Hinge and mobile terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332703-B2
Application number	US-202418420170-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2024
Priority date	Dec 13, 2019
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A hinge and a mobile terminal to resolve poor use effect of a foldable electronic device. The hinge includes a main body, and a first folding assembly and a second folding assembly that are symmetrically disposed along the main body. When the first folding assembly and the second folding assembly are rotated toward each other, a length of the hinge can be extended, and an accommodation space for accommodating the flexible display can be formed. When the first folding assembly and the second folding assembly are rotated away from each other, the length of the hinge can be reduced, and a support surface for supporting the flexible display can be formed, so that the flexible display cannot be stretched, compressed, or the like during folding and unfolding, thereby improving the use effect and safety of the mobile terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hinge, comprising:
a main body;
a first folding assembly, comprising:
a first swing link;
a first swing arm, wherein one end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the main body, and the other end of the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the first swing link;
a first driven arm, wherein one end of the first driven arm is rotatably connected to the main body, and the other end of the first driven arm is slidably connected to the first swing link, wherein a rotation axis of the first driven arm relative to the main body and a rotation axis of the first swing arm relative to the main body are parallel to each other and do not coincide; and
a first support plate rotatably connected to the first swing link, wherein the first support plate is slidably connected to the first driven arm or slidably connected to the first swing arm; and

a second folding assembly, the first folding assembly and the second folding assembly being disposed on two sides of the main body, wherein the second folding assembly comprises:
a second swing link;
a second swing arm, wherein one end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the main body, and the other end of the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the second swing link;
a second driven arm, wherein one end of the second driven arm is rotatably connected to the main body, and the other end of the second driven arm is slidably connected to the second swing link, wherein a rotation axis of the second driven arm relative to the main body and a rotation axis of the second swing arm relative to the main body are parallel to each other and do not coincide; and
a second support plate rotatably connected to the second swing link, wherein the second support plate is slidably connected to the second driven arm or slidably connected to the second swing arm, wherein

when the hinge is unfolded, the first support plate, the second support plate, and the main body are flattened to form a support surface; and
when the hinge is folded, the first support plate, the second support plate, and the main body jointly form a display accommodation space, a distance between an end of the first support plate near the main body and an end of the second support plate near the main body is greater than a distance between an end of the first support plate away from the main body and an end of the second support plate away from the main body.

2. The hinge according to claim 1 , wherein during folding of the hinge, the first swing link rotates clockwise and the second swing link rotates counterclockwise, the first swing link drives the first driven arm to rotate by sliding relative to the first driven arm in a direction away from the main body, the second swing link drives the second driven arm to rotate by sliding relative to the second driven arm in a direction away from the main body, so as to increase a length of the hinge; and the first support plate rotates clockwise relative to the first swing link, and the second support plate rotates counterclockwise relative to the second swing link, such that the first support plate, the second support plate and the main body form an accommodation space; and
during unfolding of the hinge, the first swing link rotates counterclockwise and the second swing link rotates clockwise, the first swing link drives the first driven arm to rotate by sliding relative to the first driven arm in a direction close to the main body, the second swing link drives the second driven arm to rotate by sliding relative to the second driven arm in a direction close to the main body, so as to reduce the length of the hinge; and the first support plate rotates counter clockwise relative to the first swing link, and the second support plate rotates clockwise relative to the second swing link, such that the first support plate, the second support plate and the main body are flattened to form a support surface.

3. The hinge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first arc groove and a second arc groove disposed on the main body; and
a first arc shaft disposed at one end of the first swing arm, and a second arc shaft disposed at one end of the second swing arm, wherein
the first arc shaft is disposed in the first arc groove, so as to implement a rotational connection between the first swing arm and the main body, and
the second arc shaft is disposed in the second arc groove, so as to implement a rotational connection between the second swing arm and the main body.

4. The hinge according to claim 3 , wherein the main body comprises an inner housing and an outer housing, wherein:
an inner housing having arc projections disposed therein; and
an outer housing having two arc recess are disposed in the outer housing, and two arc projections are disposed in the inner housing therein, wherein the outer housing and the inner housing are snap-fit and fastened, the arc recesses and the arc projectionesprojections are snap-fit to form the first arc groove and the second arc groove.

5. The hinge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first shaft hole disposed on the first swing arm;
a second shaft hole disposed on the first swing link, wherein the first shaft hole and the second shaft hole are connected using a pin shaft to form a rotational connection between the first swing arm and the first swing link;
a third shaft hole disposed on the second swing arm; and
a fourth shaft hole disposed on the second swing link, wherein the third shaft hole and the fourth shaft hole are connected using a pin shaft to form a rotational connection between the second swing arm and the second swing link.

6. The hinge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sliding groove disposed on the first swing link;
a first sliding rail disposed on the first driven arm, wherein the first sliding rail is slidably disposed in the first sliding groove to form a sliding connection between the first swing link and the first driven arm;
a second sliding groove disposed on the second swing link; and
a second sliding rail disposed on the second driven arm, wherein the second sliding rail is slidably disposed in the second sliding groove to form a sliding connection between the second swing link and the second driven arm.

7. The hinge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third arc groove disposed on the first swing link;
a third arc shaft are disposed on the first support plate, wherein the third arc shaft is disposed in the third arc groove to form a rotational connection between the first swing link and the first support plate;
a fourth arc groove disposed on the second swing link; and
a fourth arc shaft disposed on the second support plate, wherein the fourth arc shaft is disposed in the fourth arc groove to form a rotational connection between the second swing link and the second support plate.

8. The hinge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a third sliding groove disposed on the first support plate;
a first positioning shaft disposed on the first driven arm, wherein the first positioning shaft is slidably disposed in the third sliding groove to form a sliding connection between the first swing arm or the first driven arm and the first support plate;
a fourth sliding groove disposed on the second support plate; and
a second positioning shaft disposed on the second driven arm, wherein the second positioning shaft is slidably disposed in the fourth sliding groove to form a sliding connection between the second swing arm or the second driven arm and the second support plate.

9. The hinge according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a synchronization assembly drivingly connected to the first driven arm and the second driven arm for imple

Assignees

• Huawei Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Liao Changliang
• Wu Weifeng
• Liao Li
• Nagai Kenji
• Zhong Ding
• Deng Qiao

Classifications

• E05Y2999/00

  Subject-matter not otherwise provided for in this subclass · CPC title

• F16C11/04

  Pivotal connections (hinges for doors, windows or wings E05D) · CPC title

• E05Y2201/604

  Transmission members · CPC title

• E05D3/122

  Gear hinges · CPC title

• H04M1/0268 Primary

  including a flexible display panel · CPC title