Foldable Display Hinge Gears with Pressed Bidirectional Meshing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gear tolerances in hinge structures can lead to incomplete meshing, resulting in idle rotation and substantial delays between gear rotations, particularly when switching directions, due to small gaps between gear teeth.
Innovation Solution
A hinge structure with a rotating shaft, idle gears, and interconnecting gears that receive rotational forces in opposite directions, facilitated by pressing members and interconnecting structures, ensuring proper engagement and minimizing delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If gears are manufactured with standard tolerances, then manufacturing cost and ease of manufacture are improved, but gear meshing completeness deteriorates due to gaps between teeth
Solution Approach 1:
A pressing member is introduced as an intermediary component between the first gear and second gear. This pressing member applies continuous pressing force to push the gear teeth together, eliminating gaps caused by manufacturing tolerances. The intermediary component enables standard-tolerance gears to mesh completely without requiring precision manufacturing.
2Duration of action of moving object
If multiple interworking gears are used in the hinge structure, then the hinge can sustain continuous rotations, but idle rotation accumulates due to gaps between gear teeth, causing delay
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member acts as a mediator that transmits force continuously across multiple gear interfaces. By maintaining constant contact between meshing gears through pressing force, the intermediary component eliminates idle rotation that would otherwise accumulate across the gear train, ensuring synchronized operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing member pre-positions the gear teeth in proper engagement before rotation occurs. By continuously pushing the gears together, the system is prepared in advance for power transmission, preventing the occurrence of idle rotation and delays before motion transfer.
3Adaptability or versatility
If gear direction switching is implemented in the hinge structure, then bidirectional folding and unfolding are enabled, but idle rotation occurs during direction switching due to gear gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing member serves as a mediator that maintains gear tooth contact during direction switching. By continuously applying pressing force, it prevents the gears from disengaging and eliminating idle rotation that would occur during reversal, enabling smooth bidirectional operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a hinge structure configured to connect the first housing and the second housing, and a foldable display module. The hinge structure includes a rotating shaft, a first idle gear, a second idle gear, a first gear, a second gear, a first pressing member configured to move the first gear toward the second gear, and a first interconnecting structure formed between the first gear and the second gear to enable the first gear to engage with the second gear, the first interconnecting structure being formed between the first gear and the second gear such that, as first pressing member moves the first gear toward the second gear, the first gear and the second gear receive with rotational forces in opposite directions.