Foldable Display Hinge with Sliding Pivot Arms for Thin Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foldable electronic devices with inward-folding designs require significant space between casings to prevent damage to the flexible display when folded, resulting in a bulky design.
Innovation Solution
A hinge system with symmetrically disposed support modules, including pivot guide units and sliding units, that convert between unfolded and folded states, allowing the sliding pivot arms to pivot and slide, reducing the gap between casings and minimizing thickness while protecting the flexible display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If sufficient space is required between folded casings to prevent damage to the flexible display, then the flexible display is protected from damage, but the overall thickness of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge employs dynamic support modules with sliding pivot arms that can adjust their position and orientation during the folding process. The sliding units allow the support modules to move from an initial position to a final position, dynamically adapting the space requirement between casings while maintaining flexible display protection throughout the folding transition.
Solution Approach 2:
The support modules utilize both sliding motion (linear dimension) and pivoting motion (angular dimension) to manage the folding geometry. By combining translations along the sliding direction with rotations about pivot axes, the mechanism creates a droplet-shaped space that protects the flexible display while minimizing the overall thickness in the folded state.
2Device complexity
If a conventional hinge design is used, then the structure is simple, but the folded thickness is relatively great
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is divided into multiple independent support modules, each containing a sliding unit and a pivot guide unit. This segmentation allows each module to independently manage a portion of the folding motion, enabling the creation of a compact droplet-shaped space while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure that can be manufactured using conventional techniques.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge includes a fixed seat, and two symmetrically-disposed support modules that are convertible between an unfolded state and a folded state. Each of the support modules includes a sliding pivot arm that is slidable and pivotable with respect to the fixed seat, a pivot guide unit that is movably engaged with the sliding pivot arm, and a slide block that has a slide slot movably engaged with the sliding pivot arm, and an oblique sliding portion movably engaged with the pivot guide unit, such that the slide block is slidable with respect to the sliding pivot arm and the pivot guide unit when the support modules are converted between the unfolded state and the folded state.