Rotatable Screen Hinge With Hydraulic Damper

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing mobile terminals face challenges in achieving a balance between providing a wide screen for multimedia functions while maintaining portability, stability, and minimizing weight, with issues such as unintentional rotation fixation, shock accumulation, and potential antenna performance deterioration in foldable designs.

Innovation Solution

A swivel type mobile terminal with a hinge assembly that includes a rotary plate, fixed plate, and a hinge, featuring a main restoration part and auxiliary restoration part to assist in smooth rotation, along with a hydraulic damper to mitigate shock, and conductive materials for maintaining antenna performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a foldable flexible display is used to enable folding and unfolding, then the terminal can be opened or closed as needed, but the selection of display materials is limited and manufacturing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopening and closing functionalityVSAvoidmanufacturing costs

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The terminal is divided into two separate rigid bodies (first body and second body) that can rotate relative to each other via the hinge assembly, eliminating the need for a single foldable flexible display while achieving the opening/closing functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hinge assembly serves multiple functions: it enables rotation between open and closed states, provides restoring force through spring mechanisms, and allows the terminal to function in both open and closed configurations without requiring specialized flexible display materials

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If the terminal is opened or closed repeatedly, then the bodies can be converted between states, but shock may accumulate making users feel uncomfortable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopening and closing operationVSAvoidshock accumulation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge assembly incorporates a hydraulic damper that provides shock absorption before the bodies fully close, preventing shock accumulation and making the closing action smoother and more comfortable for users

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

A hydraulic damper is integrated into the hinge assembly to control the closing motion of the two bodies, providing smooth and shock-free operation during repeated opening and closing cycles

Inventive Principle:

Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

3Ease of operation

If a swivel type mobile terminal is implemented with rotation mechanism, then stable and user-friendly opening and closing is enabled, but the volume or weight of the mobile terminal may be excessively increased

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveopening and closing stabilityVSAvoidterminal weight

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The hinge assembly is divided into multiple functional components (rotating plate, fixed plate, hinge, spring mechanisms, hydraulic damper) that can be optimized individually to minimize weight while maintaining operational stability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The spring mechanisms are designed with specific threshold rotation angles that allow the terminal to maintain stability in both open and closed states without requiring excessive restoring force, thereby reducing the weight of the hinge assembly

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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

Enables stable and user-friendly opening and closing of the terminal, minimizing volume and weight increase, while reducing shock and maintaining antenna performance.

Implementation Method 1

a main restoration part configured to provide a restoring force generated between the rotary plate and the fixed plate and applied to the swivel body to be biased to be in the closed state or the open state

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

an auxiliary restoration part configured to provide a force to the main restoration part for assisting the restoring force of the main restoration part

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Implementation Method 3

hydraulic damper to mitigate shock

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydraulic damping: Hydraulic Press

Data Source

PatentEP3940500B1Mobile terminal with a rotatable screen

Publication Date: 2023.04.05 LG ELECTRONICS INC

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Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B

AI summary

To enable stable opening and closing and minimize an increase in volume and weight of a swivel type mobile terminal, the mobile terminal includes a swivel body and a main body located behind the swivel body to overlap therewith, and a hinge assembly configured to join the swivel body and the main body to rotate the swivel body based on a rotation axis in a front and rear direction A first slider of the hinge assembly move along the first rotation rail of the hinge assembly during the rotation, a main restoration part generate a restoring force for the swivel body to be in a closed or open state based on a first threshold rotation angle, and an auxiliary restoration part configured to press the main restoration part to generate a restoring force for assisting a motion of the main restoration part.