Hinge Shaft Camera Assembly for Screen Space Saving
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Solution Overview
Problem
The spatial impact of a camera on other main components such as a screen in electronic devices is a challenge that needs to be minimized while meeting usage requirements.
Innovation Solution
An electronic device design featuring a shaft assembly with a camera that rotates relative to a shaft body, allowing the camera to switch between retracted and extended configurations, minimizing space occupation by positioning the lens outside the shaft body.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the camera is fixed in the body, then the structure is simple, but the spatial impact on other components such as screen is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the dynamics principle by making the camera movable rather than fixed. The camera can rotate around the shaft body axis and extend/retract along the shaft body axis, transforming from a static component to a dynamic one. This allows the camera to occupy minimal space when retracted and provide full functionality when extended, resolving the contradiction between structural simplicity and spatial impact.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dimensionality change by introducing rotational movement around the shaft body axis in addition to the traditional linear extension. The camera can rotate to different angles (including perpendicular to the shaft axis) while extending, utilizing the third dimension (rotation) to achieve multiple shooting angles without increasing the linear footprint, thereby reducing spatial impact on the screen.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the camera extends from the body, then the lens can be positioned outside for better shooting, but the spatial occupation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is designed with dynamic extension and retraction capabilities along the shaft body axis. When shooting is needed, the camera extends to position the lens outside the body for better shooting angles. When not in use, it retracts to minimize spatial occupation. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between adaptability and spatial occupation.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera module is nested within the shaft body structure, allowing it to be compact when retracted and extend when needed. The shaft body acts as a housing that contains the camera when not in use, similar to a nested doll structure, thereby reducing spatial occupation while maintaining shooting capability when required.
3Device complexity
If the camera axis is parallel to the shaft body axis, then the structure is aligned, but the shooting angles are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The camera is configured to rotate around the shaft body axis, transforming from a fixed parallel alignment to a dynamic multi-angular positioning system. This rotational capability allows the camera to achieve various shooting angles (including perpendicular to the shaft axis) while maintaining a relatively simple rotational mechanism, resolving the contradiction between structural alignment and shooting angle versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces rotational movement around the shaft body axis, adding a rotational dimension to the traditional linear extension mechanism. This allows the camera to achieve shooting angles in multiple directions (not just forward along the shaft axis), utilizing the third dimension of rotation to overcome the limitation of parallel alignment while keeping the structural change manageable.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device includes: a first body; a shaft assembly disposed at the first body and including a shaft body; a second body connected to the first body through the shaft assembly and configured to rotate relative to the first body; and a camera movably disposed inside the shaft body. An axis of a lens of the camera and an axis shaft body satisfy a perpendicular condition. The camera is configured to move relative to the shaft body to switch between: a first configuration in which the camera is retracted in the shaft body, and a second configuration in which the camera extends from an axial end of the shaft body and the lens is located outside the shaft body.