The present invention relates to a foldable electronic device, especially a foldable electronic device with flexible screen.
Currently, flexible screens have been widely used in smart phones and tablet devices. If the elements supporting the flexible screen are not well designed, the bendable area may suffer from pressure and be damaged when the flexible screen is folded, or the bendable area cannot be completely flattened due to insufficient supporting strength when the flexible screen is unfolded. Therefore, the flexible screen cannot sense when the user touches the bendable area. Accordingly, there is an urgent need for a foldable electronic device structure with good supporting strength, so as to overcome the aforementioned problems.
An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a foldable electronic device which has two symmetrically arranged wings and a lifting plate. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the unfolded status, the central lifting plate is lifted to jointly support the bendable area of the flexible screen, so that the bendable area and the non-bendable area are coplanar. In addition, when the first panel body and the second panel body are in the folded status, the lifting plate in the central position descends, and the wings and the lifting plate form an accommodating space for accommodating the bendable area.
Besides, in the present invention, the extending plate of the driving element is disposed in the sliding groove of the bearing element, and the pivot seat of the bearing element penetrates through the penetrating slot of the extending plate, and the latch of the bearing element penetrates through the pivot seat to slidably clamp the extending plate in the bearing element. When the first panel body and the second panel body transform between the unfolded status and the folded status, there is mutual sliding between the first driving element and the first panel body, and between the second driving element and the second panel body.
To achieve the aforesaid objective, the present invention discloses a foldable electronic device which includes a central base, a hinge module, a first wing, a first driving element, a first panel body, a second wing, a second panel body, an elastic module and a flexible screen. The central base includes a body portion, a lifting plate, a first arc-shaped groove and a second arc-shaped groove. The first arc-shaped groove and the second arc-shaped groove are formed on the body portion and opposite to each other. The lifting plate is movably disposed on the body portion, and is movable between a highest position and a lowest position. The hinge module includes a first shaft and a second shaft respectively penetrating through the body portion and capable of rotating synchronously and reversely. The first wing has a first arc-shaped part slidably disposed in the first arc-shaped groove so that the first wing is able to pivot relative to the body portion. The first driving element is sleeved on the first shaft and synchronously rotates with the first shaft. The first panel body includes a first bearing element being pivoted to the first wing and linearly slidable relative to the first driving element. The second wing has a second arc-shaped part slidably disposed in the second arc-shaped groove so that the second wing is able to pivot relative to the body portion. The second driving element is sleeved on the second shaft and synchronously rotates with the second shaft. The second panel body includes a second bearing element being pivoted to the second wing and linearly slidable relative to the second driving element. The elastic module includes a push element, a first elastic element and a second elastic element. The push element is sleeved on the first shaft and the second shaft, and is movably engaged with the first driving element and the second driving element. The first elastic element is sleeved on the first shaft, and abuts against the push element. The second elastic element is sleeved on the second shaft, and abuts against the push element. The flexible screen is disposed on the first panel body, the first wing, the second panel body and the second wing, and has a bendable area. The first panel body and the second panel body are convertible between an unfolded status and a folded status. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the unfolded status, the flexible screen is flattened, the lifting plate is at the highest position to make the first wing, the second wing and the lifting plate collectively support the bendable area. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the folded status, the flexible screen is bent at the bendable area, the lifting plate is at the lowest position, and the first wing, the second wing and the lifting plate collectively define an accommodating space for accommodating the bendable area.
The first driving element has a first extending plate. The first extending plate has a first penetrating slot. The first bearing element has a first sliding groove, a first pivot seat and a first latch. The first sliding groove is configured to accommodate the first extending plate. The first pivot seat penetrates through the first penetrating slot, and the first latch penetrates through the first pivot seat so that the first extending plate is slidably accommodated in the first bearing element. The second driving element has a second extending plate. The second extending plate has a second penetrating slot. The second bearing element has a second sliding groove, a second pivot seat and a second latch. The second sliding groove is configured to accommodate the second extending plate. The second pivot seat penetrates through the second penetrating slot. The second latch penetrates through the second pivot seat so that the second extending plate is slidably accommodated in the second bearing element.
The first shaft extends along a first axis, and the first shaft and the first driving element rotate synchronously about the first axis. The first arc-shaped groove defines a first virtual axis. The first wing rotates relative to the body portion about the first virtual axis, and the first axis is parallel to the first virtual axis. The second shaft extends along a second axis, and the second shaft and the second driving element rotate synchronously about the second axis. The second arc-shaped groove defines a second virtual axis. The second wing rotates relative to the body portion about the second virtual axis. The second axis is parallel to the second virtual axis.
The hinge module further includes a fixing base sleeved on the first shaft and the second shaft. The push element has a first driven cam and a second driven cam which are sleeved on the first shaft and the second shaft respectively. The first elastic element is disposed between the first driven cam and the fixing base. The second elastic element is disposed between the second driven cam and the fixing base.
The first driving element has a first driving cam which is slidably sleeved on the first shaft along the first axis and engages with the first driven cam. The second driving element has a second driving cam which is slidably sleeved on the second shaft along the second axis and engages with the second driven cam. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in a half-folded status, the first driving cam and the second driving cam abut against the first driven cam and the second driven cam to compress the first elastic element and the second elastic element. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the unfolded status or the folded status, the first elastic element and the second elastic element are correspondingly released.
The first wing has a first stopping surface, and the second wing has a second stopping surface. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the unfolded status, the first stopping surface abuts against the first bearing element, and the second stopping surface abuts against the second bearing element. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the folded status, the included angles form between the first stopping surface and the first bearing element, and between the second stopping surface and the second bearing element respectively.
The first wing has a first supporting plate slidably adjacent to the first bearing element, the second wing has a second supporting plate slidably adjacent to the second bearing element, and the first supporting plate and the second supporting plate are configured for the flexible screen to lean on.
The first shaft has a first head portion and a first gear portion, and the second shaft has a second head portion and a second gear portion. The first head portion and the second head portion are disposed on the body portion, and the first gear portion and the second gear portion are engaged to make the first shaft and the second shaft rotate reversely and synchronously.
The first shaft and the second shaft are non-circular shafts. The first driving cam and the second driving cam respectively have a non-circular sleeve hole for matching the first shaft and the second shaft. The first driven cam and the second driven cam respectively have a circular sleeve hole to sleeve on the first shaft and the second shaft.
The first sliding groove extends substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and the second sliding groove extends substantially perpendicular to the second axis.
The body portion has an upper surface. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the unfolded status, the lifting plate and the upper surface are substantially coplanar. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the folded status, the lifting plate descends and retracts from the upper surface relatively.
The central base has a magnet embedded in the body portion, and the magnet constantly provides a magnetic force to the lifting plate so that the lifting plate tend to descend toward the lowest position. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the folded status, the magnet magnetically attracts the lifting plate to make the lifting plate descend and retract.
The first driving element has a first protruding portion, and the second driving element has a second protruding portion. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the unfolded status, the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion jointly abut against the lifting plate to the highest position. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the folded status, the first protruding portion and the second protruding portion are not in contact with the lifting plate, and the magnetic force of the magnet makes the lifting plate descend to the lowest position.
The first wing has a first edge, and the second wing has a second edge. The hinge module further includes a first washer sleeved on the first shaft, and a second washer sleeved on the second shaft. When the first panel body and the second panel body are in the unfolded status, the first edge, the second edge, the first washer and the second washer jointly abut against the lifting plate.
The central base further includes a limit screw. The lifting plate further includes a convex column. The limit screw penetrates through the body portion to be screwed to the convex column.
The detailed technology and preferred embodiments implemented for the present invention are described in the following paragraphs accompanying the appended drawings for people skilled in this field to well appreciate the features of the claimed invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and are not intended to limit the present invention, applications or particular implementations described in these embodiments. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts. It shall be appreciated that, in the following embodiments and the attached drawings, elements unrelated to the present invention are omitted from depiction; and dimensional relationships among individual elements in the attached drawings are provided only for ease of understanding, but not to limit the actual scale.
Reference is made to
Reference is made to
The lifting plate 12 includes a convex column 121 embedded in the body portion 11. The lifting plate 12 is movably disposed on the body portion 11, and is movable between a highest position H1 (as shown in
The first arc-shaped slot 13 and the second arc-shaped slot 14 are formed opposite to each other on the body portion 11. The first arc-shaped groove 13 defines a first virtual axis VL1. The second arc-shaped slot 14 defines a second virtual axis VL2. The limit screw 16 penetrates through the body portion 11 to be screwed into the convex column 121 of the lifting plate 12.
Referring to
The first shaft 21 extends along a first axis L1, and the first axis L1 is parallel to the first virtual axis VL1. The second shaft 22 extends along a second axis L2, and the second axis L2 is parallel to the second virtual axis VL2. The first shaft 21 and the second shaft 22 are non-circular shafts.
The fixing seat 23 is sleeved on the first shaft 21 and the second shaft 22. The first washer 24 is sleeved on the first shaft 21, and the second washer 25 is sleeved on the second shaft 22 to fix the first shaft 21 and the second shaft 22 to the fixing base 23.
Please refer to
Reference is made to
The second driving element 7 is sleeved on the second shaft 22 and synchronously rotates with the second shaft 22 about the second axis L2. The second driving element 7 has a second extending plate 71, a second driving cam 72 and a second protruding portion 73. The second extending plate 71 has a second penetrating slot 711. The second driving cam 72 is slidably sleeved on the second shaft 22 along the second axis L1, and the second driving cam 72 has a non-circular sleeve hole for matching with the second shaft 22.
When the first panel body 5 and the second panel body 8 are in the unfolded status, the first stopping surface 32 abuts against the first bearing element 51, and the second stopping surface 62 abuts against the second bearing element 81. The first edge 34, the second edge 64, the first washer 24, the second washer 25, the first protruding portion 43 and the second protruding portion 73 collectively push the lifting plate 12 to the highest position H1. In this time, the lifting plate 12 is distant from the body portion 11 and is substantially coplanar with the upper surface 111.
Please refer to
The second panel body 8 is disposed opposite to the first panel body 5, and includes a second bearing element 81. The second bearing element 81 is pivoted to the second wing 6 and linearly slidable relative to the second driving element 7. The second supporting plate 63 is slidably adjacent to the second bearing element 81. The first bearing element 33 and the second bearing element 63 are configured for the flexible screen 100 to lean on. The second bearing element 81 has a second sliding groove 811, a second pivot seat 812 and a second latch 813. The second sliding groove 811 extends substantially perpendicular to the second axis L2. The second sliding groove 811 may accommodate the second extending plate 71. The second pivot seat 812 penetrates through the second penetrating slot 711 of the second extending plate 71. The second latch 813 penetrates through the second pivot seat 812 to slidably accommodate the second extending plate 71 in the second bearing element 81.
When the first panel body 5 and the first panel body 8 are in the folded status, an included angle is formed between the first stopping surface 32 and the first bearing element 51, and an included angle is formed between the second stopping surface 62 and the second bearing element 81, as shown in
Please refer to
The first elastic element 92 is sleeved on the first shaft 21 and abuts against the push element 91. The first elastic element 92 is disposed between the first driven cam 911 and the fixing base 23. The second elastic element 93 is disposed between the first driven cam 912 and the fixing base 23, and is sleeved on the second shaft 22 and abuts against the push element 91. The first driving cam 42 is able to drive the first driven cam 911, and the second driving cam 72 is able to drive the second driven cam 912. In other words, the contour of the first driven cam 911 matches the contour of the first driving cam 42, and the contour of the second driven cam 912 matches the contour of the second driving cam 72.
When the first panel body 5 and the second panel body 8 are in a half-folded status, the first driving cam 42 and the second driving cam 72 abut against the first driven cam 911 and the second driven cam 912 to compress the first elastic element 92 and the second elastic element 93. When the first panel body 5 and the second panel body 8 are in the unfolded status or the folded status, the first elastic element 92 and the second elastic element 93 are correspondingly released.
Please refer to
According to the above descriptions, the foldable electronic device uses the driving element and the lifting plate to collectively support the bendable area of the flexible screen when the two panel bodies are in the unfolded status, and to form an accommodating space for accommodating the bendable area when the two panel bodies are in the folded status. Besides, in the present invention, the extending plate of the driving element is disposed in the sliding groove of the bearing element, and the pivot seat of the bearing element penetrates through the penetrating slot of the extending plate, and the latch of the bearing element penetrates through the pivot seat to slidably clamp the extending plate in the bearing element. When the first panel body and the second panel body transform between the unfolded status and the folded status, mutual sliding relationship shows between the first driving element and the first panel body, and between the second driving element and the second panel body.
Although the present invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof, other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the embodiments contained herein.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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111206525 | Jun 2022 | TW | national |
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 63/325,962 filed on Mar. 31, 2022, and the benefit of Taiwan Patent Application Serial No. 111206525 filed on Jun. 21, 2022. The entirety of each Application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63325962 | Mar 2022 | US |