Foldable Hinge Breakage Prevention for Shear Stress Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable electronic devices are prone to breakage and malfunction when subjected to external impacts, such as drops, due to shearing stress along the folding axis, which causes misalignment and distortion between the housings, potentially damaging the flexible display.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a breakage prevention structure with a hinge module that includes rotators connected to the housings, allowing them to be partially in contact in a folded state and spaced apart in an unfolded state, which reduces the flow gap and minimizes shearing stress, thereby enhancing the device's robustness and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the rotator is spaced apart from the hinge housing by a flow gap to enable smooth folding and unfolding operations, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to increased shearing stress and potential breakage during external impacts
Solution Approach 1:
The rotator is designed with dynamic positioning capability, allowing it to be spaced apart from the hinge housing during normal folding/unfolding operations to ensure smooth movement, and to contact the hinge housing during external impacts to prevent breakage. This dynamic adjustment of the flow gap resolves the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.
2Reliability
If the rotator contacts the hinge housing during folded state to prevent breakage, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to restricted movement
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the contact state between the rotator and hinge housing based on operational conditions. During normal folding/unfolding, the rotator is spaced apart to allow smooth operation. During external impacts, the rotator contacts the hinge housing to prevent breakage. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between reliability and ease of operation.
3Reliability
If the device structure is made more robust to withstand impact, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of making the entire hinge device structure more robust, the invention applies local reinforcement by having the rotator contact the hinge housing only at specific locations and conditions (during external impacts). This localized approach provides impact resistance while maintaining overall structural simplicity and avoiding unnecessary complexity.
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 solution effectively prevents distortion and malfunction by reducing the flow gap between the housings during impacts, ensuring smooth folding and unfolding operations and enhancing the overall reliability of the electronic device.
Implementation Method 1
when only one of the two housings receives an impact in the direction of the folding axis, the other housing may be displaced, through inertia and/or shearing stress, in the opposite direction
Implementation Method 2
when only one of the two housings receives an impact in the direction of the folding axis, the other housing may be displaced, through inertia and/or shearing stress, in the opposite direction
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a hinge device for movably connecting the first housing and the second housing with respect to each other on the basis of a folding shaft, wherein the hinge device includes a hinge housing having an accommodating part, and a hinge module disposed in the accommodating part and including a rotator connecting the first housing and the second housing and a flexible display disposed so as to be supported by the first housing, the second housing, and the hinge device, wherein at least a portion of the rotator may be disposed to be at least partially in contact with the hinge housing in a folded state and spaced apart from the hinge housing by a predetermined distance in an unfolded state.