Pivot Shaft Torque Mechanism With Self-Locking Stop Sections
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pivot shaft torque mechanisms for wearable flexible displays fail to maintain the display in a stable extended or bent state, suffer from frictional issues causing deformation and abrasion, and form uneven protrusions that damage the display.
Innovation Solution
A pivot shaft torque mechanism with flexibly bendable plates and pivot shafts that include self-locking features, allowing synchronized movement and interference with stop sections to maintain the display in a stable extended or bent state, preventing deformation and abrasion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If damping hinges with elongated damping slots are used to provide torque resistance, then the flexible display can be bent, but the display cannot be held stably in extended or bent state and may deform under touch force
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot shafts are preloaded against the stop sections through spring force before any bending or extension occurs. This preliminary action creates a pre-tensioned state that actively resists gravitational sagging and maintains the display in a stable extended position, rather than relying solely on passive friction from elongated slots.
Solution Approach 2:
The spring-loaded pivot shafts exert a counteracting force against gravitational sagging and unwanted movement before these deformations occur. The preload mechanism creates an opposing force that stabilizes the display in its extended state and prevents deformation under light touch forces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If adjacent hinge bases are movably connected by overlapping to allow extension and bending, then the flexible display can change shape, but large friction occurs and the bases get stuck at specific angular positions
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the pivot shafts from the overlapping hinge base structure and relocates them to the flexible plate itself. This separation eliminates the frictional contact between overlapping hinge bases while preserving the ability to achieve extension and bending through the pivot shafts' rotation on the flexible plate.
3Ease of manufacture
If parallelly arranged cases with flat tops are used to support the flexible display, then the display can be mounted, but uneven and sharp protrusions form at joints when bent causing abrasion and damage
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the flat-topped parallel cases with a curved support surface that follows the natural bending arc of the flexible display. This curvature eliminates sharp protrusions at the joints by distributing contact forces along a smooth arc, preventing abrasion and damage to the display when bent.
4Device complexity
If damping slots provide only frictional resistance without guiding features, then the structure is simple, but the shaft sections cannot be guided to specific angles for synchronous bending
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot shafts serve multiple functions: they provide rotational movement for bending, guide the flexible display to specific angular positions through their interaction with stop sections, and enable synchronous bending across multiple segments. This multi-functionality replaces the need for separate guiding mechanisms while maintaining structural simplicity.
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 mechanism ensures the flexible display remains stable and damage-free in both extended and bent states, with smooth operation and no protrusions, enhancing user experience and product quality.
Implementation Method 1
the pivot shafts in the first and the second elongated shaft holes interfere with the stop sections to provide a self-locking or locating mechanism between the first and the second torque plates
Implementation Method 2
the pivot shafts are synchronously brought by the flexible plate to move in the first and the second elongated shaft holes in a linked motion
Implementation Method 3
The damping slot is used to clamp the shaft section thereto to generate a resistance (torque) to a pivotal rotation of the shaft section
Data Source
AI summary
A pivot shaft torque mechanism includes a plurality of pivot shafts equally spaced on a flexible plate; and a plurality of staggered first and second torque plates each being correspondingly provided with a shaft hole and an elongated shaft hole. Each pivot shaft is extended through one elongated shaft hole and one shaft hole on two adjacent torque plates. Each elongated shaft hole is provided with a front and a rear stop section. The pivot shafts are located in the elongated shaft holes and pressed against the rear or the front stop sections when the flexible plate is in an extended or a bent state, respectively, to adapt to a change of interval between the first and second torque plates. The pivot shafts in the elongated shaft holes interfering with the stop sections can provide a self-locking mechanism to force the flexible plate to keep the extended or bent state.