Foldable Hinge Assembly With Synchronous Slider Frame Alignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing foldable electronic devices with flexible displays face synchronization deviations during unfolding and folding, leading to a poor user experience due to misalignment of frames.
Innovation Solution
A hinge apparatus with a shaft cover, bases, and swing arm assemblies, featuring synchronous sliders and limiting guide tracks, ensures synchronized movement of frames by using adapter parts and elastic damping members to maintain smooth rotation and alignment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If a foldable structure with two frames rotating about a hinge is used to achieve a larger display area while maintaining portability, then the display area is improved and portability is maintained, but synchronization deviation occurs during the rotating process leading to poor use experience
Solution Approach 1:
A synchronous slider is introduced as an intermediary component between the two swing arm assemblies. The swing arms rotate relative to bases, and through the synchronous slider connected to limiting guide tracks, the rotational movements of both swing arms are synchronized, ensuring the frames remain aligned during folding and unfolding operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge apparatus employs dynamic components including swing arms that can rotate, a synchronous slider that moves along guide tracks, and elastic damping members that provide dynamic force compensation. These dynamic elements work together to maintain synchronization and smooth operation throughout the range of motion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the frames rotate relative to each other about the hinge apparatus to enable folding and unfolding, then the portability and display area are balanced, but synchronization deviation occurs resulting in misalignment of the frames
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronous slider acts as a mediator that couples the motion of both swing arms. As one swing arm rotates, it drives the synchronous slider along the limiting guide track, which in turn drives the other swing arm to rotate by the same angle, ensuring precise alignment is maintained throughout the folding and unfolding process.
Solution Approach 2:
Elastic damping members are pre-installed in the hinge apparatus to provide cushioning forces during rotation. These elastic elements compensate for friction and mechanical play beforehand, ensuring smooth and precise synchronized movement without sudden jumps or misalignments during operation.
3Ease of operation
If synchronous sliders and limiting guide tracks are used to achieve synchronized movement of frames, then the synchronization of frame movements is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The synchronous slider and limiting guide track form a dynamic coupling mechanism that automatically maintains synchronization through mechanical motion transmission. The limiting guide track constrains the slider to a specific path, ensuring that as one swing arm rotates, the slider moves and drives the other swing arm proportionally, achieving synchronization without complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The hinge apparatus uses self-synchronizing mechanical elements where the motion of one component automatically drives the other components into synchronization. The elastic damping members self-adjust to compensate for friction variations, and the limiting guide track self-constrains the slider motion, eliminating the need for external control systems or additional actuators.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5
AI summary
Embodiments of this application provide a hinge apparatus and an electronic device. The hinge apparatus includes: a shaft cover, including accommodation recess parts; bases, disposed in the accommodation recess parts, where each base includes relief spaces and first adapter parts, the first adapter parts face the relief spaces, the base includes a synchronous slider and a limiting guide track, the limiting guide track is connected to the shaft cover, the limiting guide track is disposed at a side that is of the synchronous slider and that faces away from the shaft cover, and the synchronous slider is slidably connected to the limiting guide track; and swing arm assemblies, each including swing arm bodies and second adapter parts. A connection end of each swing arm body is close to the base. A free end of the swing arm body is away from the base. At least part of the connection end is located in the relief space. The second adapter parts are connected to the connection ends. The second adapter parts are rotatably connected to the first adapter parts. The second adapter parts are connected to the synchronous slider. The swing arm bodies rotate relative to the first adapter parts via the second adapter parts, to switch between a folded position and an unfolded position, and the second adapter parts synchronously drive the synchronous slider to move between a first position and a second position.