2-axis soft hinge mechanism and foldable device having same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12105559-B2
Application number	US-202017310843-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2020
Priority date	Sep 12, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

A foldable device may include a foldable layer and a hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism may include a hinge cover fixedly coupled to a hinge base. A plurality of rotation pivots may be rotatably coupled to the hinge base and the hinge cover. A housing of a computing device may be coupled to the rotation pivots, such that, as the rotation pivots rotate into the hinge base and hinge cover, the computing device is unfolded, and as the rotation pivots rotate out of the hinge base and hinge cover, the computing device is folded. Rotation of the rotation pivots into and out of the hinge base and hinge cover may be restricted by one or more stopping mechanisms, so as to maintain a foldable display of the computing device within allowable bending limits.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge mechanism, comprising:
a hinge base including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion extending longitudinally along a length of the hinge base;
at least one hinge cover immovably coupled to the hinge base, the at least one hinge cover including:
a first portion coupled to the first portion of the hinge base;
a second portion coupled to the second portion of the hinge base; and
a plurality of openings, the plurality of openings including:
a first opening formed in the first portion of the hinge cover; and
a second opening formed in the second portion of the hinge cover; and

a plurality of rotation pivots rotatably positioned in the plurality of openings in the hinge cover, in a space defined by the hinge base and the hinge cover, the plurality of rotation pivots including:
a first rotation pivot positioned at the first opening in the first portion of the hinge cover, and rotatably coupled between the first portion of the hinge base and the first portion of the hinge cover; and
a second rotation pivot positioned at the second opening in the second portion of the hinge cover, and rotatably coupled between the second portion of the hinge base and the second portion of the hinge cover, wherein each rotation pivot, of the plurality of rotation pivots, includes:
a body portion;
a first flange defined along a first lateral side of the body portion;
a second flange defined along a second lateral side of the body portion, opposite the first lateral side thereof, wherein a thickness of the body portion is greater than thicknesses of the first flange and the second flange, wherein each opening, of the plurality of openings in the hinge cover, includes:
a first track defined along a first peripheral edge portion of the opening, wherein the first track is configured to slidably receive the first flange of a corresponding rotation pivot received therein; and
a second track defined along a second peripheral edge portion of the opening, opposite the first peripheral edge portion thereof, wherein the second track is configured to slidably receive the second flange of a corresponding rotation pivot received therein;

a first stopping mechanism that restricts at least one of movement of the first flange within the first track or movement of the second flange within the second track, in an unfolded configuration; and
a second stopping mechanism that is rotationally locked to the second flange and restricts at least one of, movement of the first flange within the first track or movement of the second flange within the second track, in a folded configuration.

2. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 , wherein the hinge mechanism is configured to be coupled in a computing device that includes a foldable display, at a portion of the computing device corresponding to a bendable section of the foldable display, wherein each first rotation pivot is configured to be coupled to a first housing of the computing device, such that the first housing rotates together with the first rotation pivot relative to the hinge base and the hinge cover; and
each second rotation pivot is configured to be coupled to a second housing of the computing device, such that the second housing rotates together with the second rotation pivot relative to the hinge base and the hinge cover.

3. The hinge mechanism of claim 2 , wherein the hinge mechanism is configured to rotate the first housing and the second housing between the unfolded configuration of the computing device and the folded configuration of the computing device.

4. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 , wherein, in an unfolded configuration of the hinge mechanism,
the first rotation pivot is in a retracted position, in which the first rotation pivot is received in the space defined by the first portion of the hinge base and the first portion of the hinge cover defining the first opening; and
the second rotation pivot is in a retracted position, in which the second rotation pivot is received in the space defined by the second portion of the hinge base and the second portion of the hinge cover defining the second opening.

5. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 , wherein, in a folded configuration of the hinge mechanism,
the first rotation pivot is in an extended position, in which the first rotation pivot is rotated through the first opening formed in the first portion of the hinge cover and out of the space defined by the first portion of the hinge base and the first portion of the hinge cover defining the first opening; and
the second rotation pivot is in an extended position, in which the second rotation pivot is rotated through the second opening in the second portion of the hinge cover, and out of the space defined by the second portion of the hinge base and the second portion of the hinge cover defining the second opening.

6. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 , further comprising an inclined surface along an outer peripheral edge portion of at least one of the first flange or the second flange, such that a width of the at least one the first flange or the second flange at a first end portion thereof is greater than a width of the at least one of the first flange or the second flange at a second end portion thereof.

7. The hinge mechanism of claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the first flange or the second flange is slidably received in a track defined along an edge portion of the opening in which the corresponding rotation pivot is received, and wherein the track guides a sliding movement of the at least one of the first flange or the second flange as the rotation pivot rotates.

8. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 , wherein an outer peripheral contour of the first flange corresponds to an inner peripheral contour of the first track, and an outer peripheral contour of the second flange corresponds to an inner peripheral contour of the second track, and
wherein the first track guides a sliding movement of the first flange and the second track guides a sliding movement of the second flange as the rotation pivot rotates from a first position, in which the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded configuration, and a second position, in which the hinge mechanism is in the folded configuration.

9. The hinge mechanism of claim 8 , wherein
in the unfolded configuration, the rotation pivot is in a retracted position in which the rotation pivot is received in the corresponding space between the hinge base and the hinge cover, and
in the folded configuration, the rotation pivot is in an extended position in which the rotation pivot is rotated through the corresponding opening and out of the space defined by the hinge base and the hinge cover.

10. The hinge mechanism of claim 1 , wherein
the first stopping mechanism includes at least one of
a closed terminal end of the first track that restricts further sliding movement of the first flange in an unfolding direction, or
a closed terminal end of the second track that restricts further sliding movement of the second flange in an unfolding direction,

so as to restrict rotation of the hinge mechanism beyond a maximum bending radius, and
the second stopping mechanism further includes at least one of
a track protrusion formed at an open end portion of the first track that engages a pivot protrusion formed at a terminal end portion of the first flange to restrict further sliding movement of the first flange in a folding direction, or
a track protrusion formed at an open end portion of the second track that engages a pivot protrusion formed at a terminal end portion of the second flange to restrict further sliding movement of the second flange in a folding direction,

so as to restrict rota

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Ou Davis
• Liu Mike
• Chien Vincent
• Chen Ollie
• Tseng Chun

Classifications

• H04M1/0268

  including a flexible display panel · 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

• H04M1/0237

  Sliding mechanism with one degree of freedom · CPC title

• H04M1/022

  The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes · CPC title

• F16M11/10

  around a horizontal axis {(F16M11/12 takes precedence)} · CPC title