Rotating shaft mechanism and mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11336759-B2
Application number	US-202117394750-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2021
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	May 17, 2022
Grant date	May 17, 2022

Abstract

In a rotating shaft mechanism and a foldable mobile terminal, connecting rods and swing arms are rotatably connected to a main shaft assembly, and the swing arms and the connecting rods rotate around different axes, so that the swing arms and the connecting rods rotate and slide relative to each other. During folding, the connecting rods or the swing arms drive the two support plates to rotate towards each other, the support plates and the main shaft assembly enclose folding space for accommodating a flexible display of the mobile terminal in a folded state, so that the bending effect of the flexible display is improved, and two housings of the mobile terminal fit almost seamlessly in the folded state.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotating shaft mechanism of a foldable mobile terminal, the rotating shaft mechanism comprising:
a main shaft assembly;
a swing arm assembly, comprising at least one connecting rod group and at least one swing arm group, wherein each connecting rod group comprises two connecting rods that are respectively disposed on two sides of the main shaft assembly and that are rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly; each swing arm group comprises two swing arms respectively disposed on the two sides of the main shaft assembly, and each swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly; an axis around which each swing arm rotates and an axis around which a connecting rod located on a same side of the main shaft assembly rotates are different axes, and each are parallel to a length direction of the main shaft assembly; and each swing arm is slidably connected to and can rotate relative to at least one connecting rod located on a same side of the main shaft assembly; and
a support assembly, comprising two support plates respectively disposed on the two sides of the main shaft assembly, wherein each support plate is rotatably connected to a swing arm located on a same side of the main shaft assembly, is slidably connected to and can rotate relative to a connecting rod located on the same side of the main shaft assembly; or each support plate is rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly, and is slidably connected to and can rotate relative to a swing arm located on a same side of the main shaft assembly, wherein an axis around which each support plate is rotatably connected to a swing arm located on a same side of the main shaft assembly or rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly is parallel to the length direction of the main shaft assembly, wherein
when the two swing arms located on the two sides of the main shaft assembly rotate to a first position in directions towards each other, the two connecting rods or the two swing arms drive the two support plates to rotate to a second position in directions towards each other, and the two support plates and the main shaft assembly enclose folding space for accommodating a flexible display of the foldable mobile terminal.

2. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein axes around which the two connecting rods in each connecting rod group rotate are symmetrically disposed on two sides of axes around which two swing arms in each swing arm group rotate.

3. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a sliding direction of each connecting rod is perpendicular to an axial direction of the connecting rod, and when the two swing arms located on the two sides of the main shaft assembly rotate to the first position in the directions towards each other, each connecting rod slide to a position close to an axis around which a swing arm located on a same side of the main shaft assembly rotates.

4. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a first arc-shaped sliding slot in a one-to-one correspondence with each swing arm is disposed on the main shaft assembly, and a first arc-shaped arm slidably assembled in the corresponding first arc-shaped sliding slot is disposed on each swing arm.

5. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein two first arc-shaped arms disposed on the two swing arms in each swing arm group are disposed in a staggered manner.

6. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein two gears are respectively disposed on two opposite ends of the two connecting rods in each connecting rod group, and the two gears engage with each other.

7. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein a cavity for accommodating the two engaging gears is disposed in the main shaft assembly.

8. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , further comprising: a limiting mechanism, configured to limit relative positions at which the two connecting rods rotate relative to the main shaft assembly.

9. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 8 , wherein the limiting mechanism comprises a first cam that rotates synchronously with each connecting rod, and a second cam that is disposed opposite to the first cam, wherein protrusions and notches that engage with each other are respectively disposed on opposite surfaces of the first cam and the second cam that are disposed opposite to each other, and one of the first cam and the second cam can slide relative to the main shaft assembly; and the limiting mechanism further comprises: an elastic part configured to push the first cam or the second cam to slide towards each other.

10. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 9 , wherein the limiting mechanism further comprises a camshaft fixedly connected to each connecting rod, the camshaft penetrates the first cam and the second cam that are disposed opposite to each other, the first cam can rotate synchronously with the camshaft, and the second cam can rotate relative to the camshaft.

11. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a notch in a one-to-one correspondence with the connecting rod located on a same side of the main shaft assembly is disposed on each swing arm, and the connecting rod located on a same side of the main shaft assembly is at least partially located in the corresponding notch.

12. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 11 , wherein two first sliding slots are disposed on two sides of the notch on each swing arm, and two first protrusions slidably assembled in the two first sliding slots are disposed on each connecting rod.

13. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a second sliding slot is disposed on each support plate, and a second protrusion slidably assembled in the second sliding slot is disposed on each connecting rod or each swing arm.

14. The rotating shaft mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein each support plate is rotatably connected to the swing arm located on a same side of the main shaft assembly by using first pin shafts; or
a second arc-shaped sliding slot is disposed on each support plate, and a second arc-shaped arm slidably assembled in the second arc-shaped sliding slot is disposed on each swing arm.

15. A foldable mobile terminal, comprising:
a rotating shaft mechanism;
two housings; and
a flexible display fixedly connected to the two housings, wherein the rotating shaft mechanism comprises:
a main shaft assembly;
a swing arm assembly, comprising at least one connecting rod group and at least one swing arm group, wherein each connecting rod group comprises two connecting rods that are respectively disposed on two sides of the main shaft assembly and that are rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly; each swing arm group comprises two swing arms respectively disposed on the two sides of the main shaft assembly, and each swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft assembly; an axis around which each swing arm rotates and an axis around which a connecting rod located on a same side of the main shaft assembly rotates are different axes, and each are parallel to a length direction of the main shaft assembly; and each swing arm is slidably connected to and can rotate relative to at least one connecting rod located on a same side of the main shaft assembly; and
a support assembly, comprising two support plates respectively disposed on the two sides of the main shaft assembly, wherein each support plate is rotatably connected to a swing arm located on a same side of the main shaft assembly, is slidably connected to and can rotate relative to a connecting rod located o

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liao Li
• Nagai Kenji
• Zhong Ding
• Huang Tao

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title

• H04M1/0214 Primary

  Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235) · 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

• H04M1/021 Primary

  using combined folding and rotation motions (combined with translation movement H04M1/0235) · CPC title

• H04M1/0216 Primary

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