Patent Application
20250027532
This application relates to the field of electronic device technologies, and in particular, to a hinge mechanism and an electronic device.
Gradual maturity of flexible display technologies brings great changes to display of an electronic device. Foldable mobile phones, tablet computers, or wearable electronic devices with flexible displays, are an important trend of evolutions for intelligent electronic devices in the future.
A key component of a foldable electronic device is a flexible display featured by continuousness and foldability. A hinge mechanism, as an important component for folding the foldable electronic device, can drive the flexible display to be flattened or bent in unfolding and folding processes of the foldable electronic device. Currently, with the improvement of economy, users impose higher requirements for the foldable electronic device, and structural reliability of the flexible display is a key factor that affects user experience. Therefore, how to improve the structural reliability of the flexible display has become a topic widely studied by a person skilled in the art currently.
This application provides a hinge mechanism and an electronic device, to improve structural reliability of a flexible display of the electronic device, thereby improving structural reliability of the electronic device.
According to a first aspect, this application provides a hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism may be used in a foldable electronic device, the hinge mechanism is disposed corresponding to a bendable part of a flexible display of the electronic device, and the electronic device is unfolded or folded via the hinge mechanism. During specific disposing, the hinge mechanism may include a main shaft, a synchronization assembly, a first housing mounting bracket, and a second housing mounting bracket, the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the main shaft, and the synchronization assembly is located between the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket. The synchronization assembly includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, and a third connecting rod, the second connecting rod is located between the first connecting rod and the third connecting rod, the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the third connecting rod, and an axis along which the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first connecting rod is parallel to and does not coincide with an axis along which the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the third connecting rod. In addition, the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the main shaft, and an axis along which the first connecting rod rotates around the main shaft is parallel to and does not coincide with the axis along which the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the first connecting rod. The third connecting rod is rotatably connected to the main shaft, and the third connecting rod is slidably connected to the second housing mounting bracket. The first housing mounting bracket is provided with a first track slot, and the first connecting rod is capable of sliding along the first track slot. In this application, a form of the first track slot may be obtained through fitting based on processes in which the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket synchronously move toward each other and away from each other relative to the main shaft, so that the first connecting rod is capable of sliding along the first track slot. In this way, the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket synchronously rotate toward each other or away from each other relative to the main shaft.
According to the hinge mechanism provided in this application, in a folding process in which the electronic device changes from an unfolded state to a folded state, the first housing mounting bracket rotates clockwise relative to the main shaft, so that the first connecting rod slides along the first track slot to an end that is of the first track slot and that is away from the main shaft, and the first connecting rod rotates around the main shaft. The rotation of the first connecting rod may drive the second connecting rod to rotate relative to the first connecting rod, so that the second connecting rod drives the third connecting rod to rotate counter-clockwise relative to the main shaft. In addition, because the third connecting rod is slidably connected to the second housing mounting bracket, the third connecting rod may drive the second housing mounting bracket to rotate counter-clockwise, so that the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket synchronously rotate toward each other. In addition, in a process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, a movement direction of each structure is opposite to a movement direction of each structure in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state. Details are not described herein. In this case, the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket synchronously move away from each other.
In the hinge mechanism provided in embodiments of this application, the first connecting rod is rotatably connected to the main shaft and the second connecting rod, the second connecting rod is rotatably connected to the third connecting rod, and axes of rotating shafts are parallel to each other and do not coincide with each other, so that the first connecting rod, the main shaft, the second connecting rod, and the third connecting rod can be connected to form a four-link mechanism. A structure of the four-link mechanism is relatively simple, so that the synchronization assembly occupies small space in the hinge mechanism while the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket can synchronously rotate toward each other or away from each other, to help implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism.
In a possible implementation of this application, the main shaft includes a base, the base is provided with a first arc-shaped slot, the third connecting rod includes a first arc-shaped rotating block, the first arc-shaped rotating block is accommodated in the first arc-shaped slot, and the first arc-shaped rotating block is capable of sliding along a slot surface of the first arc-shaped slot. Therefore, the third connecting rod is rotatably connected to the main shaft via a virtual shaft. This can help reduce space occupied by the third connecting rod on the main shaft, to help implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism.
In this application, when the second connecting rod is specifically rotatably connected to the third connecting rod, the second connecting rod may be rotatably connected to the first arc-shaped rotating block. This can help reduce a size of the synchronization assembly, to implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism.
In a possible implementation of this application, the hinge mechanism further includes a rotating module, the rotating module includes a first rotating assembly and a second rotating assembly, the first rotating assembly is located between the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket, and the second rotating assembly is located between the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket. The first rotating assembly includes a first swing arm, a first support arm, and a first connector, the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft, the first swing arm is slidably connected to the first housing mounting bracket, the first support arm is rotatably connected to the second housing mounting bracket, the first connector is located between the first swing arm and the first support arm, the first connector is rotatably connected to the first swing arm, and the first connector is rotatably connected to the first support arm. In addition, the main shaft is provided with a second track slot, and the first connector is capable of moving along the second track slot, for limitation on a movement track of the first connector. The second rotating assembly includes a second swing arm, a second support arm, and a second connector, the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft, the second swing arm is slidably connected to the second housing mounting bracket, the second support arm is rotatably connected to the first housing mounting bracket, the second connector is located between the second swing arm and the second support arm, the second connector is rotatably connected to the second swing arm, and the second connector is rotatably connected to the second support arm. In addition, the main shaft is provided with a third track slot, and the second connector is capable of moving along the third track slot, for limitation on a movement track of the second connector.
Based on the foregoing hinge mechanism in this application, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket move toward each other. When the first housing mounting bracket drives the first swing arm to rotate around the main shaft clockwise, the first swing arm may drive the first connector to move toward the first swing arm in the first track slot of the main shaft, to drive the first support arm to rotate around the main shaft counter-clockwise. When the second housing mounting bracket drives the second swing arm to rotate around the main shaft counter-clockwise, the second swing arm may drive the second connector to move toward the second swing arm in the second track slot of the main shaft, to drive the second support arm to rotate around the main shaft clockwise. In the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket move away from each other. When the first housing mounting bracket drives the first swing arm to rotate around the main shaft counter-clockwise, the first swing arm may drive the first connector to move toward the first support arm in the first track slot of the main shaft, to drive the first support arm to rotate around the main shaft clockwise. When the second housing mounting bracket drives the second swing arm to rotate around the main shaft clockwise, the second swing arm may drive the second connector to move toward the second support arm in the second track slot of the main shaft, to drive the second support arm to rotate around the main shaft counter-clockwise. In this way, folding and unfolding functions of the hinge mechanism may be implemented.
Some existing hinge mechanisms need to thicken a rotating assembly connected to a main shaft to ensure stability of the mechanisms. In this way, both the main shaft and the hinge mechanism are very heavy. If the main shaft and the hinge mechanism are forcibly thinned, strength of the rotating assembly is easily weakened, thereby greatly affecting reliability of the hinge mechanisms and shortening a life of the electronic device. The foregoing hinge mechanism in this application has a simplified structure. According to the foregoing structural relationship, the first connector and the second connector slide in the main shaft to link the first swing arm, the second swing arm, the first support arm, and the second support arm on the left and right sides. Therefore, the first connector and the second connector do not need to be manufactured with very thick thickness sections to travel back and forth in the first track slot and the second track slot of the main shaft. In addition, because the first connector and the second connector are respectively connected to the first swing arm (the second swing arm) and the first support arm (the second support arm), the first connector (the second connector) has a sufficient length extension along a vertical axial direction to have sufficient strength. This can ensure reliability of the hinge mechanism. In this way, the thickness of the main shaft and the thickness of the entire electronic device can be reduced, and reliability of the hinge mechanism can be maintained, so that the entire hinge mechanism is light, thin, and reliable.
In addition, because the first connector is capable of moving in the first track slot according to a specified track, and the second connector is capable of moving in the second track slot according to a specified track, uncontrolled movement of the first connector and the second connector in an entire folding and unfolding process can be avoided, and random movement of the first housing mounting bracket and the second housing mounting bracket can further be avoided, to ensure structural stability and movement stability of the entire hinge mechanism. In some cases, the first track slot and the second track slot are appropriately designed, so that an outer tangent line of the hinge mechanism can keep a constant length in the entire folding and unfolding process, and a flexible display covering the surface of the hinge mechanism can also basically keep a length unchanged. In this way, squeezing or pulling on the flexible display can be effectively avoided, to improve structural reliability of the flexible display and further improve structural reliability of the electronic device.
In a possible implementation of this application, the main shaft includes a base and a cover, the cover covers the base, the base is provided with a second arc-shaped slot, the cover includes a first protrusion disposed toward the second arc-shaped slot, and a gap between a surface of the first protrusion and a slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot may be used as the second track slot. In addition, the first connector may include a first arc-shaped surface and a second arc-shaped surface, and when the electronic device is in the unfolded state and the folded state, the first arc-shaped surface abuts against the surface of the first protrusion, and the second arc-shaped surface abuts against the slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot. In this way, the surface of the first protrusion and the slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot limit the first connector to the second track slot, so that when the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state and the folded state, the first connector is relatively stable without any gap-caused shake, and reliability of the hinge mechanism is improved in the foregoing two states.
In addition, the base may further be provided with a fourth arc-shaped slot, and the cover further includes a third protrusion disposed toward the fourth arc-shaped slot. A gap between a surface of the third protrusion and a slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot is used as the third track slot, the second connector includes a third arc-shaped surface and a fourth arc-shaped surface, and when the electronic device is in the unfolded state and the folded state, the third arc-shaped surface abuts against the surface of the third protrusion, and the fourth arc-shaped surface abuts against the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot. In this way, the surface of the third protrusion and the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot limit the second connector to the third track slot, so that when the hinge mechanism is in the unfolded state and the folded state, the second connector is relatively stable without any gap-caused shake, and reliability of the hinge mechanism is improved in the foregoing two states.
In a possible implementation of this application, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the first arc-shaped surface abuts against the surface of the first protrusion, and a gap exists between the second arc-shaped surface and the slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot. However, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the second arc-shaped surface abuts against the slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot, and a gap exists between the first arc-shaped surface and the surface of the first protrusion. Therefore, a movement track of the first connector in the second track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state is different from a movement track of the first connector in the second track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state. This helps improve design flexibility of the hinge mechanism.
In addition, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the third arc-shaped surface abuts against the surface of the third protrusion, and a gap exists between the fourth arc-shaped surface and the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot. In the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the fourth arc-shaped surface abuts against the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot, and a gap exists between the third arc-shaped surface and the surface of the third protrusion. Therefore, a movement track of the second connector in the third track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state is different from a movement track of the second connector in the third track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state. This helps improve design flexibility of the hinge mechanism.
In this application, the movement track of the first connector in the second track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state may be further enabled to be the same as the movement track of the first connector in the second track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state. Specifically, the surface of the first protrusion may be equidistant from the slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot, and in this case, the second track slot is an equal-width slot. In the processes in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state and from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first arc-shaped surface abuts against the surface of the first protrusion, and the second arc-shaped surface abuts against the slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot. This can help improve movement stability of the first connector in the second track slot. Similarly, the surface of the third protrusion may also be equidistant from the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot, and in this case, the third track slot is an equal-width slot. In addition, in the processes in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state and from the folded state to the unfolded state, the third arc-shaped surface abuts against the surface of the third protrusion, and the fourth arc-shaped surface abuts against the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot. In this way, the movement track of the second connector in the third track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state is the same as the movement track of the second connector in the third track slot in the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, to improve movement stability of the second connector in the third track slot.
In a possible implementation of this application, the first arc-shaped surface of the first connector may be a circular arc surface, and the second arc-shaped surface may also be a circular arc surface. In this case, a sum of a radius of the first arc-shaped surface and a radius of the second arc-shaped surface may be equal to a spacing between the surface of the first protrusion and the slot surface of the second arc-shaped slot, to improve smoothness of movement of the first connector in the second track slot.
Similarly, the third arc-shaped surface of the second connector may be a circular arc surface, and the fourth arc-shaped surface may also be a circular arc surface. In this case, a sum of a radius of the third arc-shaped surface and a radius of the fourth arc-shaped surface may be equal to a spacing between the surface of the third protrusion and the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot, to improve smoothness of movement of the second connector in the third track slot.
In this application, the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft. The base is provided with a third arc-shaped slot, the first swing arm includes a second arc-shaped rotating block, the second arc-shaped rotating block is accommodated in the third arc-shaped slot, and the second arc-shaped rotating block is capable of sliding along a slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot, for rotatable connection between the first swing arm and the main shaft. Therefore, the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft in a virtual shaft manner. This helps reduce space occupied by the first swing arm on the main shaft, to help implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism.
In addition, the second swing arm is also rotatably connected to the main shaft. The base is further provided with a fifth arc-shaped slot, the second swing arm includes a third arc-shaped rotating block, the third arc-shaped rotating block is accommodated in the fifth arc-shaped slot, and the third arc-shaped rotating block is capable of sliding along a slot surface of the fifth arc-shaped slot, for rotatable connection between the second swing arm and the main shaft. Therefore, the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft in a virtual shaft manner. This helps reduce space occupied by the second swing arm on the main shaft, to help implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism.
It may be understood that, for an outward folding electronic device, the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft via a virtual shaft or a solid shaft, and an axis center at which the first swing arm rotates around the main shaft is located on one side that is of the main shaft and that is away from the flexible display. In addition, the second swing arm is rotatably connected to the main shaft via a virtual shaft or a solid shaft, and an axis center at which the second swing arm rotates around the main shaft is located on the side that is of the main shaft and that is away from the flexible display.
To improve reliability of the connection between the first swing arm and the main shaft, in this application, the cover further includes a second protrusion disposed toward the third arc-shaped slot, and at least a part of the second arc-shaped rotating block is located between the second protrusion and the third arc-shaped slot, so that the first swing arm is limited to the main shaft via the second protrusion and the third arc-shaped slot, and the first swing arm may be prevented from falling off from the third arc-shaped slot.
In addition, the cover further includes a fourth protrusion disposed toward the fifth arc-shaped slot, and at least a part of the third arc-shaped rotating block is located between the fourth protrusion and the fifth arc-shaped slot, so that the second swing arm is limited to the main shaft via the fourth protrusion and the fifth arc-shaped slot, and the second swing arm may be prevented from falling off from the fourth arc-shaped slot.
In a possible implementation of this application, the first connector includes a first rotating shaft and a second rotating shaft, the first connector is rotatably connected to the first swing arm via the first rotating shaft, the first connector is rotatably connected to the first support arm via the second rotating shaft, and an axis of the first rotating shaft is parallel to and does not coincide with an axis of the second rotating shaft, so that the first swing arm and the first support arm can implement mutual pulling movement via the first connector.
The second connector includes a third rotating shaft and a fourth rotating shaft, the second connector is rotatably connected to the second swing arm via the third rotating shaft, the second connector is rotatably connected to the second support arm via the fourth rotating shaft, and an axis of the third rotating shaft is parallel to and does not coincide with an axis of the fourth rotating shaft, so that the second swing arm and the second support arm can implement mutual pulling movement via the second connector.
Specifically, when the first swing arm is rotatably connected to the first connector via the first rotating shaft, the second arc-shaped rotating block may be provided with a first mounting slot, and a slot opening of the first mounting slot is disposed toward the third arc-shaped slot. The first rotating shaft is mounted in the first mounting slot, a part of a surface of the first rotating shaft is in contact with a slot surface of the first mounting slot, and a part of the surface of the first rotating shaft is in contact with the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot. The first rotating shaft is mounted in the opened first mounting slot of the second arc-shaped rotating block to be in contact with the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot, so that a size of the second arc-shaped rotating block can be effectively reduced, and a thickness of the first mounting slot does not need to be increased due to a size of the first rotating shaft. This helps a compact design for the hinge mechanism.
In addition, the slot surface of the first mounting slot includes a first circular arc surface, the surface that is of the first rotating shaft and that is in contact with the slot surface of the first mounting slot is a second circular arc surface, and a center of the first circular arc surface coincides with a center of the second circular arc surface. In this way, the first rotating shaft rotates relative to the second arc-shaped rotating block in a process in which the second arc-shaped rotating block slides along the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot, for rotatable connection between the first swing arm and the first rotating shaft.
The slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot is a third circular arc surface, the surface that is of the first rotating shaft and that is in contact with the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot is a fourth circular arc surface, and a center of the third circular arc surface coincides with a center of the fourth circular arc surface. In this way, when the first rotating shaft slides along the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot with the second arc-shaped rotating block, the first rotating shaft may further rotate relative to the second arc-shaped rotating block and the third arc-shaped slot, to help implement movement of the first connector relative to the main shaft.
Similarly, the third arc-shaped rotating block is provided with a second mounting slot, a slot opening of the second mounting slot is disposed toward the fifth arc-shaped slot, the third rotating shaft is mounted in the open second mounting slot to be in contact with the slot surface of the fifth arc-shaped slot, a part of a surface of the third rotating shaft is in contact with a slot surface of the second mounting slot, and a part of the surface of the third rotating shaft is in contact with the slot surface of the fifth arc-shaped slot. The second rotating shaft is mounted in the second mounting slot of the third arc-shaped rotating block, so that a size of the third arc-shaped rotating block can be effectively reduced, and a thickness of the second mounting slot does not need to be increased due to a size of the second rotating shaft. This helps a compact design for the hinge mechanism.
The second mounting slot may include a fifth circular arc surface, the surface that is of the third rotating shaft and that is in contact with the slot surface of the second mounting slot is a sixth circular arc surface, and a center of the fifth circular arc surface coincides with a center of the sixth circular arc surface. In addition, the slot surface of the fifth arc-shaped slot is a seventh circular arc surface, and the surface that is of the third rotating shaft and that is in contact with the slot surface of the fifth arc-shaped slot may be an eighth circular arc surface. In this case, a center of the seventh circular arc surface coincides with a center of the eighth circular arc surface. In this way, when the third rotating shaft slides along the slot surface of the fifth arc-shaped slot with the third arc-shaped rotating block, the third rotating shaft may further rotate relative to the third arc-shaped rotating block and the fifth arc-shaped slot, to help implement movement of the second connector relative to the main shaft.
In a possible implementation of this application, the first connector may include a plurality of first sub-connectors that are sequentially rotatably connected. In addition, the plurality of first sub-connectors may be located between the first swing arm and the first support arm, the first swing arm may be rotatably connected to a first sub-connector adjacent to the first swing arm, and the first support arm may be rotatably connected to a first sub-connector adjacent to the first support arm. The first swing arm and the first support arm are connected via the plurality of first sub-connectors. This can effectively improve speed uniformity in a process in which the first swing arm and the first support arm rotate around the main shaft, thereby improving smoothness of mutual pulling movement of the first swing arm and the first support arm.
In addition, the second connector may include a plurality of second sub-connectors that are sequentially rotatably connected. In addition, the plurality of second sub-connectors may be located between the second swing arm and the second support arm, the second swing arm may be rotatably connected to an adjacent second sub-connector, and the second support arm may be rotatably connected to an adjacent second sub-connector. The second swing arm and the second support arm are connected via the plurality of second sub-connectors. This can effectively improve speed uniformity in a process in which the second swing arm and the second support arm rotate around the main shaft, thereby improving smoothness of mutual pulling movement of the second swing arm and the second support arm.
According to a second aspect, this application further provides an electronic device. The electronic device includes a first housing, a second housing, a flexible display, and the hinge mechanism in the first aspect. The first housing and the second housing are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the hinge mechanism, a first housing mounting bracket is fastened to the first housing, and a second housing mounting bracket is fastened to the second housing. The flexible display continuously covers the first housing, the second housing, and the hinge mechanism, and the flexible display is fastened to the first housing and the second housing. When the electronic device is in an unfolded state, the hinge mechanism, the first housing, and the second housing jointly flatly support the flexible display. This can ensure a complete form of the electronic device in the unfolded state. In a process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to a folded state, the two housings synchronously rotate toward each other to drive the flexible display to rotate, and in a process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the two housings synchronously rotate away from each other to drive the flexible display to rotate. This can effectively avoid deformation of the flexible display, and reduce a risk of damage to the flexible display.
To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following further describes this application in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Terms used in the following embodiments of this application are merely intended to describe specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit this application. The terms “one”, “a” and “this” of singular forms used in this specification and the appended claims of this application are also intended to include expressions such as “one or more”, unless otherwise specified in the context clearly.
Reference to “an embodiment”, “some embodiments”, or the like described in this specification indicates that one or more embodiments of this application include a specific feature, structure, or characteristic described with reference to embodiments. Therefore, statements such as “in an embodiment”, “in some embodiments”, “in some other embodiments”, and “in other embodiments” that appear at different places in this specification do not necessarily mean referring to a same embodiment. Instead, the statements mean “one or more but not all of embodiments”, unless otherwise specifically emphasized in another manner. The terms “include”, “have”, and their variants all mean “include but are not limited to”, unless otherwise specifically emphasized in another manner.
For ease of understanding a hinge mechanism provided in embodiments of this application, the following first describes an application scenario of the hinge mechanism. Use of the hinge mechanism may be in, but is not limited to, a foldable electronic device like a mobile phone, a palmtop computer (personal digital assistant, PDA), a notebook computer, or a tablet computer. In this application, the electronic device may be an outward folding electronic device, or may be an inward folding electronic device. In a process in which the outward folding electronic device changes from an unfolded state to a folded state, a flexible display is always located on an outer side of the electronic device. When the inward folding electronic device is in a folded state, a flexible display is located on an inner side of the electronic device. In embodiments of this application, application of the hinge mechanism in the electronic device is described by using the outward folding electronic device as an example.
In view of this, the flexible display may continuously cover the bearing surface 1a of the hinge mechanism 1, the first support surface 2a of the first housing 2, and the second support surface 3a of the second housing 3. The hinge mechanism 1 is disposed corresponding to a bendable part of the flexible display, and the flexible display may be fixedly connected to the first support surface 2a of the first housing 2 and the second support surface 3a of the second housing 3. A connection manner of the flexible display may be but is not limited to bonding. In this way, when the electronic device is in the unfolded state shown in
In addition,
The hinge mechanism 1 as a key functional component in the foldable electronic device may be disposed corresponding to a foldable part of the flexible display. In the process in which the first housing 2 and the second housing 3 of the electronic device rotate around the hinge mechanism 1, if forces applied by the first housing 2 and the second housing 3 to the flexible display are not synchronous, stress on the flexible display is likely to be nonuniform. Consequently, the flexible display is squeezed or pulled, or even the flexible display is damaged.
In view of this, a synchronization assembly is disposed in the hinge mechanism provided in this application, to help the first housing and the second housing of the electronic device synchronously move toward each other or away from each other around the hinge mechanism, so that a part that is of the flexible display and that is connected to the first housing and a part that is of the flexible display and that is connected to the second housing can synchronously move toward each other or away from each other. This can improve uniformity of the stress on the flexible display, and effectively reduce a risk that the flexible display is squeezed or pulled, to prolong a service life of the flexible display, and further improve structural reliability of the electronic device. To facilitate understanding of the hinge mechanism provided in embodiments of this application, the following describes a specific structure of the hinge mechanism in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In this application, refer to
Refer to
It should be noted that, in this application, the virtual shaft is an axis center of a circular-arc-shaped structure. Two components that are rotatably connected are capable of rotating relative to the virtual shaft, and a position of the virtual shaft is fixed as the two components that are rotatably connected rotate relative to each other. For example, as shown in
Refer to
The first connecting rod 1021 is mounted on the guide part 1031. In addition, the first connecting rod 1021 may be provided with one guide structure 10211 corresponding to each first track slot 10311. The guide structure 10211 is inserted into the first track slot 10311. In a process in which the electronic device changes from an unfolded state to a folded state or from a folded state to an unfolded state, the guide structure 10211 is capable of sliding along the first track slot 10311. In this application, a specific structure of the guide structure 10211 is not limited. For example, the guide structure 10211 may be a pin that penetrates the first connecting rod 1021, and each of two end parts of the pin may be correspondingly inserted into one first track slot 10311.
Still refer to
In this application, a specific disposing form of the first sliding groove 1041 is not limited. For example, the first sliding groove 1041 may be a straight-line sliding groove. In this case, the first sliding block may be provided with a straight-line sliding block structure, which can effectively simplify a connection structure between the third connecting rod 1023 and the second housing mounting bracket 104, and improve smoothness of sliding of the third connecting rod 1023 relative to the second housing mounting bracket 104.
Based on the foregoing descriptions of the structure of the hinge mechanism 1 provided in this application, in this application, a form of the first track slot 10311 may be obtained through fitting based on processes in which the first housing mounting bracket 103 and the second housing mounting bracket 104 synchronously move toward each other and away from each other relative to the main shaft 101, so that the first connecting rod 1021 is capable of sliding along the first track slot 10311. In this way, the first housing mounting bracket 103 and the second housing mounting bracket 104 synchronously rotate toward each other or away from each other relative to the main shaft 101.
In the hinge mechanism 1 provided in embodiments of this application, the first connecting rod 1021 is rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 and the second connecting rod 1022, the second connecting rod 1022 is rotatably connected to the third connecting rod 1023, and axes of the rotating shafts are parallel to each other and do not coincide with each other, so that the first connecting rod 1021, the main shaft 101, the second connecting rod 1022, and the third connecting rod 1023 can be connected to form the four-link mechanism. A structure of the four-link mechanism is relatively simple, so that the synchronization assembly 102 occupies small space in the hinge mechanism 1 while the first housing mounting bracket 103 and the second housing mounting bracket 104 can synchronously rotate toward each other or away from each other, to help implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism 1.
The hinge mechanism 1 provided in the foregoing embodiments of this application may be used in, for example, the outward folding electronic device shown in
In addition, the flexible display of the electronic device may be fastened to the first housing 2 and the second housing 3, and a connection manner may be but is not limited to bonding. During specific implementation, the flexible display may be bonded to a part of the first support surface 2a of the first housing 2, and the flexible display may be bonded to a part of the second support surface 3a of the second housing 3. In this way, when the electronic device is in the unfolded state, the bearing surface 1a of the hinge mechanism 1, the first support surface 2a of the first housing 2, and the second support surface 3a of the second housing 3 may jointly flatly support the flexible display. Therefore, it can be ensured that a form of the electronic device in the unfolded state is complete. In the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, synchronous rotation of the two housings may drive synchronous rotation of parts that are of the flexible display and that are fastened to the two housings, so that the stress on the flexible display is relatively uniform, to effectively avoid deformation of the flexible display, and reduce a risk of damage to the flexible display.
In this application, to implement a rotation function of the hinge mechanism 1, the hinge mechanism 1 may further include a rotating module 105. A quantity of rotating modules 105 in the hinge mechanism 1 is not limited in this application. The hinge mechanism 1 may include only one rotating module 105, or may include a plurality of rotating modules 105. Still refer to
For ease of understanding a structure of the rotating module 105, still refer to
It should be noted that, in embodiments of this application, when there are a plurality of rotating modules 105, first rotating assemblies 1051 and second rotating assemblies 1052 of the plurality of rotating modules 105 may all use the same main shaft 101 as the bearing component, to improve an integration degree of the hinge mechanism 1. In some other possible embodiments of this application, one main shaft 101 may be correspondingly disposed for each rotating module 105 in the hinge mechanism 1, so that a corresponding main shaft 101 is used as a bearing component for a first rotating assembly 1051 and a second rotating assembly 1052 of each rotating module 105.
Still refer to
In this application, the first connector 10513 is capable of moving relative to the main shaft 101. In practice, refer to
Refer to
Still refer to
In this application, when the electronic device is in the unfolded state shown in
In this application, specific disposing forms of the surface 101211 of the first protrusion and the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot are not limited. For example, the surface 101211 of the first protrusion may be a circular arc surface, and the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot may be a circular arc surface. In addition, a circle center of the surface 101211 of the first protrusion coincides with a circle center of the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot. In some other possible embodiments of this application, both the surface 101211 of the first protrusion and the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot may be configured as planes, so that the second track slot 1013 is a straight line slot. Alternatively, both the surface 101211 of the first protrusion and the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot may be curved surfaces in other forms, so that the second track slot 1013 is a curved slot in any form, which should be understood as falling within the protection scope of this application.
Still refer to
In some other possible embodiments of this application, a movement track of the first connector 10513 in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state may be different from a movement track of the first connector 10513 in the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state. During specific implementation, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the first arc-shaped surface 105133 abuts against the surface 101211 of the first protrusion, and there is a gap between the second arc-shaped surface 105134 and the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot. In addition, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the second arc-shaped surface 105134 abuts against the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot, and there is a gap between the first arc-shaped surface 105133 and the surface 101211 of the first protrusion. In this embodiment, the surface 101211 of the first protrusion may be non-equidistant from the slot surface 101121 of the second arc-shaped slot, and in this case, the second track slot 1013 may be a non-equal-width slot.
It can be learned from the foregoing descriptions that, in this application, the first swing arm 10511 may be rotatably connected to the main shaft 101, and the first swing arm 10511 may be rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 in a virtual shaft manner. This can help reduce space occupied by the first swing arm 10511 on the main shaft 101, to help reduce a volume of the rotating module 105, and implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism 1. In addition, it may be understood that, for the outward folding electronic device, when the first swing arm 10511 is rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 in a virtual shaft manner, an axis center at which the first swing arm 10511 rotates around the main shaft 101 is located on one side that is of the main shaft 101 and that is away from the flexible display.
Refer to
It should be noted that when the slot surface of the third arc-shaped slot 10113 is a circular arc surface, a part that is of the surface 101221 of the second protrusion and that is in contact with the second arc-shaped rotating block 105111 may also be a circular arc surface, and centers of the two circular arc surfaces coincide with each other. In addition, a surface that is of the second arc-shaped rotating block 105111 and that faces the second protrusion 10122 may be a plane or a circular arc surface, provided that the second arc-shaped rotating block 105111 can rotate relative to the second protrusion 10122.
It should be noted that, in this application, in addition to being rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 in a virtual shaft manner, the first swing arm 10511 may be rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 in a solid shaft manner, so that the first swing arm 10511 can be connected to the main shaft 101 relatively reliably. It may be understood that, when the first swing arm 10511 is connected to the main shaft 101 in a solid shaft manner, an axis center at which the first swing arm 10511 rotates around the main shaft 101 is also located on one side that is of the main shaft 101 and that is away from the flexible display.
In this application, when the first swing arm 10511 is rotatably connected to the first connector 10513, still refer to
In addition,
Still refer to
In this application, when the first connector 10513 is rotatably connected to the first support arm 10512, as shown in
It may be understood that, in the hinge mechanism 1 provided in embodiments of this application, the first connector 10513 may include a plurality of first sub-connectors that are sequentially rotatably connected. In addition, the plurality of first sub-connectors may be located between the first swing arm 10511 and the first support arm 10512. In this case, the first swing arm 10511 may be rotatably connected to a first sub-connector adjacent to the first swing arm 10511, and the first support arm 10512 may be rotatably connected to a first sub-connector adjacent to the first support arm 10512. For details, refer to the foregoing descriptions of the rotatable connection of the first swing arm 10511 and the first support arm 10512 to the first connector 10513. Details are not described herein. In this application, the first connector 10513 is set as the plurality of first sub-connectors that are sequentially rotatably connected, so that the first swing arm 10511 and the first support arm 10512 are connected via the plurality of first sub-connectors. This can effectively improve speed uniformity in a process in which the first swing arm 10511 and the first support arm 10512 rotate around the main shaft 101, thereby improving smoothness of mutual pulling movement of the first swing arm 10511 and the first support arm 10512.
Still refer to
In this application, the first support arm 10512 may be rotatably connected to the second housing mounting bracket 104. During specific implementation, still refer to
In embodiments of this application, a specific manner in which the end part that is of the first support arm 10512 and that faces the second housing mounting bracket 104 is rotatably connected to the second mounting part 1042 is not limited. For example, still refer to
Some existing hinge mechanisms need to thicken a rotating assembly connected to a main shaft to ensure stability of the mechanisms. In this way, both the main shaft and the hinge mechanism are very heavy. If the main shaft and the hinge mechanism are forcibly thinned, strength of the rotating assembly is easily weakened, thereby greatly affecting reliability of the hinge mechanisms and shortening a life of the electronic device. The hinge mechanism 1 in this application has a simplified structure. According to the foregoing structural relationship, the first connector 10513 may be manufactured with a relatively small cross section to travel back and forth in the second track slot 1013 of the main shaft 101. In addition, the first connector 10513 has a sufficient length extension along a vertical axial direction, and separately has a connection relationship with the first swing arm 10511 and the first support arm 10512, so that reliability of the hinge mechanism 1 can be ensured. In this way, the thickness of the main shaft 101 and the thickness of the entire electronic device can be reduced, and reliability of the hinge mechanism 1 can be maintained, so that the entire hinge mechanism 1 is light, thin, and reliable.
In addition, because the first connector 10513 is capable of moving in the second track slot 1013 according to a specified track, uncontrolled movement of the first connector 10513 in an entire folding and unfolding process can be avoided, and random movement of the first housing mounting bracket 103 and the second housing mounting bracket 104 can further be avoided, to ensure structural stability and movement stability of the entire hinge mechanism 1. In some cases, the second track slot 1013 is appropriately designed, so that an outer tangent line of the hinge mechanism 1 can keep a constant length in the entire folding and unfolding process, and the flexible display covering the surface of the hinge mechanism 1 can also basically keep a length unchanged. In this way, squeezing or pulling on the flexible display can be effectively avoided, to improve structural reliability of the flexible display and further improve structural reliability of the electronic device.
Still refer to
In addition, refer to
In this application, as shown in
In this embodiment of this application, the third arc-shaped surface 105233 of the second connector 10523 may be disposed with reference to the first arc-shaped surface 105133 of the first connector 10513, and the fourth arc-shaped surface 105234 may be disposed with reference to the second arc-shaped surface 105134 of the first connector 10513. Details are not described herein again. In addition, the third track slot 1014 may be set with reference to the second track slot 1013. Simply speaking, spacings between the surface 101241 of the third protrusion and the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot 10114 are equal, so that the third track slot 1014 is an equal-width slot. In this case, in the processes in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state and from the folded state to the unfolded state, the surface 101241 of the third protrusion keeps an abut-against state with the third arc-shaped surface 105233, and the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot 10114 keeps an abut-against state with the fourth arc-shaped surface 105234. Therefore, in the processes in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state and from the folded state to the unfolded state, movement trajectories of the second connector 10523 in the third track slot 1014 are the same. Alternatively, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the third arc-shaped surface 105233 abuts against the surface 101241 of the third protrusion, and a gap exists between the fourth arc-shaped surface 105234 and the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot 10114. In the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the fourth arc-shaped surface 105234 abuts against the slot surface of the fourth arc-shaped slot 10114, and a gap exists between the third arc-shaped surface 105233 and the surface 101241 of the third protrusion. In this way, a movement track of the second connector 10523 in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state is different from a movement track of the second connector 10523 in the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state.
In this application, the second swing arm 10521 is rotatably connected to the main shaft 101. The second swing arm 10521 and the main shaft 101 may be rotatably connected in a virtual shaft manner. During specific implementation, as shown in
In addition, in this application, the third arc-shaped rotating block 105211 may be but is not limited to a circular-arc-shaped rotating block, and the fifth arc-shaped slot 10115 may be but is not limited to a circular-arc-shaped slot. It may be understood that, when the third arc-shaped rotating block 105211 is a circular-arc-shaped rotating block, a surface that is of the third arc-shaped rotating block 105211 and that is in contact with the slot surface 101151 of the fifth arc-shaped slot may be a circular arc surface, the slot surface 101151 of the fifth arc-shaped slot is also a circular arc surface, and centers of the two circular arc surfaces coincide with each other.
In this application, to improve stability of rotation of the second swing arm 10521 around the main shaft 101, as shown in
To improve reliability of a connection between the second swing arm 10521 and the base 1011, the third arc-shaped rotating block 105211 may further be provided with a second recess 1052111, and an opening of the second recess 1052111 is disposed toward the cover 1012. In addition, a second insertion part (not shown in
It should be noted that, in this application, in addition to being rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 in a virtual shaft manner, the second swing arm 10521 may be rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 in a solid shaft manner, so that the first swing arm 10511 can be connected to the main shaft 101 relatively reliably. For the outward folding electronic device, when the first swing arm 10511 is rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 in a solid shaft manner, an axis center at which the first swing arm 10511 rotates around the main shaft 101 is also located on one side that is of the hinge mechanism and that is away from the flexible display.
Specifically, when the second connector 10523 is rotatably connected to the second swing arm 10521 via the third rotating shaft 105231, still refer to
As shown in
In embodiments of this application, specifically, when the second connector 10523 is rotatably connected to the second support arm 10522 via the fourth rotating shaft 105232, the fourth rotating shaft 105232 may penetrate the second connector 10523 and the second support arm 10522 at the same time. In this case, a connection manner of the second connector 10523 and the second support arm 10522 is relatively simple, which helps simplify a structure of the second rotating assembly 1052, so that a structure of the hinge mechanism 1 can be simplified.
It may be understood that, in the hinge mechanism 1 provided in embodiments of this application, the second connector 10523 may include a plurality of second sub-connectors that are sequentially rotatably connected. In addition, the plurality of second sub-connectors may be located between the second swing arm 10521 and the second support arm 10522. In this case, the second swing arm 10521 may be rotatably connected to an adjacent second sub-connector, and the second support arm 10522 may be rotatably connected to an adjacent second sub-connector. For a manner in which the second swing arm 10521 is rotatably connected to the adjacent second sub-connector and a manner in which the second support arm 10522 is rotatably connected to the adjacent second sub-connector, refer to the foregoing descriptions of the rotatable connection of the second swing arm 10521 and the second support arm 10522 to the second connector 10523. Details are not described herein again. In this application, the second connector 10523 is set as the plurality of second sub-connectors that are sequentially rotatably connected, so that the second swing arm 10521 and the second support arm 10522 are rotatably connected via the plurality of second connectors 10523. This can effectively improve speed uniformity in a process in which the second swing arm 10521 and the second support arm 10522 rotate around the main shaft 101, thereby improving smoothness of mutual pulling movement of the second swing arm 10521 and the second support arm 10522.
In this application, the second swing arm 10521 may be slidably connected to the second housing mounting bracket 104. During specific implementation, the second housing mounting bracket 104 is provided with a third sliding groove 1043. The third sliding groove 1043 and the second mounting part 1042 are disposed at a spacing along the length direction of the hinge mechanism 1. The third sliding groove 1043 extends along a second direction, and the second swing arm 10521 may be mounted in the third sliding groove 1043 and is capable of sliding along the second direction in the third sliding groove 1043. The second direction may be a direction along which the second housing mounting bracket 104 moves toward or away from the base 1011. In addition, to prevent the second swing arm 10521 from falling off from the third sliding groove 1043, a third sliding rail may be disposed on a sliding groove wall of the third sliding groove 1043, and a third sliding block may be disposed on the second swing arm 10521. In this way, the third sliding block may be clamped on the third sliding rail, and the third sliding block is capable of sliding along the third sliding rail, to limit the second swing arm 10521 to the third sliding groove 1043. In addition, the third sliding rail is disposed on the sliding groove wall of the third sliding groove 1043, which may provide guidance for sliding of the second swing arm 10521 along the third sliding groove 1043, to improve movement stability of the second swing arm 10521.
In addition, the second support arm 10522 may be rotatably connected to the first housing mounting bracket 103. During specific implementation, the first housing mounting bracket 103 is provided with a first mounting part 1032. Along the length direction of the hinge mechanism 1, the first mounting part 1032 and the second sliding groove 1033 are disposed at a spacing. An end part that is of the second support arm 10522 and that faces the first housing mounting bracket 103 is mounted on the first mounting part 1032, and an end part that is of the second support arm 10522 and that faces the first housing mounting bracket 103 is rotatably connected to the first mounting part 1032.
In embodiments of this application, a specific manner in which the end part that is of the second support arm 10522 and that faces the first housing mounting bracket 103 is rotatably connected to the first mounting part 1032 is not limited. For example, still refer to
Based on the hinge mechanism 1 provided in the foregoing embodiments of this application, in the process in which the electronic device changes from the unfolded state to the folded state, the first housing mounting bracket 103 and the second housing mounting bracket 104 move toward each other. When the second housing mounting bracket 104 drives the second swing arm 10521 to rotate around the main shaft 101 counter-clockwise, the second swing arm 10521 may drive the second connector 10523 to move toward the second swing arm 10521 in the third track slot 1014 of the main shaft 101. In addition, because the second connector 10523 is rotatably connected to the second support arm 10522, in the process in which the second connector 10523 moves toward the second swing arm 10521 in the third track slot 1014 of the main shaft 101, the second support arm 10522 may be driven to rotate around the main shaft 101 clockwise, so that the second support arm 10522 drives the first housing mounting bracket 103 to rotate around the main shaft 101 clockwise. In the process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first housing mounting bracket 103 and the second housing mounting bracket 104 move away from each other. When the second housing mounting bracket 104 drives the second swing arm 10521 to rotate around the main shaft 101 clockwise, the second swing arm 10521 may drive the second connector 10523 to move toward the second support arm 10522 in the third track slot 1014 of the main shaft 101, and the second support arm 10522 may be driven to rotate around the main shaft 101 counter-clockwise, so that the second support arm 10522 drives the first housing mounting bracket 103 to rotate around the main shaft 101 counter-clockwise. In this way, folding and unfolding functions of the hinge mechanism 1 are implemented.
Some existing hinge mechanisms need to thicken a rotating assembly connected to a main shaft to ensure stability of the mechanisms. In this way, both the main shaft and the hinge mechanism are very heavy. If the main shaft and the hinge mechanism are forcibly thinned, strength of the rotating assembly is easily weakened, thereby greatly affecting reliability of the hinge mechanisms and shortening a life of the electronic device. The hinge mechanism 1 in this application has a simplified structure. According to the foregoing structural relationship, the second connector 10523 may be manufactured with a relatively small cross section to travel back and forth in the third track slot 1014 of the main shaft 101. In addition, the second connector 10523 has a sufficient length extension along a vertical axial direction, and separately has a connection relationship with the second swing arm 10521 and the second support arm 10522, so that reliability of the hinge mechanism 1 can be ensured. In this way, the thickness of the main shaft 101 and the thickness of the entire electronic device can be reduced, and reliability of the hinge mechanism 1 can be maintained, so that the entire hinge mechanism 1 is light, thin, and reliable.
Because the second connector 10523 is capable of moving according to a specified track, uncontrolled movement of the second connector 10523 in an entire folding and unfolding process can be avoided, and random movement of the first housing mounting bracket 103 and the second housing mounting bracket 104 can further be avoided, to ensure structural stability and movement stability of the entire hinge mechanism 1. In some cases, the third track slot 1014 is appropriately designed, so that an outer tangent line of the hinge mechanism 1 can keep a constant length in the entire folding and unfolding process, and the flexible display covering the surface of the hinge mechanism 1 can also basically keep a length unchanged. In this way, squeezing or pulling on the flexible display can be effectively avoided, to improve structural reliability of the flexible display and further improve structural reliability of the electronic device.
According to the hinge mechanism 1 provided in embodiments of this application, a rotation function of the hinge mechanism 1 may be implemented through mutual pulling of the connecting rods. In addition, the two housing mounting brackets may synchronously rotate toward or away from each other by disposing the synchronization assembly 102. In addition, because structures of mechanisms for implementing the rotation function and a synchronization function of the hinge mechanism 1 are simple, the structure of the entire hinge mechanism 1 can be effectively simplified, to help implement a compact design for the hinge mechanism 1 and reduce costs of the hinge mechanism 1. Moreover, because the mechanisms for implementing the rotation function and the synchronization function of the hinge mechanism 1 are two independent mechanisms, a failure of either mechanism does not affect the implementation of the functions of the other mechanism, and the reliability of the hinge mechanism 1 can be effectively improved.
It should be noted that the synchronization assembly 102 described in the foregoing embodiment of this application may be further used in the hinge mechanism 1 of the inward folding electronic device.
In addition, in a process in which the electronic device changes from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first housing 2 and the second housing 3 synchronously rotate away from each other, so that parts that are of the flexible display 4 and that are fastened to the two housings can be driven to synchronously rotate. In addition, when the electronic device is in the unfolded state, the bearing surface 1a of the hinge mechanism 1, the first support surface 2a of the first housing 2, and the second support surface 3a of the second housing 3 jointly flatly support the flexible display 4. This can ensure a complete form of the electronic device in the unfolded state.
It may be understood that, for the inward folding electronic device, when the first swing arm 10511 and the second swing arm 10521 are rotatably connected to the main shaft 101 via virtual shafts, axis centers at which the first swing arm 10511 and the second swing arm 10521 rotate around the main shaft 101 are located on one side that is of the main shaft 101 and that faces the flexible display 4, so that when the electronic device is in the folded state, the flexible display 4 is located inside the electronic device.
The foregoing descriptions are merely specific implementations of this application, but are not intended to limit the protection scope of this application. Any variation or replacement readily figured out by a person skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application shall fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 202310481738.3 | Apr 2023 | CN | national |
This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/CN2024/080604, filed on Mar. 7, 2024, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202310481738.3, filed on Apr. 27, 2023. The disclosures of the aforementioned applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/CN2024/080604 | Mar 2024 | WO |
| Child | 18908124 | US |
