CN112639666A

CN112639666A - Foldable device and preparation method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN112639666A
Application number: CN201980049347.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘文俊
Original assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-08-09
Filing date: 2019-04-18
Publication date: 2021-04-09
Also published as: CN208922657U; WO2020029605A1; WO2020029795A1; CN112639662A; CN209860956U; WO2020029322A1; CN112740307A; WO2020029483A1; CN112640398A

Abstract

The application provides a foldable equipment, including the pivot subassembly that can buckle and have elastic flexible protection piece, the pivot subassembly includes that at least two rotate the hinge of connecting, form the clearance between the two hinges, flexible protection piece is located on the pivot subassembly, flexible protection piece is including locating covering between the two hinges when the pivot subassembly is in first bending state, the covering is in natural state. The application also provides a preparation method of the foldable device.

Description

Foldable device and preparation method thereof

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of display, in particular to foldable equipment and a preparation method thereof.

Background

Foldable devices are typically folded by connecting structures on both sides of the device via a pivot assembly. In the folding process of the foldable equipment, the protective layer on the rotating shaft assembly is extruded and deformed to form excessively convex folds, so that the folding flexibility and the appearance of the foldable equipment are influenced.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a foldable device capable of being flexibly folded and a preparation method thereof.

In one aspect, the present application provides a foldable device, including a bendable rotating shaft assembly and an elastic flexible protection member, wherein the rotating shaft assembly includes at least two hinges for connection, a gap is formed between the two hinges, the flexible protection member is disposed on the rotating shaft assembly, the flexible protection member includes a covering member disposed between the two hinges, and when the rotating shaft assembly is in a first bending state, the covering member is in a natural state.

In another aspect, the present application provides a method for manufacturing a foldable device, where the foldable device includes a bendable rotating shaft assembly, the rotating shaft assembly includes at least two hinges rotatably connected to each other, and a gap is formed between the two hinges, including:

providing a flexible protection member, wherein the natural state of a covering member of the flexible protection member is a preset bending shape;

bending the rotating shaft assembly by a first angle to enable the rotating shaft assembly to be in a first bending state corresponding to a preset bending form of the covering piece;

and arranging the flexible protection piece on the rotating shaft assembly in the first bending state, wherein the covering piece is arranged between two hinges of the rotating shaft assembly.

In another aspect, the present application provides a foldable device, including a bendable rotating shaft assembly and an elastic flexible protection member, wherein the rotating shaft assembly includes at least two hinges for connection, a gap is formed between the two hinges, the flexible protection member is disposed on the rotating shaft assembly, the flexible protection member includes an edge covering disposed between the two hinges and disposed between the bending inner side and the bending outer side of the rotating shaft assembly, and the edge covering is in a natural state when the rotating shaft assembly is in a first bending state.

The covering piece with the flexible protection piece is in the natural state when the rotating shaft assembly is in the first bending state, when the rotating shaft assembly is gradually deformed to the folding state from the first bending state, the amount of the covering piece which is compressed is relatively small, the protruding portion formed by extrusion of the covering piece is small, so that the space occupied by the folds formed by the flexible protection piece is small, the folding equipment can be folded more flexibly, the part which forms the folds on the flexible protection piece is effectively prevented from being cracked after being bent for many times, the service life of the flexible protection piece is prolonged, the reliability of the folding equipment is improved, and the appearance face of the folding equipment is improved.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to the drawings without creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic front view of a foldable device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a schematic rear view of a foldable device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 is a schematic structural disassembly diagram of a foldable device in a first bending state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural disassembly diagram of a foldable device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural disassembly diagram of a foldable device in a second bending state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible protection member and a rotating shaft assembly in a foldable device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a folded device provided in the present application, in which the hem is in an unfolded state.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a wrapping edge in a first bending state in a foldable device provided by an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 9 is a structural exploded view of a flexible protection member and a rotating shaft assembly in a foldable device provided by an embodiment of the application.

Fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a view angle of a flexible protection member in a foldable device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural disassembly diagram of a flexible protection member in a foldable device provided by an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible protection member and a rotating shaft assembly of a foldable device in a bent state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flexible protection member and a rotating shaft assembly of a foldable device in an unfolded state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 14 is an exploded view of another structure of the flexible protection member and the rotating shaft assembly in the foldable device according to the embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional structure view of a flexible protection member in a foldable device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 16 is a schematic flow chart of a method for manufacturing a foldable device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 17 is a schematic structural disassembly diagram of another foldable device in a first bending state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 18 is a schematic structural disassembly diagram of another foldable device provided in an embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state.

Fig. 19 is a schematic structural disassembly diagram of another foldable device in a second folded state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present application.

Referring to fig. 1 to 2, the present application provides a foldable device 100, where the foldable device 100 may be a foldable display device, such as a mobile phone, a tablet, an e-reader, a computer, an electronic display screen, and other display devices. It will be appreciated that the foldable device 100 may also be a foldable non-display device.

Referring to fig. 3, the foldable apparatus 100 includes a bendable shaft assembly 1 and a flexible protection member 2 having elasticity. The spindle assembly 1 comprises at least two rotatably connected hinges 11. A gap 12 is formed between the at least two hinges 11. The flexible protection member 2 is provided on the rotating shaft assembly 1. The flexible protection 2 comprises a cover 21 arranged between two adjacent hinges 11. In particular, the cover 21 is connected to two hinges 11. When the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the first bending state, the cover 21 is in a natural state. Here, the natural state of the cover 21 means a state in which the cover 21 is not deformed.

Specifically, the rotating shaft assembly 1 is a bendable assembly capable of being bent by 0-180 degrees at the inner side or the outer side. Referring to fig. 4, when the rotary shaft assembly 1 is in the unfolded state, the angle between the hinges 11 of the rotary shaft assembly 1 is 180 °. Referring to fig. 5, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the folded state, the two opposite ends of the rotating shaft assembly 1 are close to each other until the two opposite ends of the rotating shaft assembly 1 can not be close to each other, and at this time, the two opposite ends of the rotating shaft assembly 1 can abut against each other or are spaced apart from each other. Of course, the rotating shaft assembly 1 can also be in any bending angle between the unfolding state and the folding state. In this embodiment, the first bending state of the rotating shaft assembly 1 is a state between the folded state and the unfolded state.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 3 to 5, the covering member 21 is disposed between and connects two adjacent hinges 11. When the number of the hinges 11 is two, the number of the covers 21 is one, and one cover 21 is connected between the two adjacent hinges 11. When the number of the hinges 11 is 2 or more, the number of the covering members 21 is plural, and one covering member 21 is provided between two adjacent hinges 11. In another embodiment, the cover 21 covers the rotating shaft assembly 1, wherein a part of the cover 21 is disposed between and connected to two adjacent hinges 11, and another part of the cover 21 covers the hinges 11.

It will be appreciated that the cover 21 is of a resilient material. The cover 21 is deformed by the hinges 11 on both sides thereof. Specifically, when two adjacent hinges 11 are away from each other, the cover 21 provided between the two adjacent hinges 11 is stretched; when the adjacent two hinges 11 are close to each other, the cover 21 provided between the adjacent two hinges 11 is compressed.

In general, when the rotary shaft assembly 1 is bent toward the side where the cover 21 is located, the gap 12 between the hinges 11 of the rotary shaft assembly 1 is reduced, the cover 21 is pressed, and a portion of the cover 21 is pushed out of the gap 12 to form a convex portion which is conspicuously convex. The plurality of protruding portions are combined together to form folds protruding outwards on the flexible protection member 2, on one hand, the protruding portions are large, so that the distance between the rotating shaft assembly 1 and the folded state is large, and further two shells connected with the rotating shaft assembly 1 cannot be further close to each other, so that the size of the foldable equipment 100 is large when the foldable equipment 100 is folded, and the overall size of the foldable equipment 100 is not miniaturized; on the other hand, the portion of the flexible protection member 2 where the wrinkles are formed is prone to crack or even break after being bent for a plurality of times, which results in a shortened lifetime of the flexible protection member 2 and thus a low reliability of the foldable device 100; in addition, the bending sections of the foldable device 100 form extremely conspicuous protrusions, which seriously affect the appearance of the foldable device 100.

In the foldable device 100 provided by this embodiment, the covering part 21 of the flexible protection part 2 is in a natural state when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the first bending state, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is gradually deformed from the first bending state to the folding state, the amount of compression of the covering part 21 is relatively small, and the protrusion part formed by pressing the covering part 21 is small, so that the space occupied by the folds formed by the flexible protection part 2 is small, the distance between the rotating shaft assembly 1 and the folding state is small, and further, two shells connected with the rotating shaft assembly 1 can be further close to each other, the foldable device 100 can be folded more flexibly, and the size of the foldable device 100 is small when being folded, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the overall size of the foldable device 100; the flexible protector 2 can be effectively prevented from being cracked after being bent for many times; in addition, the external appearance of the foldable device 100 is improved; when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the stretching amount of the covering part 21 is relatively small, the covering part 21 is effectively prevented from being pulled apart, the service life of the flexible protection part 2 is prolonged, and the reliability of the foldable device 100 is improved.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 3 to 5, the rotating shaft assembly 1 has an inner surface 101 and an outer surface 102 opposite to each other, and two

side surfaces

103 and 104 connected between the inner surface 101 and the outer surface 102. Wherein, the rotating shaft component 1 can bend towards the side where the inner surface 101 or the outer surface 102 is located. For convenience of description, the side of the inner surface 101 of the rotating shaft assembly 1 is simply referred to as a bent inner side, and the side of the outer surface 102 of the rotating shaft assembly 1 is simply referred to as a bent outer side. The cover 21 is connected to the inner surface 101 of the spindle assembly 1.

In other embodiments, the flexible protection member 2 covers at least the inner surface 101 of the rotating shaft assembly 1, and the flexible protection member 2 can also cover the outer surface 102 and any one or more of the two

side surfaces

103, 104 of the rotating shaft assembly 1 to cover the surface of the rotating shaft assembly 1, so as to prevent the rotating shaft assembly 1 from being exposed, so that the foldable device 100 is promoted to form a complete appearance surface, and a user can conveniently hold the foldable device 100.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 3 to 5, the foldable device 100 is a foldable display device. The foldable device 100 further comprises a first housing 3, a second housing 4 and a flexible display 5. The first shell 3 and the second shell 4 are respectively connected with two opposite ends of the rotating shaft component 1. The flexible protection member 2 is disposed on the inner surface 101, the first side surface 103 and the second side surface 104 and connected between the first housing 3 and the second housing 4. The flexible display screen 5 covers and is connected to the first housing 3, the outer surface 102 of the rotating shaft assembly 1 and the second housing 4. When the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the first bending state, the extending directions of the first shell 3 and the second shell 4 are intersected, and the flexible display screen 5 is bent along with the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1.

Specifically, referring to fig. 4, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the unfolded state, the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 are disposed in a coplanar manner, in other words, an angle between the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 is 180 °, and the flexible display screen 5 is driven by the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 to be flattened. In the present application, please refer to fig. 5, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the folded state, the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 are bent toward the bent inner side until they can no longer approach each other, at this time, the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 are abutted against each other, the flexible protection member 2 is bent toward the bent inner side under the driving of the rotating shaft assembly 1, and the flexible display screen 5 is gradually bent toward the bent inner side under the driving of the first housing 3 and the second housing 4. In addition, the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 of the present application may also be bent toward the outside of the bending to a state where the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 abut against each other.

The flexible display screen 5 is arranged on the outer surface 102 of the rotating shaft assembly 1, the first shell 3 and the second shell 4, wherein the first shell 3, the second shell 4 and the rotating shaft assembly 1 form a foldable supporting piece so as to drive the flexible display screen 5 to be flattened or bent; providing a flexible protector 2 on the inner surface 101 of the rotating shaft assembly 1 to protect the inner surface 101 of the rotating shaft assembly 1; the flexible protector 2 is connected to the first housing 3 and the second housing 4 to enhance the continuity between the first housing 3 and the second housing 4. Moreover, as can be seen from the foregoing, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed to the folded state, the deformation amount of the flexible protecting member 2 is relatively small, which can effectively reduce the wrinkles formed on the flexible protecting member 2, so that the protrusion formed on the flexible protecting member 2 is small, which further facilitates the overall size miniaturization of the foldable device 100, increases the service life of the flexible protecting member 2, and improves the appearance of the foldable device 100.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 3 and 4, during the process of the rotating shaft assembly 1 being deformed from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the length of the gap 12 between the two hinges 11 on the inner bending side of the rotating shaft assembly 1 is increased to compensate the length of the inner bending side of the foldable device 100 in the unfolding state, so as to solve the problem of the radius difference between the inner bending side and the outer bending side of the foldable device 100, so that when the foldable device 100 is in the unfolding state, the lengths of the inner bending side and the outer bending side are the same, and when the foldable device 100 is in the folding state, the length of the inner bending side is smaller than the length of the outer bending side, so as to facilitate the folding of the foldable device 100.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 3 and 4, in the process of deforming the rotating shaft assembly 1 from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the covering member 21 is stretched inside the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1.

Specifically, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the gap 12 between two adjacent hinges 11 is increased, and the covering member 21 is stretched inside the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1 under the acting force of the hinges 11 on both sides of the covering member.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 3 and 5, in the process of deforming the rotating shaft assembly 1 from the first bending state to the second bending state, the covering member 21 is compressed inside the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1, and the bending degree of the second bending state is greater than the bending degree of the first bending state.

Specifically, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is bent from the state of small bending degree to the state of bending with larger bending degree along the bending direction, the gap 12 between the adjacent hinges 11 in the rotating shaft assembly 1 is reduced, and the cover 21 is compressed at the inner side of the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1 under the acting force of the hinges 11 at both sides of the cover.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 6, the flexible protection member 2 includes a plurality of covering members 21. The solid line portion in fig. 6 indicates a cover member 21. The flexible protector 2 further includes a hem 210 covering the side of the gap 12. The side surface of the gap 12 is located between the bent inner side of the rotating shaft assembly 1 and the bent outer side of the rotating shaft assembly 1.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, the wrapping edge 210 includes a first wrapping edge portion 201 and a second wrapping edge portion 202 connected to each other. The first edge wrapping part 201 is close to the bending inner side of the rotating shaft component 1, and the second edge wrapping part 202 is close to the bending outer side of the rotating shaft component 1. When the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the first bending state, the covering edge 210 is in a natural state, i.e., an undeformed state. In the process of deforming the rotating shaft assembly 1 from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the first wrap portion 201 is stretched, and the second wrap portion 202 is compressed. Further, in the process of deforming the rotating shaft assembly 1 from the first bending state to the second bending state, the first clad portion 201 is compressed, and the second clad portion 202 is stretched.

Further, referring to fig. 9, the covering member 21 covers the inner surface 121 of the gap 12. The inner surface 121 of the gap 12 is located inside the bend of the spindle assembly 1. The hem 210 includes a first covering member 212 and a second covering member 213. The first and

second covers

212 and 213 are connected to opposite sides of the cover 21, respectively. The side of the gap 12 includes two oppositely disposed first and

second sides

123, 124, wherein the first cladding 212 covers the first side 123 and the second cladding 213 covers the second side 124.

In view of the foregoing, referring to fig. 3, the gap 12 further has an outer surface 122 disposed opposite to the inner surface 121 of the gap 12, and the outer surface 122 of the gap 12 is located outside the bend. The flexible display 5 covers the outer surface 122 of the gap 12.

Specifically, referring to fig. 9, the rotating shaft assembly 1 includes a first hinge 13 and a second hinge 14. The first hinge 13 has a third side 131 and a fourth side 132 opposite to each other and a first surface 133 connected to the third side 131 and the fourth side 132. The second hinge 14 has a fifth side 141 and a sixth side 142 opposite to each other and a second surface 143 connected to the fifth side 141 and the sixth side 142. The gap 12 is provided between the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14. The inner surface 121 of the gap 12 is disposed between the first surface 133 and the second surface 143. The first side 123 of the gap 12 is located between the third side 131 and the fifth side 141, and the second side 124 of the gap 12 is located between the fourth side 132 and the sixth side 142.

Referring to fig. 9, the covering member 21 is connected between the first surface 133 of the first hinge 13 and the second surface 143 of the second hinge 14. The first wrapping member 212 is connected between the third side 131 of the first hinge 13 and the fifth side 141 of the second hinge 14. The second cover 213 is connected between the fourth side 132 of the first hinge 13 and the sixth side 142 of the second hinge 14.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4 again, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14 are away from each other, the gap 12 is increased, the covering member 21 is stretched under the pulling force of the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14, the portions of the first covering member 212 and the second covering member 213 close to the inner side of the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1 are stretched, and the portions of the first covering member 212 and the second covering member 213 close to the inner side of the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1 are compressed.

Referring to fig. 3 and 5 again, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed from the first bending state to the second bending state, the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14 approach each other, the gap 12 is reduced, and the covering member 21 is compressed under the pressing force of the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14. The portions of the first and

second covers

212 and 213 near the inner side of the bending of the spindle assembly 1 are compressed, and the portions of the first and

second covers

212 and 213 near the inner side of the bending of the spindle assembly 1 are stretched.

It should be noted that the flexible protection member 2 has a plurality of covering members 21, and the present embodiment only illustrates the structure and connection relationship between one covering member 21 and two adjacent hinges 11, and those skilled in the art can deduce the structure and connection relationship between the whole flexible protection member 2 and the hinge 11 of the rotating shaft assembly 1 according to the description of the present embodiment.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 10 and 11, the flexible protection member 2 further includes a fixing member 22 connected to the covering member 21. The fixing member 22 is fixed to the hinge 11 and connects the adjacent covering members 21. The cover 21 extends in the extending direction of the fixing 22.

Specifically, the fixing member 22 is made of a rigid material, such as metal or rigid plastic. The number of the fixing pieces 22 is multiple, the number of the covering pieces 21 is multiple, each fixing piece 22 connects two adjacent covering pieces 21, and the plurality of fixing pieces 22 and the plurality of covering pieces 21 are sequentially connected in a staggered manner to form the flexible protection piece 2. Furthermore, the plurality of securing members 22 form a support skeleton for the flexible protection member 2, so that the flexible protection member 2 extends in the direction in which said securing members 22 extend.

In this embodiment, referring to fig. 12 and 13, each fixing element 22 is fixedly connected to one hinge 11, so that the covering element 21 is fixedly connected to the hinge 11 through the fixing element 22. For example, the flexible protector 2 includes a first fixing member 221 and a second fixing member 222. The first fixing member 221 and the second fixing member 222 are respectively connected to opposite sides of the cover member 21. The first fixing part 221 and the second fixing part 222 are respectively fixedly connected with the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14, so that the covering part 21 is fixedly connected with the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14, and therefore, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is bent, the covering part 21 can be stretched or compressed along with the relative movement of the first hinge 13 and the second hinge 14.

In one embodiment, the fixture 22 is a sheet-like piece of metal. The covering member 21 partially covers a surface of one side of the fixing member 22, so that the covering member 21 is fixedly connected to the fixing member 22. The concrete connection mode can be a connection mode such as screwing, gluing, clamping and the like. And the other side surface of the fixing member 22 is fixedly connected to the hinge 11, and the specific connection manner may be a screw connection manner, an adhesive connection manner, a snap connection manner, and the like.

In another embodiment, two covering members 21 are respectively connected to the opposite sides of the fixing member 22. The specific connection mode can be a connection mode such as screwing, gluing, clamping and the like. The outer surface 102 of the fixing member 22 is connected to the outer surfaces 102 of the two cover members 21, and the inner surface 101 of the fixing member 22 is connected to the inner surfaces 101 of the two cover members 21, so that the inner and outer surfaces 102 of the flexible protection member 2 are smooth. The inner surface 101 of the fixing member 22 is fixed to the hinge 11.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 11 and 14, the fixing member 22 has a first bending section 223, a straight section 224 and a second bending section 225 connected in sequence. The first bending section 223 is fixed on the hinge 11 and connects two adjacent first wrapping members 212. The straight section 224 is fixed to the hinge 11 and connects two adjacent cover members 21. The second bending section 225 is fixed on the hinge 11 and connects two adjacent second wrapping members 213.

Specifically, the flexible protector 2 includes at least two covers 21, at least two first covers 212, and at least two second covers 213, which are adjacently disposed. The first fixing member 221 is connected between two cover members adjacently disposed. The first bending section 223 of the first fixing member 221 is fixed to the third side 131 of the first hinge 13, and the first bending section 223 of the first fixing member 221 is connected between one first wrapping member 212 and the other first wrapping member 212. The straight section 224 of the first fixing member 221 is fixed to the first surface 133 of the first hinge 13, and the straight section 224 of the first fixing member 221 is connected between the one cover 21 and the other cover 21. The second bending section 225 of the first fixing element 221 is fixed to the fourth side 132 of the first hinge 13, and the second bending section 225 of the first fixing element 221 is connected between the second wrapping member 213 and the other second wrapping member 213.

It should be noted that the flexible protection member 2 includes a plurality of covers 21 and a plurality of fasteners 22, and the present embodiment only illustrates the structure and connection relationship between two covers 21 and one fastener 22 and one hinge 11, and those skilled in the art can deduce the structure and connection relationship between the whole flexible protection member 2 and the hinge 11 of the rotating shaft assembly 1 according to the description of the present embodiment.

When the surfaces of the opposite sides of the fixing member 22 are connected to the covering member 21 and the hinge 11, respectively, since the surfaces of the fixing member 22 and the covering member 21 are not on the same surface, a recess is formed between the fixing member 22 and the covering member 21, resulting in unevenness of the surface of the flexible protection member 2.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 12 and 13, the flexible protection member 2 further includes a connector 23 connected between two adjacent covering members 21. The material of the connector 23 is the same as that of the cover 21. The connector 23 is integrally formed with the cover 21. The connecting member 23 covers and is fixed to the hinge 11.

Specifically, referring to fig. 12 and 13, the connecting member 23 is connected between two covering members 21, and an inner surface of the connecting member 23 is fixedly connected to the fixing member 22. Specifically, when the flexible protection member 2 is manufactured, the connecting member 23 and the fixing member 22 are injection molded, so that the connecting member 23 and the fixing member 22 are fixedly connected. Since the connecting member 23 is integrally formed with the covering member 21, the covering member 21 is fixedly connected to the fixing member 22.

It will be appreciated that the shape of the attachment 23 is substantially the same as the shape of the cover 21. The connecting member 23 covers the straight section 224, the first bent section 223 and the second bent section 225 of the fixing member 22.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 10 and 14, the connecting member 23 has a first wrapping member 231 and a second wrapping member 232 disposed opposite to each other. Wherein the first wrapping member 231 is connected between the two first wrapping members 212. The second wrapper 232 is connected between the two second wrappers 213. The first wrapping element 231 is fixed to the first bending section 223 of the fixing element 22, and the first bending section 223 is fixed to the third side 131 of the first hinge 13. The second wrapping element 232 is fixed to the second bending section 225 of the fixing element 22, and the second bending section 225 is fixed to the fourth side 132 of the first hinge 13. The first wrapping member 231, the first bending section 223 and the third side 131 are provided with screw holes. A screw is threaded to the third side 131 of the first hinge 13 through the first wrapping part 231 of the connecting part 23 and the first bending section 223 of the fixing part 22. Similarly, the second wrapper 232, the second bending section 225 and the fourth side 132 are provided with screw holes. A screw is screwed to the fourth side 132 of the first hinge 13 through the second wrapping member 232 of the connecting member 23 and the second bending section 225 of the fixing member 22 to fixedly connect the flexible protection member 2 to the rotating shaft assembly 1.

In an embodiment, referring to fig. 12 and 13, a surface of the connecting member 23 facing away from the hinge 11 is protruded to form a first protruding rib 233. The extending direction of the first rib 233 is identical to the extending direction of the hinge 11. In other words, the first rib 233 is disposed on the third side 131, the first surface 133 and the fourth side 132 of the first hinge 13. It can be understood that the first protruding ribs 233 are disposed on the fixing member 22, so that the structural strength of the portion of the flexible protection member 2 where the first protruding ribs 233 are disposed is relatively high, and when the rotating shaft assembly 1 drives the flexible protection member 2 to deform, the shape of the portion of the flexible protection member 2 where the first protruding ribs 233 are disposed is not changed or is slightly deformed.

Further, referring to fig. 12 and 13, a second rib 216 is formed on a surface of the covering element 21 facing away from the gap 12 in a protruding manner. The extending direction of the second ribs 216 is identical to the extending direction of the first ribs 233. A buffer groove 217 is formed between the second rib 216 and the first rib 233. The buffer groove 217 is provided on the cover 21. The buffer groove 217 is used to provide a deformation space when the cover 21 is compressed. In other words, the second rib 216 is provided on the cover 21, the first covering member 212, and the second covering member 213. Between the first rib 233 and the second rib 216 is a recess, which forms the buffer groove 217.

It can be understood that the outer surface of the flexible protection member 2 is a concave-convex surface formed by sequentially alternating first ribs 233, buffer grooves 217, second ribs 216, buffer grooves 217, first ribs 233, buffer grooves 217 and second ribs 216 ….

In the process that the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed from the first bending state to the second bending state, the two hinges 11 approach each other, the two adjacent first protruding ribs 233 approach each other, and the buffer groove 217 is gradually reduced until the second protruding rib 216 is pressed by the two adjacent first protruding ribs 233. Wherein, the buffer slot 217 is configured to absorb the length of the inner side of the bending portion, so that when the foldable device 100 is folded, the length of the inner side of the bending portion is smaller than the length of the outer side of the bending portion, thereby facilitating the folding of the foldable device 100.

Further, referring to fig. 12 and 13, a groove 218 is formed on a side of the covering element 21 away from the second rib 216. In other words, the surface of the cover 21 facing the gap 12 forms a groove 218 corresponding to the area of the second rib 216. The groove 218 provides a space for deformation when the second rib 216 is subjected to a pressing force from both sides. The extending direction of the groove 218 is the same as the extending direction of the second rib 216.

In the process that the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed from the first bending state to the second bending state, the two hinges 11 approach each other, the two adjacent first protruding ribs 233 approach each other, and the second protruding rib 216 is pressed by the two adjacent first protruding ribs 233.

By providing the cover 21 with the second rib 216 and the groove 218 matching with the second rib 216, the second rib 216 can be narrowed and protruded under the pressing force by the first ribs 233 on both sides, at the expense of the space of the groove 218, to absorb the length of the partially bent inside. The arrangement of the second ribs 216 provides a guide for the flexible protection member 2 to form wrinkles, in other words, a portion of the flexible protection member 2 protrudes toward the direction guided by the second ribs 216, so that the flexible protection member 2 forms orderly wrinkles when the foldable device 100 is folded, thereby improving the appearance of the foldable device 100 when folded.

In one embodiment, referring to fig. 15, the covering member 21 includes a first elastic layer 241 and a second elastic layer 242 stacked together. The first elastic layer 241 is disposed between the gap 12 and the second elastic layer 242. The elastic coefficient of the first elastic layer 241 is greater than that of the second elastic layer 242.

It will be understood that the elastic layer of the flexible protector 2 is formed by laminating a first elastic layer 241 and a second elastic layer 242. Specifically, the first elastic layer 241 is made of elastic soft rubber including thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer rubber, thermoplastic elastomer material, thermoplastic rubber, and the like. The second elastic layer 242 is made of leather or polyurethane. The flexible protection member 2 of the foldable device 100 is in a compressed state when being folded, and the elastic soft rubber has a large rebound force, which may cause the foldable device 100 to be unable to stop at any desired angle due to the too large rebound force when being folded, so the flexible protection member 2 provided in this embodiment employs the first elastic layer 241 with a large elastic coefficient to satisfy that the flexible protection member 2 can be compressed, and employs the second elastic layer 242 to satisfy that the foldable device 100 stops at any desired angle.

Referring to fig. 16, the present application further provides a method S10 for manufacturing a foldable device, where the foldable device 100 includes a bendable hinge assembly 1, the hinge assembly 1 includes at least two hinges 11 rotatably connected to each other, and a gap 12 is formed between the two hinges 11. Comprising the following steps.

S101, providing a flexible protection member 2, wherein the natural state of a covering member 21 of the flexible protection member 2 is a preset bending form.

S102, bending the rotating shaft assembly 1 by a first angle to enable the rotating shaft assembly 1 to be in a first bending state corresponding to a preset bending form of the covering piece 21.

S103, the flexible protection member 2 is disposed on the rotating shaft assembly 1 in the first bending state, wherein the covering member 21 is disposed between the two hinges 11 of the rotating shaft assembly 1.

In the foldable device 100 provided by this embodiment, by providing the flexible protection member 2, the natural state of the covering member 21 of the flexible protection member 2 is a preset bending state, bending the rotating shaft assembly 1 by a first angle to make the rotating shaft assembly 1 in a first bending state corresponding to the preset bending state of the covering member 21, disposing the flexible protection member 2 on the rotating shaft assembly 1 in the first bending state, disposing the covering member 21 between the two hinges 11 of the rotating shaft assembly 1, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is gradually deformed from the first bending state to the folding state, the amount of compression of the covering member 21 is relatively small, the protrusion formed by pressing the covering member 21 is small, so that the space occupied by the fold formed by the flexible protection member 2 is small, the distance between the rotating shaft assembly 1 in the folding state is small, and further the two housings connected by the rotating shaft assembly 1 can further approach each other, the foldable device 100 can be folded more flexibly, and the size of the foldable device 100 when folded is small, which is beneficial to the miniaturization of the whole size of the foldable device 100; the flexible protector 2 can be effectively prevented from being cracked after being bent for many times; in addition, the external appearance of the foldable device 100 is improved; when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is gradually deformed from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the stretching amount of the covering part 21 is relatively small, the covering part 21 is effectively prevented from being pulled apart, the service life of the flexible protection part 2 is prolonged, and the reliability of the foldable device 100 is improved.

Specifically, when the rotating shaft assembly 1 is bent to a second angle, the covering member 21 is elastically deformed, wherein the second angle is different from the first angle.

Further, when the second angle is larger than the first angle, the covering member 21 is subjected to tensile deformation; when the second angle is smaller than the first angle, the cover member 21 is compressively deformed.

In other words, in the process of deforming the rotary shaft assembly 1 from the first bent state to the unfolded state, the cover 21 is stretched inside the bend of the rotary shaft assembly 1.

In the process that the rotating shaft assembly 1 is deformed from the first bending state to the second bending state, the covering piece 21 is compressed at the bending inner side of the rotating shaft assembly 1, and the bending degree of the second bending state is greater than that of the first bending state.

Further, the method S10 for manufacturing a foldable device further includes:

the first shell 3 and the second shell 4 are respectively connected to two opposite sides of the rotating shaft component 1, and the display screen 5 covers the first shell 3, the second shell 4 and the bent outer side of the rotating shaft component 1.

Referring to fig. 17, the present application further provides a foldable device 300, which includes a bendable rotating shaft assembly 31 and a flexible protection member 32 with elasticity. The rotating shaft assembly 31 includes at least two hinges 311 rotatably connected. A gap 312 is formed between the two hinges 311. The flexible protector 32 is provided on the rotating shaft assembly 31. The flexible protection member 32 includes a covered edge 310 disposed between the two hinges 311 and between the inner side and the outer side of the rotation shaft assembly 1. When the rotating shaft assembly 1 is in the first bending state, the covering edge 310 is in a natural state.

Further, referring to fig. 17 and 18, the hem 310 includes a first hem portion 313 and a second hem portion 314 that are connected. The first clad portion 313 is close to the inner side of the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1, and the second clad portion 314 is close to the outer side of the bending of the rotating shaft assembly 1.

Referring to fig. 17 and 18, in the process of deforming the rotating shaft assembly 1 from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the first wrapping portion 313 is stretched, and the second wrapping portion 314 is compressed. Referring to fig. 17 and 19, in the process of deforming the rotating shaft assembly 31 from the first bending state to the second bending state, the first wrapping portion 313 is compressed, the second wrapping portion 314 is stretched, and the bending degree of the second bending state is greater than the bending degree of the first bending state.

In the foldable device 300 provided by this embodiment, the wrapping 310 is set to be in a natural state when the rotating shaft assembly 31 is set in the first bending state, and when the rotating shaft assembly 31 is gradually deformed from the first bending state to the folding state or from the first bending state to the unfolding state, the amount of deformation of the wrapping 310 by being stretched or compressed is relatively small, so that the protrusion formed when the wrapping 310 is extruded is small, the foldable device 300 can be folded more flexibly, and the portion of the flexible protection member 32 forming the folds is effectively prevented from being cracked after being bent for multiple times, so that the service life of the flexible protection member 32 is prolonged, and the reliability of the foldable device 300 is improved; in addition, the outer appearance of the foldable device 300 is improved.

While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

A foldable device is characterized by comprising a bendable rotating shaft assembly and an elastic flexible protection piece, wherein the rotating shaft assembly comprises at least two hinges which are rotatably connected, a gap is formed between the two hinges, the flexible protection piece is arranged on the rotating shaft assembly and comprises a covering piece arranged between the two hinges, and when the rotating shaft assembly is in a first bending state, the covering piece is in a natural state.
The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the cover is stretched inside the bend of the pivot assembly during deformation of the pivot assembly from the first bent state to the unfolded state.
The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the cover is compressed inside the bend of the pivot assembly during deformation of the pivot assembly from the first bent state to a second bent state, the second bent state having a greater degree of bend than the first bent state.
The foldable device of claim 1, wherein during deformation of the pivot assembly from the first, flexed position to the extended position, the length of the gap between the two hinges increases.
The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the flexible protector further comprises a rim covering a side of the gap between the inner and outer bending sides of the pivot assembly, the rim comprising a first rim portion and a second rim portion connected, the first rim portion being adjacent the inner bending side of the pivot assembly and the second rim portion being adjacent the outer bending side of the pivot assembly, the first rim portion being stretched and the second rim portion being compressed during deformation of the pivot assembly from the first bent state to the unfolded state.
The foldable device of claim 5, wherein the bezel comprises a first covering member and a second covering member attached to opposite sides of the cover, an inner surface of the gap being located inside the bend of the pivot assembly, the first covering member and the second covering member covering two opposite sides of the gap, respectively.
The foldable apparatus of claim 6, wherein the flexible protector further comprises a fastener connecting the covers, the fastener being secured to the hinge and connecting adjacent covers.
The foldable device of claim 7, wherein the fixing member comprises a first bending section, a straight section and a second bending section which are connected in sequence, the first bending section is fixed on the hinge and connected with two adjacent first covering members, the straight section is fixed on the hinge and connected with two adjacent covering members, and the second bending section is fixed on the hinge and connected with two adjacent second covering members.
The foldable device of claim 1, wherein the flexible protector further comprises a connector connected between two adjacent covers, the connector being made of the same material as the covers and being integrally formed with the covers, the connector covering and being fixed to the hinge.
The foldable device of claim 9, wherein a surface of the connector facing away from the hinge is embossed with a first rib extending in a direction that is coincident with the direction of extension of the hinge.
The foldable device according to claim 10, wherein a surface of the cover facing away from the gap is protruded to form a second rib, the second rib extends in the same direction as the first rib, and a buffer groove is formed between the second rib and the first rib, and the buffer groove is used for providing a deformation space when the cover is compressed.
The foldable device of claim 11, wherein a side of said cover facing away from said second rib forms a groove, said groove extending in a direction that is coincident with a direction in which said second rib extends.
The foldable device according to claim 12, wherein during the process of the hinge assembly transforming from the first bending state to the second bending state, the two hinges approach each other, two adjacent first ribs approach each other, the second rib is pressed by two adjacent first ribs, and the bending degree of the second bending state is greater than that of the first bending state.
The foldable device of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the cover comprises a first elastic layer and a second elastic layer arranged in a stack, the first elastic layer being arranged between the gap and the second elastic layer, the first elastic layer having a higher coefficient of elasticity than the second elastic layer.
The foldable device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a first housing, a second housing, and a flexible display screen, wherein the first housing and the second housing are respectively connected to opposite ends of the rotation shaft assembly, the flexible display screen is located outside the bending of the rotation shaft assembly and covers the first housing, the rotation shaft assembly, and the second housing, when the rotation shaft assembly is in the first bending state, the first housing and the second housing are close to each other, and the flexible display screen bends along with the bending of the rotation shaft assembly.
A method of making a foldable device, the foldable device comprising a bendable hinge assembly, the hinge assembly comprising at least two hinges rotatably connected with a gap formed therebetween, comprising:

providing a flexible protection member, wherein the natural state of a covering member of the flexible protection member is a preset bending shape;

bending the rotating shaft assembly by a first angle to enable the rotating shaft assembly to be in a first bending state corresponding to a preset bending form of the covering piece;

and arranging the flexible protection piece on the rotating shaft assembly in the first bending state, wherein the covering piece is arranged between two hinges of the rotating shaft assembly.
The method of claim 16, wherein the cover member is elastically deformed when the shaft assembly is bent to a second angle different from the first angle.
The method of claim 17, wherein when the second angle is greater than the first angle, the cover member is subjected to tensile deformation; when the second angle is smaller than the first angle, the covering part is compressed and deformed.
A foldable device is characterized by comprising a bendable rotating shaft assembly and an elastic flexible protection piece, wherein the rotating shaft assembly comprises at least two hinges which are connected in a rotating mode, a gap is formed between the two hinges, the flexible protection piece is arranged on the rotating shaft assembly, the flexible protection piece comprises a covered edge which is arranged between the two hinges and arranged between the bending inner side and the bending outer side of the rotating shaft assembly, and when the rotating shaft assembly is in a first bending state, the covered edge is in a natural state.
The foldable device of claim 19, wherein the hem comprises a first hem portion and a second hem portion connected, the first hem portion being proximate an inner side of the bend of the pivot assembly, the second hem portion being proximate an outer side of the bend of the pivot assembly, the first hem portion being stretched and the second hem portion being compressed during deformation of the pivot assembly from the first bent state to the unfolded state.