Linked Multi-Support Hinge for Foldable Screens With Reduced Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing hinge components for foldable screens occupy a large space, hindering lightweight structure stacking and fail to effectively support the screen during folding, resulting in wrinkles and deformation.
Innovation Solution
A hinge component with a support assembly of at least three side-by-side support members, where two adjacent members are movably connected, and a linkage assembly ensures mutual linkage, allowing for synchronous movement and reduced width to refine support areas, thus minimizing space occupation and enhancing support.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a traditional hinge component structure is used, then the screen can be folded, but the hinge component occupies a relatively large space
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge component is divided into multiple support members (at least three) arranged side by side, with adjacent members movably connected. This segmentation allows the hinge to maintain support functionality while reducing the overall space occupied compared to a single large hinge structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The support members are arranged in a lateral dimension (side by side) rather than stacking vertically, which redistributes the spatial occupation and reduces the footprint in the vertical direction, enabling better integration into thin device profiles.
2Reliability
If a traditional hinge component structure is used, then the folding function is achieved, but the hinge component cannot effectively support the screen during folding
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge is segmented into multiple support members that work together to provide enhanced support coverage across the screen width during folding, improving reliability without requiring a single complex monolithic structure.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple support members are combined with a linkage assembly that coordinates their movement, creating a unified system that provides distributed support across the screen while maintaining synchronized folding motion.
3Strength
If the hinge component occupies large space, then structural support is adequate, but lightweight structure stacking is hindered
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented support member structure provides adequate structural support through distributed loading across multiple elements, allowing each individual member to be lighter while collectively maintaining overall strength.
Solution Approach 2:
By arranging support members laterally rather than vertically stacking them, the design reduces the thickness dimension of the device while maintaining support capability through the lateral arrangement of multiple slender members.
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge component, a foldable screen assembly and a foldable terminal device are provided. The hinge component includes a support assembly and a linkage assembly, the support assembly includes at least three support members, the at least three support members are arranged side by side, and two adjacent support members are movably connected. The linkage assembly is connected with the at least three support members to achieve a mutual linkage of the at least three support members.