CN112673717A

CN112673717A - Foldable electronic device

Info

Publication number: CN112673717A
Application number: CN201880094136.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 刘景�
Original assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-09-14
Filing date: 2018-09-14
Publication date: 2021-04-16
Also published as: WO2020051901A1

Abstract

A foldable electronic device (100) comprises a flexible heat-conducting member (10), a middle frame assembly (20), a circuit board assembly (30) and a rear cover assembly (40). The middle frame assembly (20) comprises a first sub-middle frame (22) and a second sub-middle frame (26). The rear cover assembly (40) includes a first sub rear cover (42) and a second sub rear cover (46) covering the first sub middle frame (22) and the second sub middle frame (26), respectively. The circuit board assembly (30) is located between the first sub-middle frame (22) and the first sub-rear cover (42). The flexible heat-conducting member (10) is thermally conductively connected to the circuit board assembly (30), the first sub rear cover (42) and the second sub rear cover (46).

Description

Foldable electronic device

Technical Field

The present application relates to the field of electronic devices, and more particularly, to a foldable electronic device.

Background

Electronic device's among the correlation technique mainboard generally is through the back lid of electronic device and dispels the heat, and the proportion of the total area of lid behind the part back that nevertheless the mainboard corresponds is less, and consequently the mainboard is less through the heat conduction area of back lid, causes the temperature of the back lid that the mainboard corresponds higher, influences user experience.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this, the present application provides a foldable electronic device with better heat dissipation performance.

The foldable electronic device of the embodiment of the application comprises a middle frame assembly, a circuit board assembly, a rear cover assembly and a flexible heat conducting piece. The middle frame component comprises a first sub middle frame and a second sub middle frame. The rear cover assembly includes first and second sub rear covers covering the first and second sub middle frames, respectively. The circuit board assembly is located between the first sub-middle frame and the first sub-rear cover. The flexible heat conducting piece is connected with the circuit board assembly, the first sub rear cover and the second sub rear cover in a heat conducting mode.

The foldable electronic device of the embodiment of the application adopts the flexible heat conducting piece to connect the cover behind the first sub-and the cover behind the second sub-in a heat conducting manner, and the flexible heat conducting piece can conduct the heat generated by the circuit board assembly to the cover behind the first sub-and the cover behind the second sub-simultaneously, so that the radiating area of the heat is increased, and the uniform heat radiation is facilitated. The rear cover assembly dissipates heat to the outside air of the foldable electronic device through heat radiation and natural convection heat dissipation, so that the purpose that the circuit board assembly dissipates heat through heat equalization is achieved through the integral rear cover assembly, and the local temperature of the rear cover assembly is prevented from being too high.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present application.

Drawings

The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

fig. 1 is a schematic view of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present application when unfolded;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the foldable electronic device of FIG. 3;

fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the foldable electronic device according to the embodiment of the present application when folded;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional schematic view of the foldable electronic device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a center frame assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8 is a schematic perspective view of a circuit board assembly according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 9 is a perspective view of a rear cover assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

Description of the main element symbols: the flexible heat conducting member 10, the first heat conducting layer 12, the second heat conducting layer 14, the middle frame assembly 20, the first sub-middle frame 22, the third accommodating space 222, the connecting member 24, the second sub-middle frame 26, the fourth accommodating space 262, the circuit board assembly 30, the first chip 31, the first shielding cover 32, the first heat conductor 33, the main board 34, the second chip 35, the second shielding cover 36, the second heat conductor 37, the rear cover assembly 40, the first sub-rear cover 42, the first accommodating space 422, the first inner surface 424, the covering member 44, the second sub-rear cover 46, the second accommodating space 462, the second inner surface 464, the battery 50, the flexible supporting assembly 60, the first supporting plate 62, the second supporting plate 64, the flexible display screen 70, and the foldable electronic device 100.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar function throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are illustrative and are only for the purpose of explaining the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," and the like are used in the orientations and positional relationships indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the present application and for simplicity in description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the referenced devices or elements must have a particular orientation, be constructed in a particular orientation, and be operated in a particular manner, and are not to be construed as limiting the present application. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically limited otherwise.

In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; may be mechanically connected, may be electrically connected or may be in communication with each other; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art as appropriate.

In this application, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature may comprise direct contact of the first and second features, or may comprise contact of the first and second features not directly but through another feature in between. Also, the first feature being "on," "above" and "over" the second feature includes the first feature being directly on and obliquely above the second feature, or merely indicating that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "under," "below," and "beneath" a second feature includes the first feature being directly under and obliquely below the second feature, or simply meaning that the first feature is at a lesser elevation than the second feature.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, specific example components and arrangements are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. Moreover, the present application may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples, such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided herein, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize applications of other processes and/or use of other materials.

Referring to fig. 1, the present application provides a foldable electronic device 100. The foldable electronic device 100 of the present application includes, but is not limited to, smart terminals and display devices such as a flexible smart phone, a foldable smart computer, and a wearable smart product. The foldable electronic device 100 may be configured according to specific situations, and may have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, for example.

Referring to fig. 2, a foldable electronic device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a flexible heat conducting member 10, a middle frame assembly 20, a circuit board assembly 30, and a rear cover assembly 40. The middle frame assembly 20 includes a first sub-middle frame 22 and a second sub-middle frame 26, and a connecting member 24 connecting the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26. The back cover assembly 40 includes a first sub back cover 42 and a second sub back cover 46 covering the first sub middle frame 22 and the second sub middle frame 26, respectively. The circuit board assembly 30 is located between the first sub-bezel 22 and the first sub-back cover 42. The flexible heat-conducting member 10 connects the circuit board assembly 30 and the first sub back cover 42, and the flexible heat-conducting member 10 extends from the first sub back cover 42 to the second sub back cover 46 across the connecting member 24 and is attached to the second sub back cover 46.

The foldable electronic device 100 according to the embodiment of the present application adopts the flexible heat conducting member 10 to connect the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46, the flexible heat conducting member 10 can conduct the heat generated by the circuit board assembly 30 to the flexible heat conducting member 10 first, and then conducts the heat to the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 44 through the flexible heat conducting member 10, so that the heat dissipation area is increased, and uniform heat dissipation is facilitated. The rear cover assembly 40 dissipates heat to the air outside the foldable electronic device 10 through thermal radiation and natural convection, so that the purpose of uniform heat dissipation of the circuit board assembly 30 through the integral rear cover assembly 40 is achieved, and the local over-high temperature of the rear cover assembly 40 is avoided.

Specifically, the first sub middle frame 22 connecting member and the second sub middle frame 26 may be made of a metal material. As such, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 have higher strength to support the foldable electronic device 100 and have better heat conduction effect to facilitate heat dissipation.

The first sub rear cover 42 correspondingly covers the first sub middle frame 22, the second sub rear cover 46 correspondingly covers the second sub middle frame 26, the connecting member 24 divides the foldable electronic device 100 into a first portion and a second portion, the first portion includes the first sub middle frame 22 and the first sub rear cover 42, the second portion includes the second sub middle frame 26 and the second sub rear cover 46, the connecting member 24 connects the first portion and the second portion, and the first portion and the second portion can be bent and flattened through the connecting member 24.

In one embodiment, the connecting member 24 may be a hinge, and the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 may be connected to the connecting member 24 by welding or screwing. In the present embodiment, the connecting member 24 is made of a metal material, so that the connecting member 24 has high strength and better heat conduction effect. In other embodiments, the connecting member 24 may be a structure with a certain bending capability, such as a structure made of plastic, polymer material, metal material, and the like.

In one embodiment, the first sub back cover 42 may be made of a 3D glass material, a plastic material, or a graphene plastic material, and the second sub back cover 46 may be made of a 3D glass material, a plastic material, or a graphene plastic material.

Specifically, taking a 3D glass material as an example, the 3D glass material has good thermal conductivity, and has the advantages of being light, thin, transparent, clean, fingerprint-resistant, anti-glare, hard, scratch-resistant, and good in weather resistance, and the like, and the plastic can be used for making 3D appearances of various shapes, so that the molded product is more beautiful and outstanding and has differentiation, and the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46 have better strength and beauty;

through the solvent exchange method, the graphene can be uniformly mixed with the silica gel to form the graphene silica gel material, the elastic modulus and the fracture toughness of the graphene silica gel material are greatly improved, and the graphene silica gel material has other characteristics, such as higher thermal conductivity, better thermal stability, sulfuration resistance, moisture resistance, chemical stability and the like, so that the performances of the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46 can be improved, the service life is prolonged, the appearance of the foldable electronic device 100 is further beautified, and the experience of a user is enhanced.

It is understood that the first sub-rear cover 42 and the second sub-rear cover 46 are not limited to the 3D glass material, the plastic material and the graphene plastic material, and may be selected in specific implementations.

In some embodiments, the flexible heat conductive member 10 includes a first heat conductive layer 12 and a second heat conductive layer 14 arranged in a stack. The second heat conductive layer 14 is disposed on the back cover assembly 40 and the first heat conductive layer 12 is disposed on the side of the second heat conductive layer 14 away from the back cover assembly 40. Specifically, the first heat conductive layer 12 is attached to the connecting member 24 and the circuit board assembly 30, and the second heat conductive layer 14 is attached to the first sub-rear cover 42 and the second sub-rear cover 46.

In particular, the strength of the first heat conducting layer 12 is greater than the strength of the second heat conducting layer 14. The second layer 14 is stacked on top of the first layer 12 to protect the flexible heat conducting members of the second layer 14 from damage. The first heat conduction layer 12 is attached to the connection component 24 and the circuit board assembly 30, and the second heat conduction layer 14 is attached to the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46, so that the contact area between the flexible heat conduction member 10 and each component can be increased, which is not only beneficial to the conduction and heat dissipation of the circuit board assembly 30 through the flexible heat conduction member 10, but also beneficial to the improvement of the tightness and the stable connection of the internal structure of the foldable electronic device 10.

In certain embodiments, the orthographic area of first layer 12 on second layer 14 overlies second layer 14.

Specifically, the size of the first thermally conductive layer 12 may be the same as the size of the second thermally conductive layer 14, or the size of the first thermally conductive layer 12 may be slightly larger than the size of the second thermally conductive layer 14, such that the first thermally conductive layer 12 is able to sufficiently separate the second thermally conductive layer 14 from the battery 50, the connection members 24, and the circuit board assembly 30 to reduce wear of the second thermally conductive layer 14.

In some embodiments, first conductive layer 12 is made of metal and second conductive layer 14 is made of graphene or graphite material.

Thus, the first heat conducting layer 12 and the second heat conducting layer 14 have better heat conducting effect. In one example, the first heat conducting layer 12 may be made of a metal steel sheet, so that the first heat conducting layer 12 can enhance the strength of the flexible heat conducting member 10, and further enhance the strength of the foldable electronic device 100.

Specifically, graphene materials such as graphene thin films and graphite materials such as graphite sheets. The graphene material and the graphite material have the advantages of stable structure, high strength, high toughness, flexibility, excellent electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity and the like, and have good thermal shock resistance, namely the graphite can withstand severe temperature change at normal temperature without being damaged, and when the temperature changes suddenly, the volume change of the graphite is not large, cracks are not generated, and a good second heat conduction layer 14 can be formed.

It will be appreciated that the first heat conducting layer 12 is not limited to metal materials, nor is the second heat conducting layer 14 limited to the graphene and graphite materials mentioned above, and that suitable materials may be specifically selected in the specific embodiment, but preferably the thermal conductivity of the second heat conducting layer 14 is greater than the thermal conductivity of the first heat conducting layer 12.

Referring to fig. 2, 4 and 9, in some embodiments, the first sub-rear cover 42 includes a first inner surface 424 attached to the flexible heat-conducting member 10. The second sub-rear cover 46 includes a second inner surface 464 that conforms to the flexible heat conductive member 10.

It will be appreciated that the second plate 14 is attached to the first and second

inner surfaces

424, 464. The larger the contact area of the flexible heat-conducting member 10 with the first inner surface 424 and the second inner surface 464 is, the larger the area of the flexible heat-conducting member 10 that can conduct heat through the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46 is.

In this embodiment, the area of the connection of the flexible heat-conducting member 10 and the first inner surface 424 is larger than two thirds of the total area of the first inner surface 424. The area of the attachment of the flexible thermal conductor member 10 to the second inner surface 464 is greater than two-thirds of the total area of the second inner surface 464.

The ratio of the bonding area of the flexible heat conducting member 10 to the first inner surface 424 and the second inner surface 464 is moderate, so that the flexible heat conducting member 10 can be bonded with the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46 well to dissipate heat, and the material usage of the flexible heat conducting member 10 is also saved.

In one embodiment, the flexible heat conducting member 10 covers the entire surfaces of the first inner surface 424 and the second inner surface 464, so as to increase the contact area between the flexible heat conducting member 10 and the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46, facilitate heat conduction, and further improve the heat dissipation effect of the flexible heat conducting member 10.

Of course, the attaching ratio of the flexible heat-conducting member 10 to the first inner surface 424 and the second inner surface 464 is not limited to the above-mentioned ratio, and may be selected in a specific embodiment.

Referring to fig. 2, in some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 includes a battery 50, the battery 50 is disposed between the second sub-middle frame 26 and the second sub-rear cover 46 and is fixedly connected to the flexible heat conducting member 10, and the battery 50 is located on the other side of the connecting member 24 away from the circuit board assembly 30.

It is understood that the flexible heat-conducting member 10 is located between the battery 50 and the second sub back cover 46, and the battery 50 is connected to the second sub back cover 46 through the flexible heat-conducting member 10, so that the battery 50 can dissipate heat through the second sub middle frame 26 and the second sub back cover 46.

The heat generated by the circuit board assembly 30 is transferred to the connecting part 24 and the second sub rear cover 46 corresponding to the battery 50 through the flexible heat conducting member 10, so as to evenly dissipate the heat and prevent the temperature of the first sub rear cover 42 corresponding to the circuit board assembly 30 from being high.

The first thermally conductive layer 12 is fixedly disposed with the battery 50, the connecting member 24, and the circuit board assembly 30, and the second thermally conductive layer 14 is fixedly disposed with the rear cover assembly 40.

The first heat conducting layer 12 is fixedly arranged with the battery 50, the connecting parts 24 and the circuit board assembly 30, and it can be understood that the battery 50, the connecting parts 24 and the circuit board assembly 30 are connected with each other through the first heat conducting layer 12, on one hand, heat of the circuit board assembly 30 can be averaged on the battery 50 and the connecting parts 24, and then the heat is conducted to the second heat conducting layer 14 to be radiated out through the rear cover assembly 40; on the other hand, the first heat conductive layer 12 may carry the battery 50, the connection member 24 and the circuit board assembly 30 to improve the stability of the foldable electronic device 100.

In some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 can be switched between an unfolded state and a folded state, and the folding angle of the foldable electronic device 100 is 0-180 °.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, when the folding angle of the foldable electronic device 100 is 0 °, the foldable electronic device 100 is in a flat state. As shown in fig. 5 and 6, when the foldable electronic device 100 is bent at an angle of approximately 180 °, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 are substantially overlapped, and the distance between the circuit board assembly 30 and the battery 50 is small, and heat dissipation between the circuit board assembly 30 and the battery 50 may affect each other, which increases difficulty in heat dissipation of the foldable electronic device 100.

Therefore, the flexible heat-conducting member 10 is provided to dissipate heat from the rear cover assembly 40 away from the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 relatively quickly, so as to ensure the proper temperature and use of the foldable electronic device 100.

In some embodiments, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 are close to each other when the foldable electronic device 100 is folded and are far from each other when the foldable electronic device 100 is unfolded.

Specifically, when the foldable electronic device 100 is bent, the rear cover assembly 40 and the flexible heat-conducting member 10 are located at the outer side of the foldable electronic device 100 relative to the middle frame assembly 20, so that even if the foldable electronic device 100 is bent and the circuit board assembly 30 and the battery 50 are close to each other, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 in combination with the flexible heat dissipation assembly 10 and the rear cover assembly 30 located at the outer side can dissipate heat generated by the circuit board assembly 30 and heat generated by the battery 50.

When the electronic device 100 is unfolded, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 are away from each other, and the heat generated by the circuit board assembly 30 and the heat generated by the battery 50 can be dissipated from the rear cover assembly 30 side and the middle frame assembly 20 side, which is favorable for dissipating heat and preventing the foldable electronic device 100 from overheating.

In some embodiments, when the foldable electronic device 100 is folded, the first sub back cover 42 and the second sub back cover 46 are close to each other, and a distance between the first sub back cover 42 and the second sub back cover 46 is greater than a distance between the first sub middle frame 22 and the second sub middle frame 26.

It is understood that when the foldable electronic device 100 is folded, the back cover assembly 40 is located at the outer side of the foldable electronic device 100 relative to the middle frame assembly 20, so that the heat dissipation is more facilitated when the foldable electronic device 100 is folded.

Referring to fig. 4, 6 and 8, in some embodiments, the circuit board assembly 30 includes a first chip 31, a first shielding cover 32, a first heat conductor 33 and a main board (main board) 34. The first chip 31 is disposed on the main board 34. The first shielding can 32 covers the first chip 31, or the first chip 31 is accommodated in the first shielding can 32. The side of the first shield 32 remote from the main board 34 is attached to the flexible heat-conducting member 10. The first heat conductor 33 is accommodated in the first shielding cover 32 and connects the first shielding cover 32 and the first chip 31.

Specifically, the first chip 31 and the first heat conductor 33 are stacked and accommodated in the first shielding cover 32. The provision of the first shield can 32 can increase the heat dissipation area of the main board 34 and serve to protect the first chip 31. The heat dissipation between the first chip 31 and the rest of the components in the foldable electronic device 100 will not affect each other, and thus the heat dissipation efficiency can be improved. The provision of the first heat conductor 33 can improve the efficiency of heat conduction between the first chip 31 and the first shield can 32.

More specifically, the first chip 31 may be, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Modem (Modem), a navigation positioning chip, multimedia, or other chips or processing modules. The main Board 34 may be a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) and electrically connected to the battery 50 through a conductive wire, and the first chip 31 is electrically disposed on the main Board 34.

In some embodiments, the circuit board assembly 30 further includes a second chip 35, a second shield 36, and a second thermal conductor 37. The second chip 35 and the first chip 31 are respectively disposed on two opposite sides of the main board 34. The second shielding case 36 covers the second chip 35, or the second chip 35 is accommodated in the second shielding case 36. The side of the second shielding case 36 away from the main board 34 is attached to the first sub-middle frame 22. The second heat conductor 37 is accommodated in the second shield case 36 and connects the second shield case 36 and the second chip 35.

Specifically, the second chip 35 and the second heat conductor 37 are stacked and contained in the second shielding cover 36, and the heat generated by the second chip 35 can be conducted to the first sub-middle frame 22 through the second shielding cover 36 and dissipated. The second shield 32 may be used to protect the second chip 35.

The provision of the second heat conductor 37 can improve the efficiency of heat conduction between the second chip 35 and the second shield can 36. More specifically, the second chip 35 may be, for example, a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), a Modem (Modem), a navigation positioning module, a multimedia module, or the like, and the second chip 35 is electrically disposed on the main board 34. More specifically, the second chip 35 has a function different from that of the first chip 36.

In some embodiments, the thermal conductors include a first thermal conductor 33 and a second thermal conductor 37, and the materials used for the first thermal conductor 33 and the second thermal conductor 37 include thermally conductive silicone.

Specifically, the heat-conducting silica gel is a heat-conducting compound, has high heat conductivity and heat conductivity, cold and heat exchange resistance, aging resistance and electrical insulation, and has excellent moisture resistance, shock resistance, corona resistance, electric leakage resistance, wide use temperature, chemical medium resistance, low consistency and good use stability. And good workability, good adhesion to most of metal and non-metal materials, good adhesion and protection effects on the first chip 31 and the second chip 35, improved safety of the circuit board assembly 30, and further ensured use safety and service life of the foldable electronic device 100.

Referring to fig. 2, 4 and 6, in some embodiments, the foldable electronic device 100 includes a flexible supporting member 60 and a flexible display screen 70 disposed on the flexible supporting member 60. The flexible support member 60 is disposed on the center frame member 20. The flexible support assembly 60 includes a first support plate 62 and a second support plate 64 stacked on the first support plate 62. The first support plate 62 is fixedly disposed on the middle frame assembly 20. The flexible display screen 70 is fixedly disposed on the second support plate 64.

Specifically, the flexible supporting component 60 is disposed on the middle frame component 20, on one hand, the flexible supporting component 60 can be used for bearing the flexible display screen 70 to separate the flexible display screen 70 from the middle frame component 20, so as to prevent the flexible display screen 70 from being directly pulled when the middle frame component 20 is deformed, and thus the flexible display screen 70 is protected from being damaged.

Referring to fig. 2 and fig. 7, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 are disposed at the upper edge of the connecting part 26, the first sub-middle frame 22, the connecting part 24 and the second sub-middle frame 26 form a continuous plane, a third accommodating space 222 and a fourth accommodating space 262 are formed in the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 24, respectively, and the flexible supporting assembly 60 and the flexible display screen 70 are accommodated in the third accommodating space 222 and the fourth accommodating space 262.

Thus, the flexible supporting member 60 and the flexible display 70 are stably disposed on the middle frame member 20, and the foldable electronic device 100 is formed.

In some embodiments, the first support plate 62 is made of a metal material and the second support plate 64 is made of a liquid metal material.

In some embodiments, the rear cover assembly 40 includes a cover 44 connected between the first sub-rear cover 42 and the second sub-rear cover 46, and the cover 44 covers a portion of the flexible heat conductive member 10 corresponding to the connection member 24.

Specifically, the foldable electronic device 100 can be switched between being folded and being unfolded, and the folding and unfolding of the foldable electronic device 100 is realized by the deformation of the connecting part 24. When the foldable electronic device 100 is bent, the exposed connecting part 24 may hurt the user's hand, and the exposed connecting part 24 is also easily damaged by the external environment, such as moisture, impurities, etc. The effect is even more pronounced, particularly when the connecting part 24 is a metal hinge.

Therefore, the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46 are connected by the provision of the cover 44 to cover the connection member 24, thereby protecting the connection member 24.

In one embodiment, the cover 44 is made of a silicone material, a graphene silicone material, a polymer material, or a metal material.

Specifically, taking a polymer such as a Polyimide (PI) material as an example, the Polyimide Film has excellent heat resistance, excellent mechanical properties, good chemical stability, moist heat resistance, good radiation resistance, and good dielectric properties, and in addition, the Polyimide also has characteristics of low temperature resistance, low expansion coefficient, flame retardancy, good biocompatibility, and the like, and can better isolate moisture and the like from entering the foldable electronic device 100, and better dissipate heat, thereby improving the strength of the rear cover assembly 40 and further improving the strength of the foldable electronic device 100.

The cover 44 connects the first sub rear cover 42 and the second sub rear cover 46, and heat conducted to the first sub rear cover 42 may be conducted to the second sub rear cover 46 through the cover 44, and heat conducted to the second sub rear cover 46 may be conducted to the first sub rear cover 42 through the cover 44. The covering member 44 is made of graphene silica gel material with high thermal conductivity and strength, and can improve the performance and heat dissipation capability of the back cover member 40, so that the purpose of heat soaking and heat dissipation of the circuit board member 30 through the whole back cover member 40 is achieved, and the local over-high temperature of the back cover member 40 is avoided.

It is to be understood that the cover 44 is not limited to the silicone material, graphene silicone material, polymer material, or metal material mentioned above, and may be selected specifically in particular embodiments. Preferably, the covering member 44 is made of graphene silica gel material with excellent heat dissipation performance.

Referring to fig. 2, 4 and 9, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the first sub-rear cover 42 are connected to form a first accommodating space 422, and the second sub-middle frame 26 and the second sub-rear cover 46 are connected to form a second accommodating space 462. The first sub back cover 42 and the second sub back cover 46 are connected by the cover 44 and form a continuous plane.

The combination of the first receiving space 422, the plane and the second receiving space 462 can support other components of the foldable electronic device 100, for example, the flexible heat conducting element 10 can be attached to the plane, the circuit board assembly 30 and the battery 50 are respectively received in the first receiving space 422 and the second receiving space 462, and the middle frame assembly 20 is supported on the sidewall of the periphery of the rear cover assembly 40, so that a more stable connection can be formed, the space utilization rate of the rear cover assembly 40 is improved, and the integration of the foldable electronic device 100 is improved.

The middle frame assembly 20 and the rear cover assembly 40 respectively form two heat dissipation paths, that is, the middle frame assembly 20 and the rear cover assembly 40 can dissipate heat of the circuit board assembly 30 and the battery 50 in two different directions.

When the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state, the first sub-middle frame 22, the second sub-middle frame 26, the first sub-rear cover 42 and the second sub-rear cover 46 all function as a main heat dissipation path to dissipate heat. Because the heat of the circuit board assembly 30 is higher than the heat of the battery 50, the heat of the circuit board assembly 30 can be sequentially conducted to the first sub-middle frame 22 through the second heat conductor 37 and the second heat insulation cover 36, and the heat conducted to the first sub-middle frame 22 can be conducted to the second sub-middle frame 26 through the flexible supporting assembly 60, so as to achieve uniform temperature heat dissipation.

Meanwhile, the heat of the circuit board assembly 30 can be transferred to the flexible heat conducting member 10 through the first heat conductor 33 and the first heat shield 32 in sequence, and the heat transferred to the flexible heat conducting member 10 can be dissipated through the first rear cover 42 or the second rear cover 46 for uniform temperature heat dissipation.

However, when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, the first sub-middle frame 22 and the second sub-middle frame 26 are close to each other or even contact each other, so that the space for dissipating heat outwards is small, and the heat dissipation efficiency is low. Therefore, in the folded state, heat is mainly dissipated through an additional heat dissipation path, i.e., through the rear cover assembly 40, which is still located at the outside. A part of the heat of the circuit board assembly 30 is conducted to the first sub rear cover 42 through the flexible heat conducting member 10 to be dissipated, another part is conducted to the second sub rear cover 46 through the flexible heat conducting member 10, and the heat of the battery 50 and the heat of the circuit board assembly 30 transferred by the flexible heat dissipating member 10 are dissipated through the second sub rear cover 46. The covering member 44 connects the first covering member 42 and the second covering member 46, and heat conducted to the first covering member 42 may be conducted to the second covering member 46 through the covering member 44, and heat conducted to the second covering member 46 may be conducted to the first covering member 42 through the covering member 44. Since the covering member 44 covers the portion of the flexible heat sink 10 corresponding to the connection member 24, the heat conducted to the flexible heat sink 10 can also be directly radiated through the covering member 44. Thereby ensuring the overall heat dissipation efficiency.

It will be appreciated that the flexible heat conducting member 10 may also comprise only the second layer 14, i.e. both heat conducting and supporting by the second layer 14, in which case the first layer 12 may be omitted.

Further, when the connection member 24 is made of a metal material, it can also serve as a heat dissipation path for dissipating heat from the battery 50 and the circuit board assembly 30. Namely, the first sub-middle frame 22, the second sub-middle frame 26, the flexible heat conducting member 10, the first sub-rear cover 42 and the second sub-rear cover 46 can further transfer heat to the connecting member 24, and then radiate the heat to the outside through the connecting member 24, so as to further enhance the heat radiation effect.

In the embodiment of the present application, the flexible display 70 of the foldable electronic device 100 is in an inverted form, that is, after the foldable electronic device 100 is folded, the flexible display 70 is located at the inner side of the fold, and the rear cover assembly 40 is located at the outer side of the fold. Of course, it is to be understood that the foldable electronic device 100 of the present application is not limited to the inverted version, and the inverted foldable electronic device 100 is equally applicable.

In the description herein, references to the description of the terms "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "an illustrative embodiment," "an example," "a specific example," or "some examples" or the like mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

While embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: numerous changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

A foldable electronic device, comprising:

the middle frame assembly comprises a first sub middle frame and a second sub middle frame;

a rear cover assembly including first and second sub rear covers covering the first and second sub middle frames, respectively;

a circuit board assembly located between the first sub-middle frame and the first sub-rear cover; and

a flexible thermally conductive member thermally conductively connecting the circuit board assembly, the first sub rear cover, and the second sub rear cover.
The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the middle frame assembly comprises a connecting member connecting the first sub-middle frame and the second sub-middle frame, and the flexible heat conducting member is in heat conducting connection with the connecting member and covers the connecting member.
The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the flexible heat conducting member comprises a first heat conducting layer and a second heat conducting layer arranged in a stack, the second heat conducting layer being disposed on the back cover assembly, the first heat conducting layer being disposed on a side of the second heat conducting layer remote from the back cover assembly.
The foldable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first thermally conductive layer is attached to the connection member and the circuit board assembly, and the second thermally conductive layer is attached to the first sub-rear cover and the second sub-rear cover.
The foldable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first thermally conductive layer has a lower thermal conductivity than the second thermally conductive layer, and wherein the first thermally conductive layer has a hardness greater than the second thermally conductive layer.
The foldable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first thermally conductive layer is made of a metal material and the second thermally conductive layer is made of a graphene material or a graphite material.
The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first sub-middle frame and the second sub-middle frame are adjacent to each other when the foldable electronic device is folded; when the foldable electronic device is unfolded, the first sub-middle frame and the second sub-middle frame are away from each other.
The foldable electronic device of claim 7, wherein a distance between the first sub back cover and the second sub back cover is greater than a distance between the first sub middle frame and the second sub middle frame when the foldable electronic device is folded.
The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the first sub-rear cover comprises a first inner surface attached to the flexible thermal conductor, the second sub-rear cover comprises a second inner surface attached to the flexible thermal conductor, the flexible thermal conductor is attached to the first inner surface over an area greater than two-thirds of a total area of the first inner surface, and the flexible thermal conductor is attached to the second inner surface over an area greater than two-thirds of a total area of the second inner surface.
The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuit board assembly comprises:

a main board;

the first chip is arranged on the mainboard; and

the first shielding cover covers the first chip, and one side, far away from the main board, of the first shielding cover is connected with the flexible heat conducting piece in a heat conduction mode.
The foldable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the circuit board assembly comprises a thermal conductor received within the first shield can and thermally coupling the first shield can and the first die.
The foldable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the circuit board assembly further comprises:

the second chip and the first chip are respectively arranged on two sides of the mainboard, which are opposite to each other; and

the second shielding cover covers the second chip, and one side of the second shielding cover, which is far away from the main board, is connected with the first sub-middle frame in a heat conduction mode.
The foldable electronic device of claim 12, further comprising a thermal conductor housed within the second shield can and thermally coupling the second shield can and the second chip.
The foldable electronic device of claim 11 or 13, wherein the thermal conductor comprises thermally conductive silicone.
The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the foldable electronic device comprises a battery disposed between the second sub-center frame and the second sub-back cover, the battery being thermally conductively coupled to the flexible thermal conductor.
The foldable electronic device of claim 15, wherein the first sub-middle frame and the first sub-rear cover are connected to form a first accommodating space, and the circuit board assembly is accommodated in the first accommodating space; the second sub-middle frame and the second sub-rear cover are connected to form a second accommodating space, and the battery is accommodated in the second accommodating space.
The foldable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the foldable electronic device comprises a flexible support assembly and a flexible display disposed on the flexible support assembly, the flexible display being disposed on the center frame assembly through the flexible support assembly.
The foldable electronic device of claim 17, wherein the flexible support member comprises a first support plate and a second support plate arranged in a stacked manner, the first support plate is fixedly arranged on the middle frame member, the second support plate is arranged on a side of the first support plate away from the middle frame member, and the flexible display screen is arranged on the second support plate.
The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the rear cover assembly further comprises a cover member connecting the first sub-rear cover and the second sub-rear cover, the cover member covering a portion of the flexible heat conducting member corresponding to the connecting member.
The foldable electronic device of claim 19, wherein the cover is made of a silicone material or a graphene silicone material.