Foldable Screen Assembly With Elastic Layer for Drop and Rebound Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional foldable electronic devices with outward foldable screens face challenges in maintaining high screen drop reliability while minimizing the rebound force during bending, leading to potential screen damage and compromised user experience.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an elastic component with a rigid support portion and an elastic portion between the screen and the hinge assembly, utilizing materials like non-Newtonian fluids and elastic materials to absorb and disperse impact forces, thereby enhancing structural reliability and reducing rebound force without increasing thickness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of the screen is increased to improve drop reliability, then the screen drop reliability is improved, but the rebound force during bending increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The protective structure is segmented into multiple functional layers: a rigid support layer (first support member) positioned away from the screen to provide impact protection, and an elastic layer (first elastic member) positioned between the rigid support and the screen to absorb rebound force. This segmentation allows each layer to specialize in one function, preventing the rebound force from reaching the screen while maintaining high drop reliability without increasing overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The first elastic member acts as an intermediary element between the rigid support member and the screen. When impact occurs, the elastic member deforms to absorb the rebound force generated by the rigid support member, preventing this force from being transmitted to the screen. This intermediary layer resolves the contradiction by allowing the rigid support to provide protection while the elastic layer neutralizes its harmful rebound effect.
2Reliability
If the thickness of the screen is increased to improve structural reliability, then the drop reliability is improved, but the overall thickness of the electronic device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The protective structure is divided into functionally distinct layers with optimized thickness distribution. The rigid support member is positioned away from the screen and provides structural protection, while the elastic member is positioned between the rigid support and screen to manage forces. This segmentation allows the total protective thickness to be distributed efficiently, achieving high reliability without requiring excessive overall thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective structure uses a composite arrangement of rigid and elastic materials in specific spatial configurations. The rigid support member (first support member) provides structural strength and impact resistance, while the elastic member (first elastic member) provides force absorption and rebound control. This composite structure achieves superior protective performance per unit thickness compared to homogeneous thick screens.
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 elastic component effectively protects the screen from impact and squeezing forces, improving drop reliability and user experience by maintaining a thin design and reducing the rebound force during bending.
Implementation Method 1
The elastic portion and the support portion are stacked in the thickness direction of the electronic device. A material of the elastic portion is an elastic material or a non-Newtonian fluid material. The elastic portion can have a good elastic effect on the impact force and/or the squeezing force on the screen, and the elastic portion can also absorb and disperse the impact force and/or the squeezing force on the screen.
Implementation Method 2
A material of the elastic portion is an elastic material or a non-Newtonian fluid material. When the electronic device drops, the support portion of the elastic component can well absorb an impact force and/or a squeezing force of the hinge assembly on the screen.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a foldable electronic device and a screen assembly. The electronic device includes a screen, a hinge assembly, a first housing, a second housing, and an elastic component. A material of an elastic portion of the elastic component is an elastic material or a non-Newtonian fluid material. A material of a support portion of the elastic component is a rigid material. The electronic device has an unfolded state and a folded state. When the electronic device is in the unfolded state, the elastic component is unfolded. The screen, the elastic component, and the hinge assembly are stacked in a thickness direction of the electronic device. The elastic portion and the support portion are stacked in the thickness direction of the electronic device. A first portion of the elastic component laps over a first connection portion of the hinge assembly, and a second portion laps over a second connection portion of the hinge assembly. When the electronic device is in the folded state, the elastic component is bent, the first portion of the elastic component laps over the first connection portion, and the second portion laps over the second connection portion. The electronic device has high screen drop reliability and a small rebound force.