SMA-Damped Foldable Rotation Mechanism With Synchronized Swing Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional rotating mechanisms for foldable electronic devices require numerous parts, leading to increased assembly complexity, cost, and inconsistency, while existing solutions for improving damping hand feeling often necessitate complex configurations and additional components.
Innovation Solution
A rotating mechanism utilizing a damping member made of shape memory alloy (SMA) with synchronization swing arms that generate damping force through deformation, reducing the need for additional parts and simplifying assembly, and providing damping hand feeling without complex configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional rotating mechanisms use mechanical springs to provide damping force, then damping hand feeling is improved, but the quantity of parts increases and the rotating structures become complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the conventional mechanical spring-based damping system with a shape memory alloy (SMA) damping body that provides damping force through material deformation. This substitution eliminates the need for separate spring components and their associated mounting structures, thereby reducing part quantity and simplifying the rotating mechanism structure while maintaining the damping hand feeling during rotation operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the temperature-dependent phase transformation properties of shape memory alloy to change the mechanical parameters of the damping body. By controlling the phase transformation temperature and alloy composition, the damping characteristics can be optimized to provide appropriate damping hand feeling without requiring complex mechanical adjustments or additional components.
2Ease of operation
If conventional rotating mechanisms increase quantities of parts to achieve specific damping hand feeling, then damping performance is improved, but assembly difficulty and fitting difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the damping function into a single integrated damping body made of shape memory alloy, combining what were previously separate components (springs, dampers, mounting brackets) into one element. This integration dramatically reduces the number of parts that need to be assembled and fitted, making the manufacturing process simpler and more consistent while maintaining the required damping hand feeling.
Solution Approach 2:
The shape memory alloy damping body provides self-regulating damping characteristics through its inherent material properties. The alloy automatically adjusts its stiffness and damping force based on deformation magnitude and rate, eliminating the need for complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms or multiple components with precise fitting requirements. This self-service capability simplifies assembly while ensuring consistent damping performance.
3Ease of operation
If conventional rotating mechanisms use numerous parts to provide damping force, then damping functionality is achieved, but product costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the damping function from the complex assembly of mechanical springs and dampers and consolidates it into a single shape memory alloy damping body. This extraction eliminates unnecessary intermediate components and their associated costs, reducing the overall part count while maintaining the essential damping hand feeling functionality that users expect during rotation operations.
4Ease of operation
If conventional rotating mechanisms increase quantities of parts to achieve specific damping hand feeling, then damping performance is improved, but product consistency is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The shape memory alloy damping body provides self-regulating damping characteristics through its inherent material properties. The alloy automatically adjusts its stiffness and damping force based on deformation magnitude and rate, eliminating the need for complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms or multiple components with precise fitting requirements. This self-service capability simplifies assembly while ensuring consistent damping performance.
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 solution simplifies assembly, reduces costs, and enhances damping hand feeling by using SMA-based damping members, ensuring smooth operation and stability in foldable electronic devices.
Implementation Method 1
the damping body is made of a shape memory alloy. When the first synchronization swing arm and the second synchronization swing arm are in a folded state, the damping body is in a first state, where the first state is an initial state of the damping body. The first synchronization swing arm is rotated relative to the fastening base to drive one end of the damping body to rotate, the first synchronization swing arm and the second synchronization swing arm are relatively unfolded from the folded state, and the damping body is in a second state, where the second state is that the damping body is deformed and generates damping force relative to the first synchronization swing arm.
Data Source
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AI summary
This application provides a rotating mechanism and a foldable electronic device. The rotating mechanism includes a fastening base, a first synchronization swing arm, a second synchronization swing arm, and a damping member. The first synchronization swing arm and the second synchronization swing arm are respectively mounted on two opposite sides of the fastening base in a width direction and are rotatably connected to the fastening base. The damping member includes a baffle plate and a damping body, the damping body is connected between the first synchronization swing arm and the baffle plate, two opposite ends of the damping body are disposed along a length direction of the fastening base, and the damping body is made of a shape memory alloy. When the first synchronization swing arm and the second synchronization swing arm are in a folded state, the damping body is in a first state, where the first state is an initial state of the damping body. The first synchronization swing arm is rotated relative to the fastening base to drive one end of the damping body to rotate, the first synchronization swing arm and the second synchronization swing arm are relatively unfolded from the folded state, and the damping body is in a second state, where the second state is that the damping body is deformed and generates damping force relative to the first synchronization swing arm.