Foldable Hinge Module Using Four-Linkage Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foldable electronic device hinges are too large, increasing the overall volume and thickness, which is not conducive to the design of thinner and lighter devices.
Innovation Solution
A hinge module using a four-linkage mechanism, gear set, and lever to generate displacement and compensate for the curvature difference between the flexible display and housings, allowing the support member to offset and accommodate the bent portion without a physical shaft, reducing the spacing between housings and overall thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a physical shaft is used to pivot the support structure, then the transmission effect is achieved, but the overall thickness and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the physical shaft from the hinge structure and extracts only the essential pivoting function. The support member pivots directly within the housing using the curved guiding slot as a constraint, eliminating the shaft component entirely while maintaining the transmission effect through geometric constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a curved guiding slot (a two-dimensional geometric constraint) instead of a three-dimensional physical shaft. This reduces the hinge structure from volumetric to planar, significantly thinning the overall structure while preserving the pivoting motion through the curved path constraint.
2Volume of moving object
If the spacing between two bodies is reduced to make the device thinner, then the portability is improved, but the hinge structure becomes more constrained and complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pivoting function and the guiding function into a single integrated structure. The support member itself serves as both the rotating element and the guided element, eliminating the need for separate shafts and bearing structures, thus simplifying the hinge while reducing spacing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from three-dimensional shaft-based pivoting to two-dimensional curved-path constraint. By confining the motion to a curved guiding slot in a plane, the structure achieves pivoting functionality with reduced thickness, effectively moving the constraint from the thickness dimension to the planar dimension.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional shaft-based foldable structure is used, then the display can be folded, but the overall volume becomes larger
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical shaft-based pivoting system with a geometric constraint system using a curved guiding slot. This substitution eliminates bulky mechanical components while preserving the folding capability through the curved path that guides the support member during rotation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a hinge module for a foldable-type device, one end surface of which is respectively connected to a first housing and a second housing, and another end surface of which is connected to a flexible display so as to have the flexible display folded when the first housing and the second housing is rotated. The hinge module comprises a base and a first sliding mechanism, wherein the base is provided between the first and second housings, and the first sliding mechanism comprises a first sliding cover, a supporting member and a left four-linkage-mechanism and a swinging member. When the first and second housings are rotated to move the left four-linkage-mechanism and the swinging member, the first sliding cover is moved in a linkage way, and one supporting portion of the supporting member is moved by an angle to accommodate the curved part of the flexible display.