first magnetic member, and the processor can control the driving apparatus on the basis of the pressure signal.