Sliding Rotating Shaft Assembly for Thin Foldable Hinges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rotating shaft assemblies in foldable terminal devices, such as mobile phones and tablets, have a large thickness and volume due to the need for high rigidity, which occupies excessive space.
Innovation Solution
A rotating shaft assembly with a base and swing arm design featuring a sliding groove and staggered surfaces on the rotating part, allowing the swing arm to slide relative to the base, distributing the force-bearing surfaces to reduce the thickness and volume without increasing rigidity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the thickness of the base and swing arm are increased to improve rigidity, then the rigidity is improved, but the overall thickness and volume of the rotating shaft assembly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a traditional co-axial rotation structure to an off-coaxial sliding structure. The rotating part slides along a sliding groove in the base rather than rotating around a central axis, distributing the force-bearing surfaces in different spatial dimensions. This dimensional reorganization allows the structure to achieve required rigidity through spatial distribution rather than increasing thickness in a single dimension, thereby reducing overall volume.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotating part is divided into multiple surfaces (first surface, second surface, third surface) that are staggered relative to each other along the sliding groove. These segmented surfaces bear forces at different positions, distributing the mechanical load across multiple contact points with the base. This segmentation allows the structure to achieve sufficient rigidity through distributed loading rather than requiring a single thick component, thus reducing overall assembly volume.
2Strength
If the thickness of the base and swing arm are increased to improve rigidity, then the rigidity is improved, but the space occupancy rate in the terminal device increases
Solution Approach 1:
By changing from co-axial rotation to off-coaxial sliding, the force-bearing surfaces are distributed in the sliding direction rather than being concentrated in the thickness direction. This dimensional shift reduces the footprint area occupied by the assembly in the terminal device while maintaining rigidity through spatial distribution of contact surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The multiple staggered surfaces on the rotating part create distributed contact points with the base, segmenting the force transmission path. This segmentation reduces the concentrated stress that would require increased thickness, thereby reducing the area occupied by the assembly in the terminal device housing.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a rotating shaft assembly and a terminal device. The rotating shaft assembly includes a base and a swing arm, the base includes a first portion and a second portion that are fixedly connected, and a first sliding groove is formed between the first portion and the second portion. The swing arm includes a rotating part and a swinging part, and the rotating part is slidably connected to the first sliding groove. When the rotating part slides relative to the first sliding groove, the swinging part rotates relative to the base. The rotating part includes at least one first surface and at least one second surface, along a rotation axis of the swinging part, at least a portion of the first surface and at least a portion of the second surface are staggered.