Supporting structure having variable form and electronic device having supporting structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10117346-B2
Application number	US-201415540897-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 30, 2014
Priority date	Dec 30, 2014
Publication date	Oct 30, 2018
Grant date	Oct 30, 2018

Abstract

Disclosed are a supporting structure having a variable form and an electronic device having the same. A supporting structure may include a fixing module, a tail end module, and a flexible module connecting the fixing module and the tail end module. The flexible module may include multiple chain units. The chain unit may include a support plate having a support surface and a lower surface opposite to the support surface, and a driving portion extending along from a side of the support plate away from the lower surface of the support plate. The chain units are hingedly connected in series. Adjacent chain units may drive the support surfaces to construct different forms through interaction between the driving portions, thereby forming the supporting structure whose form can be flexibly changed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A supporting structure having a variable form, comprising:
at least two flexible modules; and
at least one fixing module, each of the at least one fixing module is operable to accommodate electronic components of an electronic device having the support structure and arranged between two of the at least two flexible modules;
wherein each of the at least two flexible modules comprises a plurality of chain units, each chain unit comprises a support plate having a support surface and a lower surface opposite to the support surface, and a driving portion extending from a side of the support plate away from the lower surface of the support plate, the chain units are hingedly connected in succession, and adjacent chain units drive the support surfaces to be bent through interaction between the driving portion and the lower surface of each two adjacent chain units, a bent of the support surfaces of the adjacent chain units changes a form of the flexible module.

2. The supporting structure of claim 1 , wherein the chain unit further comprises a first magnet arranged on the lower surface of the support plate, a second magnet, a third magnet, and a fourth magnet wherein the second magnet, the third magnet, and the fourth magnet are all arranged on the driving portion;
when an attraction force is generated between the second magnet and the first magnet of the adjacent chain unit, the two support surfaces of the adjacent chain units form a bent form; and
when an attraction force is generated between the third magnet and the fourth magnet of the adjacent chain units, the two support surfaces of the adjacent chain units form a flattened form.

3. The supporting structure of claim 2 , wherein the driving portion comprises an actuating portion and a joint portion connecting the actuating portion and the support plate, the actuating portion comprises a first bearing plate carrying the second magnet and the third magnet, a second bearing plate carrying the fourth magnet, and a connecting portion connecting the first bearing plate and the second bearing plate, the second magnet is arranged on a top surface of the first bearing plate and the third magnet is arranged on a lower surface of the first bearing plate.

4. The supporting structure of claim 3 , wherein the joint portion extends from a side of the support plate away from the lower surface, and is joined to the connecting portion.

5. The supporting structure of claim 1 , wherein a first side connecting portion and a second side connecting portion are formed at two opposite sides of the support plate, respectively, the first side connecting portion of the chain unit is hinged with the second side connecting portion of an adjacent chain unit, by passing a hinge pin through shaft holes defined in the first side connecting portion of the chain unit and the second side connecting portion of the adjacent chain unit.

6. The supporting structure of claim 1 , wherein opposite sides of the fixing module respectively comprise first side connecting portions or second side connecting portions that are hingedly connectable to the chain units.

7. The supporting structure of claim 1 , further comprising a tail end module operable to accommodate electronic components of the electronic device, wherein an inner side of the tail end module comprises a first side connecting portion or a second side connecting portion that is hingedly connectable to the chain unit.

8. An electronic device comprising:
a supporting structure comprising:
at least two flexible modules; and
at least one fixing module, each of the at least one fixing module is operable to accommodate electronic components of the electronic device and arranged between two of the at least two flexible modules;
wherein each of the at least two flexible modules comprises a plurality of chain units, each chain unit comprises a support plate having a support surface and a lower surface opposite to the support surface, and a driving portion extending from a side of the support plate away from the lower surface of the support plate, the chain units are hingedly connected in succession, and adjacent chain units drive the support surfaces to be bent through interaction between the driving portion and the lower surface of each two adjacent chain units, a bent of the support surfaces of the adjacent chain units changes to change a form of the flexible module; and
a flexible display screen arranged on the supporting structure.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the chain unit further comprises a first magnet arranged on the lower surface of the support plate, a second magnet, a third magnet, and a fourth magnet wherein the second magnet, the third magnet, and the fourth magnet are all arranged on the driving portion;
when an attraction force is generated between the second magnet and the first magnet of the adjacent chain unit, the two support surfaces of the adjacent chain units form a bent form; and
when an attraction force is generated between the third magnet and the fourth magnet of the adjacent chain units, the two support surfaces of the adjacent chain units form a flattened form.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the driving portion comprises an actuating portion and a joint portion connecting the actuating portion and the support plate, the actuating portion comprises a first bearing plate carrying the second magnet and the third magnet, a second bearing plate carrying the fourth magnet, and a connecting portion connecting the first bearing plate and the second bearing plate, the second magnet is arranged on a top surface of the first bearing plate and the third magnet is arranged on a lower surface of the first bearing plate.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the joint portion extends from a side of the support plate away from the lower surface, and is joined to the connecting portion.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein a first side connecting portion and a second side connecting portion are formed at two opposite sides of the support plate, respectively, the first side connecting portion of the chain unit is hinged with the second side connecting portion of an adjacent chain unit, by passing a hinge pin through shaft holes defined in the first side connecting portion of the chain unit and the second side connecting portion of the adjacent chain unit.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein opposite sides of the fixing module respectively comprise first side connecting portions or second side connecting portions that are hingedly connectable to the chain units.

14. The electronic device of claim 10 , further comprising a tail end module operable to accommodate electronic components of the electronic device, wherein an inner side of the tail end module comprises a first side connecting portion or a second side connecting portion that is hingedly connectable to the chain unit.

15. A supporting structure having a variable form, comprising:
a fixing module operable to accommodate electronic components of an electronic device having the support structure; and
a flexible module connected to the fixing module;
wherein, the flexible module comprises a plurality of chain units, each chain unit of the plurality of chain units comprises a support plate having a support surface and a lower surface opposite to the support surface, and a driving portion extending from a side of the support plate away from the lower surface of the support plate, the chain units are hingedly connected in succession;
each chain unit of the plurality of chain units further comprises a first magnet

Assignees

• Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
• Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Songling
• Chen Songya
• Ni Dan
• Liu Zihong

Classifications

• H05K5/0217

  Mechanical details of casings (covers, lids, hoods or members for covering apertures H05K5/03) · CPC title

• H01F7/0231

  Magnetic circuits with PM for power or force generation · CPC title

• G06F1/163 Primary

  Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt · CPC title

• H05K5/0226 Primary

  Hinges · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

  the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable · CPC title