Rotating shaft device with variable torsion, electronic device and control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9933764-B2
Application number	US-201514755260-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2015
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Apr 3, 2018
Grant date	Apr 3, 2018

Abstract

A rotating shaft device, an electronic device and a control method thereof are provided according to the present application. The rotating shaft device includes a driving component and a rotating component. The driving component is configured to receive a control signal, and adjust a torsion force of the rotating component based on the control signal. In the case that the rotating shaft device is applied on the electronic device, various control signals may be provided to control the driving component to adjust a torsion force of the rotating component by the controller, such that the torsion force of the electronic device in a folding or unfolding process is smaller than the torsion force of the electronic device in a state being maintained, which solves the issue of poor user experience resulted from being difficult to fold or unfold and inconvenient to operate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A rotating shaft device, comprising:
a driving component;
a rotating component;
a first fixing member and a second fixing member sleeved on and connected to the first fixing member; and
a third fixing member sleeved on and connected to the first fixing member and movably connected to the second fixing member, wherein
the second fixing member comprises a position-limiting ring and a plurality of position-limiting grooves provided on an inner wall of the position-limiting ring,
the third fixing member comprises a fixing shaft fixedly connected to the first fixing member, and a telescopic rod arranged on the fixing shaft,
the driving component is configured to receive a control signal, and adjust the telescopic rod to extend out of the fixing shaft or retract into the fixing shaft based on the control signal,
in the case that the telescopic rod extends out of the fixing shaft, an extending end of the telescopic rod engages in one of the plurality of position-limiting grooves, and the telescopic rod and the position-limiting ring are immobilized with respect to each other, and
in the case that the telescopic rod retracts into the fixing shaft, the extending end of the telescopic rod disengages from the position-limiting ring, and the telescopic rod separates from the position-limiting ring.

2. The rotating shaft device according to claim 1 , wherein the first fixing member comprises a first supporting rod and a first rotating shaft which is connected to the first supporting rod fixedly and perpendicularly, and the second fixing member and the third fixing member are sleeved on the first rotating shaft.

3. The rotating shaft device according to claim 1 , wherein
the second fixing member comprises a position-limiting ring, and a plurality of position-limiting grooves is provided on an inner wall of the position-limiting ring,
the third fixing member comprises a fixing shaft fixedly connected to the first fixing member, and a telescopic rod arranged on the fixing shaft,
in the case that the telescopic rod extends out of the fixing shaft, multiple extending ends of the telescopic rod engage in corresponding position-limiting grooves, and the position-limiting ring is locked, and
in the case that the telescopic rod retracts into the fixing shaft, the multiple extending ends of the telescopic rod disengage from the position-limiting ring, and the position-limiting ring is unlocked.

4. The rotating shaft device according to claim 1 , wherein a torsion force between the second fixing member and the third fixing member is adjusted via the driving component by adjusting the relative position between the telescopic rod and the position-limiting ring.

5. The rotating shaft device according to claim 3 , wherein a torsion force between the second fixing member and the third fixing member is adjusted via the driving component by adjusting the relative position between the telescopic rod and the position-limiting ring.

6. The rotating shaft device according to claim 1 , wherein the driving component is an electromagnetic driving component or a stepping motor.

7. An electronic device, comprising:
a first body;
a second body; and
a controller, wherein
the first body and the second body are connected in a rotatable manner via a rotating shaft device comprising a driving component and a rotating component,
the controller is configured to generate and send a first control instruction,
the driving component is configured to adjust the rotating component in response to the first control instruction, such that a torsion force of the rotating component is switched to a second torsion force from a first torsion force, wherein the first torsion force is different from the second torsion force in magnitude, and
the rotating shaft device further comprises:
a first fixing member;
a second fixing member sleeved on and connected to the first fixing member; and
a third fixing member sleeved on and connected to the first fixing member and movably connected to the second fixing member, wherein
the second fixing member comprises a position-limiting ring and a plurality of position-limiting grooves provided on an inner wall of the position-limiting ring,
the third fixing member comprises a fixing shaft fixedly connected to the first fixing member, and a telescopic rod arranged on the fixing shaft,
the driving component is configured to receive a control signal, and adjust the telescopic rod to extend out of the fixing shaft or retract into the fixing shaft based on the control signal,
in the case that the telescopic rod extends out of the fixing shaft, an extending end of the telescopic rod engages in one of the plurality of position-limiting grooves, and the telescopic rod and the position-limiting ring are immobilized with respect to each other, and
in the case that the telescopic rod retracts into the fixing shaft, the extending end of the telescopic rod disengages from the position-limiting ring, and the telescopic rod separates from the position-limiting ring.

8. The electronic device according to claim 7 , wherein the electronic device further comprises a sensing component, and the sensing component is configured to detect sensing information, and send the sensing information to the controller, and the controller generates a first control instruction based on the sensing information.

9. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the sensing component is configured to detect an angle between the first body and the second body, and generate corresponding sensing information based on the angle between the first body and the second body.

10. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the sensing component is configured to detect user operation information received by the electronic device and generate corresponding sensing information based on the received user operation information.

11. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein the sensing component comprises a touch region, and the sensing component detects touch information at the touch region to generate corresponding sensing information.

12. The electronic device according to claim 10 , wherein the sensing component comprises a pressure sensor, and the sensing component detects pressure information at the pressure sensor to generate corresponding sensing information.

13. The electronic device according to claim 8 , wherein the controller receives sensing information sent by the sensing component and determines whether the sensing information satisfies a preset condition, and generates and sends a first control instruction if the sensing information satisfies the preset condition.

14. An electronic device control method, applied on an electronic device having a first body, a second body and a controller, the first body and the second body are connected in a rotatable manner via a rotating shaft device the rotating shaft device including a driving component and a rotating component, a first fixing member and a second fixing member sleeved on and connected to the first fixing member, and a third fixing member sleeved on and connected to the first fixing member and movably connected to the second fixing member, the second fixing member including a position-limiting ring and a plurality of position-limiting grooves provided on an inner wall of the position-limiting ring, the third fixing member including a fixing shaft fixedly connected to the first fixing member, and a telescopic rod arranged on the fixing shaft the electronic device control method comprising:
generating and sending a first control instruction by the controller;
adjusting t

Assignees

• Lenovo Beijing Co Ltd

Inventors

• Na Zhigang
• Dong Huajun
• Shen Maojiang

Classifications

• E05D2011/088

  with automatic disengagement · CPC title

• G05B15/02 Primary

  electric · CPC title

• E05D11/08

  Friction devices between relatively-movable hinge parts (E05D7/086 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/1679

  for locking or maintaining the movable parts of the enclosure in a fixed position, e.g. latching mechanism at the edge of the display in a laptop or for the screen protective cover of a PDA (G06F1/1681 takes precedence) · 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