Foldable Hinge Assembly With Stop Surface for Screen Impact Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable display devices suffer from damage to the flexible screen due to inward collapse of the rotating shaft when the device falls, and existing solutions either increase weight and thickness or compromise aesthetic consistency.
Innovation Solution
A foldable assembly with a rotating shaft mechanism featuring bumps and support members that disperse impact forces through a stop surface, preventing the rotating shaft from collapsing onto the screen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a thicker rotating shaft is arranged to strengthen impact resistance, then the rotating shaft has stronger impact resistance, but the weight of the entire machine increases and the thickness of the entire machine increases, leading to poor portability
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is divided into two separate housings that can rotate relative to each other about the rotating shaft. This segmentation allows the housing structure to independently absorb and distribute impact forces, reducing the need for a thicker rotating shaft while maintaining impact resistance.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating shaft is integrated with the two housings to form a unified rotating shaft mechanism. This merging allows the entire mechanism to work together during impact, where the housings and rotating shaft collectively absorb impact energy, reducing the need to increase the thickness and weight of the rotating shaft alone.
2Strength
If a rounded corner is arranged at one end of the rotating shaft with enlarged corner on the housing side, then the housing is hit before the rotating shaft or they are hit simultaneously, sharing impact force, but the angles of the rounded corners on the two sides of the housing are different, resulting in inconsistent ratio of two sides
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into two separate housings that rotate independently about the rotating shaft. This segmentation allows each housing to have identical rounded corner designs, maintaining aesthetic consistency while still providing impact protection through the rotational mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of modifying the rotating shaft with rounded corners to protect it, the invention inverts the approach by designing the housing with rounded corners that protect the rotating shaft indirectly. The housing corners are positioned to absorb impact forces before they reach the rotating shaft, while maintaining symmetric and aesthetically pleasing appearances.
3Ease of operation
If the rotating shaft is located on one side edge of the foldable display device, then the device can be folded, but one end of the rotating shaft is likely to be first hit during falling, resulting in inward collapse that squeezes the flexible screen
Solution Approach 1:
The housing is segmented into two separate housings that rotate about the rotating shaft. This segmentation creates a protective structure where the housings can absorb and distribute impact forces, preventing direct transmission of impact to the flexible screen while maintaining the folding capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The two housings act as intermediary structures between the rotating shaft and the flexible screen. During impact, the housings absorb and distribute the impact forces, serving as mediators that protect the rotating shaft and flexible screen from direct impact while still allowing the folding function to operate.
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 reduces screen damage by dispersing impact forces, maintaining device thickness and aesthetic consistency, and enhancing impact resistance without increasing weight.
Implementation Method 1
the bump and the stop surface are spaced apart and opposite to each other in a thickness direction of the rotating shaft substrate... dispersing impact forces through a stop surface
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~6
AI summary
This application discloses a foldable assembly and a foldable display device, and belongs to the field of foldable device technologies. The foldable display device includes the foldable assembly. The foldable assembly includes a rotating shaft mechanism and a connecting mechanism. The rotating shaft mechanism includes a bump and a rotating shaft substrate. The bump is arranged at an end portion of the rotating shaft substrate in a length direction. The connecting mechanism includes two support members, the two support members are respectively connected to two sides of the rotating shaft substrate in a width direction, and the two support members are respectively rotatable relative to the rotating shaft substrate, so that the foldable assembly is switched between an unfolded state and a folded state. A stop surface is arranged on one side of the support member close to the rotating shaft substrate. In the folded state, the bump and the stop surface are spaced apart and opposite to each other in a thickness direction of the rotating shaft substrate. When a device to which the foldable assembly is applied falls off and is hit, the stop surface prevents the rotating shaft mechanism from continuing to move toward a flexible screen, and disperses and absorbs an impact force, thereby resolving a problem of damage to the flexible screen caused by the rotating shaft mechanism.