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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11073868-B2
Application number	US-201916685245-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2019
Priority date	May 17, 2017
Publication date	Jul 27, 2021
Grant date	Jul 27, 2021

Abstract

The foldable mobile terminal includes: a flexible display screen; a first shell and a second shell, the flexible display screen being provided on the first shell and the second shell; and a foldable mechanism including a first rotation assembly connected to the first shell and a second rotation assembly connected to the second shell. The first and second rotation assemblies both comprise sliding plates, rotation shafts, and connection rods. The sliding plates are at least partially received in the shells, and can extend or retract with respect to the shells in a sliding manner. First ends of the connection rods are slidably and hingedly connected to the rotating shafts, and second ends are rotatably connected to the shells.

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 foldable mechanism, comprising:
a first rotation assembly, connected to the first shell and comprising:
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; and
a first connection rod, wherein a first end of the first connection rod is slidable on the first rotation shaft and rotatable relative to the first rotation shaft, and a second end of the first connection rod is rotatably connected to the first shell; and

a second rotation assembly, connected to the second shell and comprising:
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 slidable on the second rotation shaft and rotatable relative to the second rotation shaft, and a second end of the second connection rod is rotatably connected to the second shell; and

a first roller and a first spring, wherein the first sliding plate has a first groove, the first spring and the first roller abut against both the first shell and the first sliding plate, and when the first sliding plate slides towards or away from the first shell, the first roller is able to move into or out of the first groove.

2. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the foldable mechanism further comprises a linkage element connected to the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft; and
the linkage element has a first through hole and a second through hole; the first rotation shaft is arranged to extend through the first through hole, and the second rotation shaft is arranged to extend through the second through hole.

3. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising a second roller and a second spring, wherein the second sliding plate has a second groove; the second spring and the second roller abut against both the second shell and the second sliding plate; and when the second sliding plate slides towards or away from the second shell, the second roller is able to move into or out of the second groove.

4. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 1 , wherein the first rotation assembly further comprises a first sliding member, 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; and
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 4 , wherein
the first rotation assembly further comprises a first support connected to the first sliding plate, the first rotation shaft is arranged on the first support, and the first sliding member is arranged between the first support and the first sliding plate; and
the second rotation assembly further comprises a second support connected to the second sliding plate, the second rotation shaft is arranged on the second support, and the second sliding member is arranged between the second support and the second sliding plate.

6. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 5 , wherein
the first rotation assembly further comprises a first elastic sheet arranged inside the first support, the first elastic sheet comprises two first engaging portions, and each of the two first engaging portions corresponds to each of two extreme positions of the first sliding member; and
the second rotation assembly further comprises a second elastic sheet arranged inside the second support, the second elastic sheet comprises two second engaging portions, and each of the two second engaging portions corresponds to each of two extreme positions of the second sliding member.

7. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 1 , 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, and the flexible display screen is arranged on the first front shell and the second front shell.

8. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the first front shell is arranged with a first latch, and the first sliding plate has a first notch corresponding to the first latch; or
the first front shell has a first notch, and the first sliding plate is arranged with a first latch corresponding to the first notch; or
the first front shell is arranged with a first latch and has a first notch, the first sliding plate is arranged with a first latch and has a first notch; the first latch on the first front shell is in correspondence with the first notch of the first sliding plate, and the first notch of the first front shell is in correspondence with the first latch on the first sliding plate.

9. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 7 , wherein the second front shell is arranged with a second latch, and the second sliding plate has a second notch corresponding to the second latch; or
the second front shell has a second notch, and the second sliding plate is arranged with a second latch corresponding to the second notch; or
the second front shell is arranged with a second latch and has a second notch, the second sliding plate is arranged with a second latch and has a second notch; the second latch on the second front shell is in correspondence with the second notch of the second sliding plate, and the second notch of the second front shell is in correspondence with the second latch on the second sliding plate.

10. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a joining sheet, crossing over the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate; and
two pressing elements, wherein each of two ends of the joining sheet is slidably connected to the first front shell and the second front shell through a corresponding one of the two pressing elements, and a position of each of the two pressing elements with respect to the joining sheet changes during folding and unfolding of the first shell and the second shell.

11. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a first decoration component, disposed at one end of the first sliding plate and one end of the second sliding plate and connected to both the first front shell and the second front shell; and
a second decoration component, disposed at the other end of the first sliding plate and the other end of the second sliding plate and connected to both the first front shell and the second front shell.

12. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 1 , further comprising a supportive strip, wherein the supportive strip is configured in a gap between the first sliding plate and the second sliding plate and configured to support the flexible display screen cooperatively with the first sliding plate and second sliding plate.

13. The foldable mobile terminal according to claim 12 , wherein a top face of the supportive strip is facing towards the flexible display screen and is a curved face.

14. A foldable mechanism for a foldable mobile terminal

Assignees

• Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications Corp Ltd

Inventors

• Lin Yugui

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · 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

• G06F1/166

  related to integrated arrangements for adjusting the position of the main body with respect to the supporting surface, e.g. legs for adjusting the tilt angle · CPC title

• G06F1/1616 Primary

  with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position · CPC title