Foldable mobile terminal, foldable mechanism for foldable mobile terminal, and foldable unit for foldable mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11042193-B2
Application number	US-201916685256-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	May 17, 2017
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A foldable mobile terminal and related products include: a flexible display screen; a housing assembly including a first housing and a second housing, the flexible display screen being provided on the first housing and the second housing; a first rotating assembly that is at least partially received in the first housing and can extend or retract with respect to the first housing in a sliding manner, the first rotating assembly being provided with a first groove; a second rotating assembly that is at least partially received in the second housing and can extend or retract with respect to the second housing in a sliding manner; and a first roller and a first spring provided between the first rotating assembly and the first housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable mobile terminal, comprising:
a flexible display screen;
a shell assembly, comprising a first shell and a second shell, wherein the flexible display screen is arranged on the first shell and the second shell;
a first rotation assembly, at least partially received in the first shell and able to slide towards or away from the first shell, wherein the first rotation assembly has one or more first grooves and comprises:
a first sliding plate, at least partially received in the first shell and able to slide towards or away from the first shell;
a first rotation shaft, arranged on the first sliding plate;
a first connection rod, wherein a first end of the first connection rod is slidably hinged to the first rotation shaft, and a second end of the first connection rod is rotatably connected to the first shell; and
a first sliding member, wherein the first sliding member slidably sleeves on the first rotation shaft, and the first end of the first connection rod is rotatably connected to the first sliding member;

a second rotation assembly, at least partially received in the second shell and able to slide towards or away from the second shell; and
a first roller and a first spring, disposed between the first rotation assembly and the first shell, wherein when the first rotation assembly slide towards or away from the first shell, the first roller is able to move into or out of the one or more first grooves.

2. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the second rotation assembly has one or more second grooves;
the foldable mobile terminal further comprises a second roller and a second spring disposed between the second rotation assembly and the second shell; and
when the second rotation assembly slide towards or away from the second shell, the second roller is able to move into or out of the one or more second grooves.

3. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 2 , wherein
the second rotation assembly comprises:
a second sliding plate, at least partially received in the second shell and able to slide towards or away from the second shell;
a second rotation shaft, arranged on the second sliding plate; and
a second connection rod, wherein a first end of the second connection rod is slidably hinged to the second rotation shaft, and a second end of the second connection rod is rotatably connected to the second shell.

4. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 3 , wherein
the second rotation assembly further comprises a second sliding member, the second sliding member slidably sleeves on the second rotation shaft, and the first end of the second connection rod is rotatably connected to the second sliding member.

5. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 3 , wherein
the first sliding plate comprises a first substrate and two or more first latches arranged on the first substrate and spaced apart from each other, the first shell has two or more first notches, the two or more first latches correspond to the two or more notches, the one or more first grooves are formed on a side wall of one of the two or more first latches of the first sliding plate, and the one or more first grooves are facing towards an adjacent first latch; and
the second sliding plate comprises a second substrate and two or more second latches arranged on the second substrate and spaced apart from each other, the second shell has two or more second notches, the two or more second latches correspond to the two or more second notches, the one or more second grooves are formed on a side wall of one of the two or more second latches of the second sliding plate, and the one or more second grooves are facing towards an adjacent second latch.

6. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 5 , wherein
the first shell comprises a first front shell and a first back shell engaged with each other;
the second shell comprises a second front shell and a second back shell engaged with each other;
the flexible display screen is arranged on the first front shell and the second front shell; and
the first front shell has the two or more first notches, and the second front shell has the two or more second notches.

7. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 5 , wherein
a side wall of one of the two or more first notches of the first shell is recessed inwardly away from a corresponding first latch to form a first cavity;
the first roller and the first spring are received in the first cavity, and the first spring is arranged to elastically abut against the first roller such that the first roller is at least partially exposed to an outside of the first cavity;
a side wall of one of the two or more second notches of the second shell is recessed inwardly away from a corresponding second latch to form a second cavity; and
the second roller and the second spring are received in the second cavity, and the second spring is arranged to elastically abut against the second roller such that the second roller is at least partially exposed to an outside of the second cavity.

8. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the number of the one or more first grooves is two, and the two first grooves are formed on the side wall of the one of the two or more first latches at positions corresponding to two terminating positions of the first sliding plate; and
the number of the one or more second grooves is two, and the two second grooves are formed on the side wall of the one of the two or more second latches at positions corresponding to two terminating positions of the second sliding plate.

9. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 5 , wherein
a length for which one of the two or more first latches having the one or more first grooves extends towards the first shell is greater than a length for which any other one of the two or more first latches extends towards the first shell; and
a length for which the one of the two or more second latches having the one or more second grooves extends towards the second shell is greater than a length for which any other one of the two or more second latches extends towards the second shell.

10. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 5 , wherein the number of the one or more first grooves is two, and the number of the one or more second grooves is two;
at least two sets of first rollers and first springs are arranged, the two first grooves are formed on two opposing side walls of one of the two or more first latches, and each of the two first grooves matches with a first roller; and
at least two sets of second rollers and second springs are arranged, the two second grooves are formed on two opposing side walls of one of the two or more second latches, and each of the two second grooves matches with a second roller.

11. A foldable mechanism for a foldable mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising a first shell and a second shell connected to each other; the foldable mechanism comprising:
a first rotation assembly, having one or more first grooves and comprising a first sliding plate, wherein
the first sliding plate is capable of being at least partially received in the first shell and able to slide towards or away from the first shell;
the first sliding plate comprises a first substrate and two or more first latches arranged on the first substrate and spaced apart from each other;
the first shell has two or more first notches, the two or more first latches correspond to the two or more notches; and
the one or more first grooves are formed on a side wall of one of the two or more first latches of the first sliding plate, and the one or more first grooves are facing towards an

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Yugui

Classifications

• H04M1/0268 Primary

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• G06F1/1681

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

• H04M1/022

  The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes · CPC title

• G06F1/1652 Primary

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

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · CPC title