Rotating Shaft Mechanism With Extended Chute for Narrower Unfolded Width
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Solution Overview
Problem
The unfolded width of existing rotating shaft mechanisms in foldable devices is excessively large due to an unused gap between the shaft cover, slider, and chute, despite meeting the requirement for a minimum overlapping length between the slider and chute.
Innovation Solution
The rotating shaft mechanism incorporates a second rotating component with a connection portion and slider, where the chute extends beyond the first end when unfolded, and a protruding portion on the second rotating component to increase the overlapping length, while ensuring the minimum overlapping length is maintained, thereby narrowing the unfolding width.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the rotating shaft mechanism uses a traditional slider-chute structure to ensure minimum overlapping length, then the stability constraint is satisfied, but the unfolded width becomes excessively large due to unused gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The chute extends beyond the first end of the connection portion in the direction away from the side wall, utilizing the unused gap space dimensionally. This extension allows the chute to overlap with the slider over a greater distance without increasing the overall unfolded width of the mechanism, effectively converting vertical gap space into useful overlapping length.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the chute and connection portion by extending the chute beyond the connection portion's first end. This parameter modification increases the overlapping length between the slider and chute while maintaining the same unfolded width, thereby improving space utilization without compromising stability.
2Ease of manufacture
If the chute and slider are designed with standard overlapping length, then the manufacturing is simple, but the unfolded width is too large due to unused gaps between components
Solution Approach 1:
The chute extends beyond the first end of the connection portion in the direction away from the side wall, utilizing the unused gap space dimensionally. This extension allows the chute to overlap with the slider over a greater distance without increasing the overall unfolded width of the mechanism, effectively converting vertical gap space into useful overlapping length.
3Length of stationary object
If the rotating shaft mechanism increases the overlapping length between slider and chute to reduce unfolded width, then the space utilization improves, but the complexity of the mechanism increases
Solution Approach 1:
The second rotating component is segmented into a connection portion and a slider, with the chute extending beyond the connection portion. This segmentation allows the overlapping length to be increased through the extended chute without requiring additional components or complex mechanisms, maintaining simplicity while improving space utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The extended chute serves multiple functions: it maintains the sliding connection between the first and second rotating components, increases the overlapping length to reduce unfolded width, and utilizes the unused gap space. This multi-functionality achieves space optimization without adding mechanism complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A rotating shaft mechanism includes a shaft cover and first rotating arms disposed on both sides of the shaft cover. A second rotating arm is disposed between the first rotating arm and the shaft cover, and the first rotating arm is slidably connected to the second rotating arm, such that the first rotating arm and the shaft cover form a rotational connection. The second rotating arm includes a connection portion and a slider. The slider separately has a second distance and a third distance from two end faces of the connection portion in a direction of the rotating shaft. The first rotating arm includes a chute, and the chute is slidably connected to the slider, such that the chute overlaps the second rotating arm. The chute extends for a fourth distance in a direction close to the rotating shaft.