Foldable Hinge Gear Structure for Shaft Misalignment Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hinge structures for foldable electronic devices face challenges in enabling smooth folding and unfolding processes between housings with different rotating shafts, leading to potential delays and misalignment issues.
Innovation Solution
A hinge structure incorporating a gear system with idle gears and cam structures that allow gears with different rotating shafts to engage and disengage smoothly, minimizing backlash and ensuring synchronized rotation between the first and second housings through elastic forces and interconnecting mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hinge structure uses multiple gears meshing with each other to sustain continuous rotations, then the reliability of the folding mechanism is improved, but the device complexity increases due to the need for multiple gears and idle gears with different rotating shafts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces idle gears as intermediary elements that mesh between the first gear (connected to first housing) and the second gear (connected to second housing). These idle gears act as mediators to transmit rotational motion while accommodating different rotating shaft positions, thereby maintaining reliable continuous rotation without requiring direct meshing between gears with misaligned shafts.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear system is segmented into multiple independent gears (first gear, idle gears, second gear) each with its own rotating shaft. This segmentation allows each gear to be optimized for its specific function and position, enabling the system to handle complex rotational requirements while maintaining modularity and ease of assembly.
2Ease of operation
If the hinge structure enables elements with different rotating shafts to rotate in conjunction, then the ease of operation is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase to ensure proper engagement and minimize backlash
Solution Approach 1:
Idle gears serve as intermediary components that bridge the gap between gears with different rotating shafts. They provide a tolerance buffer that reduces the stringent precision requirements between the first and second gears, while still enabling smooth conjugated rotation and easy folding operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The design anticipates potential misalignment and backlash issues by incorporating idle gears that provide a cushioning effect. This preliminary compensation for manufacturing tolerances ensures smooth operation without requiring extremely tight precision control during manufacturing.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the hinge structure uses a gear system with idle gears to connect housings with different rotating shafts, then the adaptability is improved, but the loss of time increases due to potential delays in folding and unfolding processes
Solution Approach 1:
The idle gears act as intermediary elements that enable the hinge structure to adapt to different housing configurations with different rotating shafts. By providing a flexible transmission path, they prevent timing delays that would otherwise occur when trying to directly connect misaligned shafts, thus maintaining fast folding and unfolding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The gear system is pre-configured with idle gears positioned to optimize the transmission path. This preliminary arrangement ensures that when folding or unfolding operations begin, the rotational motion is immediately and efficiently transmitted through the idle gears without delay, maintaining high operational speed.
Data Source
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AI summary
An electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a first auxiliary hinge part connected to the first housing, a second auxiliary hinge part connected to the second housing, and a hinge structure configured to rotatably connect the first auxiliary hinge part and the second auxiliary hinge part, wherein the hinge structure comprises: an idle gear, a first gear configured to engage with the idle gear in a first direction with respect to the idle gear, a second gear configured to engage with the idle gear in a second direction opposite to the first direction with respect to the idle gear, a first body disposed in the first direction with respect to the idle gear, integrally formed with the first gear to rotate with respect to the idle gear according to a rotation of the first gear, and slidably connected to the first auxiliary hinge part, and a second body disposed in the second direction with respect to the idle gear, integrally formed with the second gear to rotate with respect to the idle gear according to a rotation of the second gear, and slidably connected to the second auxiliary hinge part.