Tri-Fold Hinge Structure for Flexible Display Displacement Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Foldable devices with a tri-fold structure face a high risk of damage to the flexible display due to displacement superposition of the mechanical parts, leading to potential damage from pressing or pulling during folding and unfolding.
Innovation Solution
The foldable device incorporates a housing assembly with a flexible display having a support layer and a cover layer, where the mechanical parts are fastened to the support or cover layer through specific fastening structures, ensuring that parts of the support and cover layers undergo displacement in the same direction during folding, thereby preventing superposition and reducing damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a tri-fold structure is adopted to increase display area, then the display area is enlarged, but the risk of damage to the flexible display increases due to displacement superposition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the flexible display into two independent layers: a support layer fastened to the first mechanical part, and a cover layer fastened to the second mechanical part. This segmentation allows each layer to be independently managed during folding operations, preventing displacement superposition that would otherwise cause damage. The support layer and cover layer can move independently relative to their respective mechanical parts, eliminating the cumulative displacement effect in tri-fold structures.
2Device complexity
If multiple mechanical parts are fastened to the same layer, then the structure is simplified, but displacement superposition occurs causing pressing or pulling damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the fastening system into two separate fastening structures: a first fastening structure connecting the support layer to the first mechanical part, and a second fastening structure connecting the cover layer to the second mechanical part. This segmentation ensures that when mechanical parts rotate during folding, each layer moves independently without experiencing superimposed displacements from multiple fastening points, thereby preventing pressing or pulling damage.
3Reliability
If the support layer and cover layer are fastened to different mechanical parts, then displacement superposition is avoided, but the fastening structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements segmentation by fastening the support layer to the first mechanical part and the cover layer to the second mechanical part through separate fastening structures. This segmentation strategy, while increasing fastening structure complexity, successfully prevents displacement superposition by ensuring that each layer moves independently during folding operations, thereby protecting the flexible display from damage.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of this application provide a foldable device and relate to the field of terminal product technologies. The foldable device includes a first mechanical part, a second mechanical part, a third mechanical part, a first hinge mechanism, a second hinge mechanism, and a flexible display. One end of the first mechanical part is rotatably connected to the second mechanical part through the first hinge mechanism, and the other end of the first mechanical part is rotatably connected to the third mechanical part through the second hinge mechanism. The flexible display includes a support layer and a cover layer. The support layer is fastened to a part of the first mechanical part and the second mechanical part, and the cover layer is fastened to the other part of the first mechanical part and the third mechanical part. Alternatively, the second mechanical part and the third mechanical part are separately folded toward different sides of the first mechanical part. In this way, during folding of the foldable device, neither of the support layer and the cover layer is likely to be pressed against or pulled due to displacement superposition, so that a risk of damage to the flexible display can be reduced.