Folding-type electronic device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11262793-B2
Application number	US-202017029007-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 22, 2020
Priority date	Apr 20, 2020
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

A folding-type electronic device including a first housing, a second housing, at least one hinge structure, an elastic cover, two bearing plates, a flexible screen, first synchronous gears, and second synchronous gears is provided. The first housing and the second housing are symmetrical to a centerline. The hinge structure is respectively connected to the first housing and the second housing, and the centerline passes through the hinge structure. The elastic cover is slidably disposed between the hinge structure and the first housing and the second housing and has first racks. The bearing plates have second racks. The flexible screen is disposed on the bearing plates. Each first and second synchronous gear is respectively pivoted to the first and second housings. Each first and second synchronous gear is engaged with each corresponding first and second rack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A folding-type electronic device, comprising:
a first housing;
a second housing spaced from the first housing and symmetrical to a centerline;
at least one hinge structure respectively connected to the first housing and the second housing, wherein the centerline passes through the at least one hinge structure;
an elastic cover slidably disposed between the at least one hinge structure and the first housing and the second housing, wherein the elastic cover has a plurality of first racks;
two bearing plates respectively slidably disposed in the first housing and the second housing, wherein each of the bearing plates has a plurality of second racks, and the second racks are respectively opposite to the first racks;
a flexible screen disposed on the two bearing plates;
a plurality of first synchronous gears pivoted to the first housing, wherein each of the first synchronous gears is engaged with each of the first racks and the second racks; and
a plurality of second synchronous gears pivoted to the second housing, wherein each of the second synchronous gears is engaged with each of the first racks and the second racks,
wherein the first housing and the second housing are adapted to drive the at least one hinge structure to turn relative to the centerline, and at the same time, each of the first synchronous gears and each of the second synchronous gears are rotated relative to each of the first racks and each of the second racks to drive the two bearing plates to be relatively close to the centerline in order to switch to a tablet mode or relatively far away from the centerline to switch to a folded mode.

2. The folding-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein when switching to the tablet mode, the first housing and the second housing are abutted against each other and form a flat plate structure, the first synchronous gears are rotated in a first rotation direction, and the second synchronous gears are rotated in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction to drive two ends of the elastic cover to be respectively accommodated in two grooves of the first housing and the second housing.

3. The folding-type electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the elastic cover is flattened on the first housing and the second housing, and the first synchronous gears and the second synchronous gears drive the two bearing plates to approach each other and to be located above the at least one hinge structure, so that the flexible screen is flattened on the two bearing plates.

4. The folding-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein when switching to the folded mode, the at least one hinge structure is bent relative to the centerline and the first housing and the second housing are parallel to each other, the first synchronous gears are rotated in a second rotation direction, and the second synchronous gears are rotated in a first rotation direction opposite to the second rotation direction to drive two ends of the elastic cover to be respectively separated from two grooves of the first housing and the second housing.

5. The folding-type electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the elastic cover is in a bent state and partially protruded to an outside of the first housing and the second housing, and the first synchronous gears and the second synchronous gears drive the two bearing plates to be moved away from each other and accommodate the at least one hinge structure, so that the flexible screen is in the bent state and partially suspended at the at least one hinge structure.

6. The folding-type electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the flexible screen has two side portions and a bent portion, the two side portions are respectively connected with the two bearing plates to form a single body, the bent portion is located between the two side portions, and in the tablet mode, the bent portion is in contact with the two bearing plates and covers the at least one hinge structure.

7. The folding-type electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the flexible screen has two side portions and a bent portion, the two side portions are respectively connected with the two bearing plates to form a single body, the bent portion is located between the two side portions, and in the folded mode, the bent portion is separated from the two bearing plates and suspended at the at least one hinge structure.

8. The folding-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one hinge structure has:
an odd number of pivots disposed parallel to each other;
two bending components disposed at a middle portion of the pivots and perpendicular to the pivots;
two gear sets respectively sleeved on two ends of each of the pivots; and
two connecting plates respectively connected to the two bending components, wherein the two connecting plates are fixed to the first housing and the second housing,
wherein the first housing and the second housing are adapted to apply a force to the two connecting plates, thereby driving the two bending components, the two gear sets, and a portion of the pivots to be rotated synchronously relative to the centerline.

9. The folding-type electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the elastic cover has at least one pull handle connected to one of the pivots of the at least one hinge structure coincident with the centerline, so as to connect the elastic cover and the at least one hinge structure to form a single body.

10. The folding-type electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of sliding grooves disposed on two opposite first inner wall surfaces of the first housing and the second housing perpendicular to the centerline, wherein each of the bearing plates is slidably disposed in the sliding grooves of the first housing and the second housing.

11. The folding-type electronic device of claim 10 , wherein in the folded mode, the two bearing plates are relatively far away along the sliding grooves respectively until the two bearing plates are abutted against two second inner wall surfaces of the first housing and the second housing parallel to the centerline.

12. The folding-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein each of the bearing plates has at least one notch, in the tablet mode, each of the at least one notch is located on the at least one hinge structure, and in the folded mode, each of the at least one notch accommodates a portion of the at least one hinge structure.

13. The folding-type electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first housing and second housing together form a bottom hole, in the tablet mode, the elastic cover is in a flat plate state and suspended at the bottom hole, and in the folded mode, the elastic cover is in a bent state and penetrates the bottom hole.

Assignees

• Hsu Chia Hao
• Chen You Yu
• Chan Chia Huang
• Hsieh Wei Feng
• Chao Kai Cheng
• Compal Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hsu Chia-Hao
• Chen You-Yu
• Chan Chia-Huang
• Hsieh Wei-Feng
• Chao Kai-Cheng

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  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

• 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

• H04M1/022

  The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes · CPC title

• G06F1/1615 Primary

  with several enclosures having relative motions, each enclosure supporting at least one I/O or computing function (constructional details of portable telephones comprising a plurality of mechanically joined movable body parts H04M1/0206) · CPC title