Hinge assembly, rotation mechanism and foldable mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10684658-B2
Application number	US-201916351178-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2019
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A hinge assembly is provided. The hinge assembly includes a first base, a second base, a flexible connection element, and a number of hinge elements. The flexible connection element is located between and coupled to the first base and the second base. The hinge elements are arranged in a line and located between the first base and the second base. Each of the hinge elements comprises an interior portion and an exterior portion opposite to the interior portion. The exterior portions of the hinge elements are coupled to the flexible connection element. The interior portions of the hinge elements are capable of being either close to or far away from each other by rotating the first base with respect to the second base. A foldable mobile terminal and a rotation mechanism are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge assembly comprising:
a first base;
a second base;
a flexible connection element located between and coupled to the first base and the second base; and
a plurality of hinge elements arranged in a line and located between the first base and the second base, wherein each of the hinge elements comprises an interior portion and an exterior portion opposite to the interior portion, the exterior portions of the hinge elements are coupled to the flexible connection element, the interior portions of the hinge elements are capable of being either close to or far away from each other by rotating the first base with respect to the second base
wherein each of the hinge elements comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall; the interior portion and the exterior portion are located between the first sidewall and the second sidewall;
wherein the first sidewall is provided with a slide portion; the second sidewall defines a slide slot; the slide portion of one of the hinge elements is slidably engaged in the slide slot of one hinge element adjacent to the one of the hinge elements;
wherein each of the hinge element defines a guiding space in the first sidewall; each of the hinge elements further comprises a second extending portion adjacent to the slide slot on the second sidewall; the second extending portion of the one of the hinge elements is configured to be slidably engaged in the guiding space of one hinge element adjacent to the one of the hinge elements.

2. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the slide portion is arc-shaped; a configuration of the slide slot is arc-shaped and similar to that of the slide portion.

3. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the hinge elements further comprises a first extending portion disposed on the first sidewall, thereby forming the guiding space between the slide portion and the first extending portion.

4. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the exterior portion of each of the hinge elements comprises an outer surface, the outer surface is arc-shaped, a successive configuration of the outer surfaces of the hinge elements is changed during rotating the first base with respect to the second base.

5. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an amount of the hinge elements is odd number, a middle one of the hinge elements is configured to indicate a rotation axis of the hinge assembly.

6. A hinge assembly comprising:
a first base;
a second base;
a flexible connection element located between and coupled to the first base and the second base;
a plurality of hinge elements arranged in a line and located between the first base and the second base, wherein each of the hinge elements comprises an interior portion and an exterior portion opposite to the interior portion, the exterior portions of the hinge elements are coupled to the flexible connection element, the interior portions of the hinge elements are capable of being either close to or far away from each other by rotating the first base with respect to the second base; and
a tooth plate member coupled to the first base and the second base, the tooth plate member comprising:
a first mounting plate slidably coupled to the first base;
a second mounting plate slidably coupled to the second base; and
at least one tooth plate group located between and coupled to the first mounting plate and the second mounting plate, wherein the at least one tooth plate group is configured to maintain a rotation position of the first base with respect to the second base.

7. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein each of the at least one tooth plate group comprises:
a first tooth plate group coupled to the first mounting plate;
a second tooth plate group coupled to the second mounting plate;
a first middle tooth plate group meshed with the first tooth plate group; and
a second middle tooth plate group meshed with the second tooth plate group, the second tooth plate group and the second middle tooth plate group are stacked on the first tooth plate group and the first middle tooth plate group.

8. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the at least one tooth plate group comprises a plurality of tooth plate groups, the tooth plate groups are stacked along a direction parallel to a rotation axis of the hinge assembly.

9. The hinge assembly as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the tooth plate member further comprises:
a first rotation shaft, penetrating through the first tooth plate groups and the second middle tooth plate groups;
a second rotation shaft, penetrating through the first middle tooth plate groups and the second middle tooth plate groups; and
a third rotation shaft, penetrating through the first middle tooth plate groups and the second tooth plate groups.

10. A foldable mobile terminal, comprising:
a rotation mechanism comprising:
a supporting member having a supporting surface and a mounting surface opposite to the supporting surface; and
at least one hinge assembly coupled to the mounting surface, each of the at least one hinge assembly comprising a first base, a second base, a plurality of hinge elements, and a flexible connection element; wherein each of the first base and the second base is coupled to the mounting surface and separated from each other; the hinge elements are arranged in a line and located between the first base and the second base; the flexible connection element is located between and coupled to the first base and the second base, and faces the mounting surface;

a first housing coupled to one side of the supporting member;
a second housing coupled to the other side of the supporting member; and
a flexible display panel assembly mounted on the first housing and the second housing and being in contact with the supporting surface;
wherein the second housing and the rotation mechanism are in contact with the supporting member; a configuration of the supporting member of the rotation mechanism is capable of being changed to cooperate with a configuration of the flexible display panel assembly during rotating the first housing with respect to the second housing;
wherein each of the hinge elements comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, the first sidewall is provided with a slide portion, the second sidewall defines a slide slot; the slide portion of one of the hinge elements is slidably engaged in the slide slot of one hinge element adjacent to the one of the hinge elements;
wherein each of the hinge element defines a guiding space in the first sidewall; each of the hinge elements further comprises a second extending portion adjacent to the slide slot of the second sidewall; the second extending portion of the one of the hinge elements is configured to be slidably engaged in the guiding space of one hinge element adjacent to the one of the hinge elements.

11. The foldable mobile terminal as claimed in claim 10 , wherein each of the hinge elements comprises an interior portion and an exterior portion opposite to the interior portion; the exterior portions of the hinge elements are coupled to the flexible connection element, the interior portions of the hinge elements are capable of being either close to or far away from each other by rotating the first base with respect to the second base.

12. The foldable mobile terminal as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the interior portion and the exterior portion are located between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

13. The foldable mobile terminal as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the exterior portion of each of the hing

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Yugui
• Cheng Jiao

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/022

  The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes · CPC title

• G06F1/1652

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

• H04M1/0216

  Foldable in one direction, i.e. using a one degree of freedom hinge · CPC title

• G06F1/1681 Primary

  Details related solely to hinges (hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683) · CPC title