The invention relates to a foldable electronic device, and more particularly, to a foldable electronic device capable of covering a gap between first body and second body.
In general, a foldable electronic device that can be unfolded to a large angle includes a first body, a second body, a hinge module, and a cover. The second body is rotatably disposed on the first body through the hinge module, and the cover is further used to cover the hinge module. However, to allow the first body and the second body to be unfolded to the large angle, a gap must be preserved between the cover and the first body and between the cover and the second body to avoid structural interferences between the cover and the first body and between the cover and the second body. Such gap will make the folding electronic device looks less attractive.
The invention provides a folding electronic device, which can solve the problem that the conventional folding electronic device looks less attractive.
A foldable electronic device of the invention includes a first body, a hinge module, a second body, a second body, a first shielding element, a second shielding element, and a linkage mechanism. The hinge module is pivotally connected to the first body. The second body is pivotally connected to the hinge module. The first shielding element is slidably disposed on the first body. The second shielding element is slidably disposed on the second body. The linkage mechanism is disposed on the first body, the first shielding element, the second body and the second shielding element. The linkage mechanism is changeable between a first state and a second state to drive the first shielding element and the second shielding element to slide. When the linkage mechanism is in the first state, the first shielding element and the second shielding element expose a first area. When the linkage mechanism is in the second state, the first shielding element and the second shielding element expose a second area. The first area is larger than the second area.
In an embodiment of the invention, when the linkage mechanism is in the first state, the second body is folded relative to the first body. When the linkage mechanism is in the second state, the second body is unfolded to a first angle relative to the first body.
In an embodiment of the invention, the linkage mechanism further includes a third state. When the linkage mechanism is in the third state, the second body is unfolded to a second angle relative to the first body. The first angle is greater than the second angle.
In an embodiment of the invention, the first angle includes 180 degrees. The second angle includes 65 degrees.
In an embodiment of the invention, the foldable electronic device further includes a cover. The cover is disposed on the linkage mechanism.
In an embodiment of the invention, the linkage mechanism includes a first active element, a first rotating element, a first linkage element, a first link rod and a fixing base. The first active element is fixed to the first shielding element. The first rotating element is rotatably disposed on the first body, and coupled to the first active element. The first linkage element is movably disposed on the first rotating element, and slidably disposed on the first active element. The first link rod is rotatably disposed on the first linkage element. The fixing base is fixed on the cover, and the first link rod is rotatably disposed on the fixing base.
In an embodiment of the invention, the first active element includes a first teeth portion. The first rotating element includes a second teeth portion coupled to the first teeth portion.
In an embodiment of the invention, the first active element includes a first groove. The first rotating element includes a second groove. The first linkage element includes a first shaft. The first shaft is inserted to the first groove and the second groove.
In an embodiment of the invention, the second groove includes a first portion and a second portion connecting the first portion. The first portion extends along a first direction. The second portion extends along a second direction. A third angle is included between the first direction and the second direction.
In an embodiment of the invention, the first shaft is capable of driving the first rotating element, the first active element and the first shielding element to move when the first shaft slides in the first portion. The first rotating element, the first active element and the first shielding element are stationary when the first shaft slides in the second portion.
In an embodiment of the invention, the linkage mechanism further includes a second active element, a second rotating element, a second linkage element and a second link rod. The second active element is fixed to the second shielding element. The second rotating element is rotatably disposed on the second body, and coupled to the second active element. The second linkage element is movably disposed on the second rotating element, and slidably disposed on the second active element. The second link rod is rotatably disposed on the linkage element, and the second link rod is rotatably disposed on the fixing base.
In an embodiment of the invention, the foldable electronic device further includes a flexible display screen. The flexible display screen is disposed on the first body and the second body.
Based on the above, the foldable electronic device of the invention can shield the internal components by the first shielding element, the second shielding element and the cover to achieve beautiful appearance.
To make the aforementioned more comprehensible, several embodiments accompanied with drawings are described in detail as follows.
The linkage mechanism 150 of the present embodiment is changeable between a first state and a second state to drive the first shielding element 130 and the second shielding element 140 to slide. When the linkage mechanism 150 is in the first state, the first shielding element 130 and the second shielding element 140 expose a first area. When the linkage mechanism 150 is in the second state, the first shielding element 130 and the second shielding element 140 expose a second area. The first area is larger than the second area. In other words, when the linkage mechanism 150 is in the first state, the first shielding element 130 and the second shielding element 140 can shield a gap and an inner structure between the first body 110 and the second body 120 to help improving the appearance of the folding electronic device 100. In addition, in the process that the linkage mechanism 150 drives the first shielding element 130 and the second shielding element 140, the first shielding element 130 and the second shielding element 140 can shield the gap between the first body 110 and the second body 120 without interfering with other structures.
Similarly, the linkage mechanism 150 further includes a second active element 156, a second rotating element 157, a second linkage element 158 and a second link rod 159. The second active element 156 is fixed to the second shielding element 140. The second rotating element 157 is rotatably disposed on the second body 120, and the second rotating element 157 is coupled to the second active element 156. The second linkage element 158 is movably disposed on the second rotating element 157, and the second linkage element 158 is slidably disposed on the second active element 156. The second link rod 159 is rotatably disposed on the linkage element 158, and the second link rod 159 is rotatably disposed on the fixing base 155. For brevity, only the first actuating member 151, the first rotating member 152, the first linking member 153, the first link 154, and the fixing base 155 are used as representatives in the following description. Those skilled in the art can understand that the following detailed structures of the first active element 151, the first rotating element 152, the first linkage element 153 and the first link rod 154 may also be applied to the second active element 156, the second rotating element 157, the second linkage element 158 and the second link rod 159.
More specifically, the second groove 152b includes a first portion 152b1 and a second portion 152b2 connecting the first portion 152b1. The first portion 152b1 extends along a first direction D1. The second portion 152b2 extends along a second direction D2. A third angle θ3 is included between the first direction D1 and the second direction D2.
When the first shaft 153a slides in the first portion 152b1 as shown by
When the first shaft 153a slides in the second portion 152b2 as shown by
In summary, the foldable electronic device of the invention can shield the internal components by the first shielding element, the second shielding element and the cover to achieve beautiful appearance.
Moreover, when the linkage mechanism changes from the first state to the third state, the first rotating element can rotate by the third angle so that the pivotal joint between the first link rod and the fixing base deflects by a displacement amount. In this way, this embodiment can achieve the effects of stroke enlargement and control of specific angular displacement.
Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the above embodiments, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that modifications to the described embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. Accordingly, the scope of the disclosure will be defined by the attached claims and not by the above detailed descriptions.
This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 62/844,139, filed on May 7, 2019. The entirety of the above-mentioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference herein and made a part of this specification.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62844139 | May 2019 | US |