CN113286027A

CN113286027A - Folding mechanism and electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN113286027A
Application number: CN202110641578.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 肖遥
Original assignee: Vivo Mobile Communication Co Ltd
Current assignee: Vivo Mobile Communication Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-06-09
Filing date: 2021-06-09
Publication date: 2021-08-20
Anticipated expiration: 2041-06-09
Also published as: CN113286027B

Abstract

The application discloses folding mechanism and electronic equipment belongs to electronic equipment technical field, and wherein folding mechanism is used for supporting flexible display panel, includes: the folding mechanism comprises a first bearing body, a second bearing body and a folding assembly, wherein the folding assembly comprises a plurality of mutually hinged cranks, the first bearing body and the second bearing body are both connected with the folding assembly, and the first bearing body can rotate relative to the second bearing body through the folding assembly so as to enable the folding mechanism to be switched among an unfolding state, a first folding state and a second folding state; when the folding mechanism is in a first folding state, the folding component is folded between the first bearing body and the second bearing body; when the folding mechanism is in the second folding state, the folding assembly and the bearing body form an accommodating space for accommodating the bending area of the display panel. The application is applicable to both the inner folding mode and the outer folding mode.

Description

Folding mechanism and electronic equipment

Technical Field

The application belongs to the technical field of electronic equipment, and particularly relates to a folding mechanism and electronic equipment.

Background

In order to increase the display size of the electronic device and to take the portability of the electronic device into account, the electronic device may be provided with a foldable flexible display panel. The folding modes of the display panel of the present electronic device mainly include an inner folding mode and an outer folding mode.

In the related art, folding assemblies such as hinges and rotating shafts are generally used to realize folding and unfolding of electronic devices, and these structures are generally applicable only to a single folding mode.

Disclosure of Invention

The present application is directed to a folding mechanism and an electronic device, which at least solve one of the problems of the existing folding electronic device that the folding assembly is only suitable for a single folding mode.

In order to solve the technical problem, the present application is implemented as follows:

in a first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a folding mechanism for supporting a flexible display panel, the folding mechanism including:

the first bearing body comprises a first surface and a second surface which are opposite;

the second bearing body comprises a first surface and a second surface which are opposite; and

the folding mechanism comprises a folding assembly and a folding mechanism, wherein the folding assembly comprises a plurality of mutually hinged cranks, the first bearing body and the second bearing body are both connected with the folding assembly, and the first bearing body can rotate relative to the second bearing body through the folding assembly so as to switch the folding mechanism between an unfolding state, a first folding state and a second folding state;

when the folding mechanism is in the unfolded state, the folding assembly is in an extended state, or a part of the crank of the folding assembly is folded between the first bearing body and the second bearing body;

when the folding mechanism is in the first folding state, the second surface of the first carrier is opposite to the second surface of the second carrier, and the folding assembly is folded between the first carrier and the second carrier;

when the folding mechanism is in the second folding state, the first surface of the first bearing body is opposite to the first surface of the second bearing body, and the folding assembly and the bearing bodies form an accommodating space for accommodating the bending area of the display panel.

In a second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, including:

a flexible display panel; and

in the folding mechanism of the first aspect, the flexible display panel is connected to first surfaces of the first carrier and the second carrier of the folding mechanism.

In the embodiment of the application, the first bearing body and the second bearing body are connected through the folding assembly, the folding assembly comprises a plurality of mutually hinged cranks, and the folding freedom degree between the cranks is large, so that the folding assembly can be switched among a plurality of states, and therefore the folding mechanism of the embodiment of the application can be suitable for the display panel in an inner folding mode and can also be suitable for the display panel in an outer folding mode.

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 an exploded view of a folding mechanism provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a folding assembly provided in an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a state change in an outer-fold mode provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state change in the inward-folding mode according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of a folding assembly provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a folding assembly limiting structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a folding assembly magnetic hovering structure provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of a first support according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 9 is a second schematic structural view illustrating a first supporting member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a second support member according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 11 is a second schematic structural view of the second supporting member according to the embodiment of the present application.

Reference numerals:

10. a folding mechanism 20, a display panel;

11. a first carrier 111, a first screen support plate 112, a first housing 113, a first surface 114, a second surface;

12. a second carrier 121, a second screen supporting plate 122, a second housing 123, a first face 124, a second face;

13. a folding component, 13a, a first folding component, 13b, a second folding component, 131, a first crank, 132, a second crank, 133, a third crank, 134, a fourth crank, 135, a first connecting rod, 136, a second connecting rod, 137, a third connecting rod, 138, a sliding block, 1311, a first sliding groove, 1321, a second sliding groove, 1341 and a third sliding groove;

141. a first magnetic member 142, a second magnetic member;

151. a first transmission shaft 152, a second transmission shaft 153 and a third transmission shaft;

16. a first support member 161, a first support plate, 162, a second support plate, 163, a third support plate;

17. a second support member 171, a fourth support plate 172, a fifth support plate.

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 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 drawings are exemplary only for the purpose of explaining the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application. 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.

The features of the terms first and second in the description and in the claims of the present application may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more unless otherwise specified. In addition, "and/or" in the specification and claims means at least one of connected objects, a character "/" generally means that a preceding and succeeding related objects are in an "or" relationship.

In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the terms "central," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," and the like are used in the orientations and positional relationships indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the present application and to simplify the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the referenced devices or elements must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and are therefore not to be considered limiting of the present application.

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; can be mechanically or electrically connected; they may be connected directly or indirectly through intervening media, or they may be interconnected between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood in a specific case by those of ordinary skill in the art.

The folding mechanism and the electronic device provided in the embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to fig. 1 to 11.

As shown in fig. 1-11, a folding mechanism 10 according to some embodiments of the present application is used to support a flexible display panel 20 (simply "display panel 20").

The folding mechanism 10 includes:

a first carrier 11 comprising opposing first and

second faces

113, 114;

a second carrier 12 comprising opposing first 123 and second 124 faces; and

the folding assembly 13, the folding assembly 13 includes a plurality of cranks hinged to each other, the first carrying body 11 and the second carrying body 12 are both connected with the folding assembly 13, the first carrying body 11 can rotate relative to the second carrying body 12 through the folding assembly 13, so as to switch the folding mechanism 10 between the unfolding state, the first folding state and the second folding state;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, the folding assembly 13 is in the extended state, or a part of the crank of the folding assembly 13 is folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the first folding state, the second surface 114 of the first carrier 11 is opposite to the second surface 124 of the second carrier 12, and the folding assembly 13 is folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the second folding state, the first surface 113 of the first carrier 11 is opposite to the first surface 123 of the second carrier 12, and the folding assembly 13 and the two carriers (including the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, the same applies below) form an accommodating space for accommodating the bending region of the display panel 20.

The first side 113 of the first carrier 11 and the first side 123 of the second carrier 12 can be used for connecting the display panel 20, and the second side 114 of the first carrier 11 and the second side 124 of the second carrier 12 can be used for connecting the folding assembly 13.

The first carrier 11 (or the second carrier 12) may be a single body or may include a plurality of members. As an example, as shown in fig. 1, the first carrier 11 includes a first screen supporting board 111 and a first casing 112, the first screen supporting board 111 is connected with the first casing 112, and a cavity is formed in the first casing 112 and can be used for disposing other components of the electronic device. Accordingly, the second carrier 12 includes a second screen supporting board 121 and a second casing 122, the second screen supporting board 121 is connected to the second casing 122, and the second casing 122 has a cavity therein for accommodating other components of the electronic device.

The folding assembly 13 includes a plurality of mutually hinged cranks, wherein the cranks at the front and rear ends can be used to connect the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, and the crank located in the middle can be used to provide a folding degree of freedom to switch the folding mechanism 10 between the unfolded state and a plurality of folded states (including the first folded state and the second folded state). The number of cranks may be, for example, 4, 5 or more, and the folding assembly 13 may also be referred to as a crank mechanism.

In the embodiment of the present application, the connection between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 is achieved by the folding assembly 13, the folding assembly 13 includes a plurality of mutually hinged cranks, and the folding assembly 13 can be switched between a plurality of states because the folding freedom between the cranks is large, so that the folding mechanism of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to both the display panel in the inner folding mode and the display panel in the outer folding mode.

In some embodiments, the folding assembly 13 comprises a first crank 131, a second crank 132, a third crank 133 and a fourth crank 134, which are hinged in sequence, the first crank 131 is connected to the second face 114 of the first carrier 11, and the fourth crank 134 is connected to the second face 124 of the second carrier 12;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 extend between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, or are folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the first folding state, all the cranks of the folding assembly 13 are folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the second folding state, the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 are bent away from the two carriers, and form an accommodating space with the two carriers for accommodating the bent region of the display panel 20.

This embodiment provides a four-crank folding assembly 13, and the folding assembly 13 may be referred to as a four-crank mechanism, wherein the first crank 131 and the fourth crank 134 are mainly used for connecting the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 and providing rotational support for the second crank 132 and the third crank 133, and the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 are mainly used for providing a folding degree of freedom to switch the folding mechanism 10 between the unfolded state and the multiple folded states (including the first folded state and the second folded state).

In the embodiment of the present application, the shape of each crank of the folding assembly 13 is not limited, each crank may have a certain free arc, and the thickness and length of each crank may also be different, for example, the length of the first crank 131 and the fourth crank 134 may be greater than the length of the second crank 132 and the third crank 133, the width of the second crank 132 may be greater than the width of the third crank 133, and so on.

It should be noted that the folding assembly 13 may include more sequentially hinged cranks besides the four sequentially hinged cranks, and in order to simplify the structure of the folding assembly 13, the embodiment of the present application is exemplified by the folding assembly 13 including the four sequentially hinged cranks.

As shown in fig. 3, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the first folding state, the display panel 20 is folded and exposed to the outside, and therefore, the first folding state may correspond to the outer folding mode.

As shown in fig. 4, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the second folding state, the display panel 20 is folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, and thus the first folding state may correspond to the inward folding mode.

When the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, there is a gap between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, and the total length of the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 may be substantially equal to or greater than the gap between the two carriers.

Generally, as shown in fig. 3, for the external folding mode, the bending area of the display panel 20 needs to reserve the thickness of the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 themselves, and the thickness of the folding assembly 13 folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 needs to be reserved, so that the space between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 is generally larger. In this case, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 may be extended between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12.

Generally, as shown in fig. 4, for the inner folding mode, the bending region of the display panel 20 does not need to reserve the thickness of the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 themselves, and therefore, the space between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 is generally smaller. In this case, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 can be folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12.

The folding mechanism 10 provided by the embodiment of the present application can be compatible with the outer folding mode and the inner folding mode. In this case, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 may be extended between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, or may be folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12.

According to the folding mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the application, the connection between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 is realized through the folding assembly 13, the folding assembly 13 includes the first crank 131, the second crank 132, the third crank 133 and the fourth crank 134 which are hinged in sequence, and because the folding freedom degree between the cranks is large, the folding assembly 13 can be switched among a plurality of states, and the design form of the folding assembly 13 is more variable. Therefore, the folding mechanism 10 of the embodiment of the present application can be applied to both the display panel 20 in the inner folding mode and the display panel 20 in the outer folding mode, and compared with the existing folding structure, the folding mechanism has a wider application range, and is beneficial to the realization of different folding forms of the electronic device. In addition, the folding mechanism 10 provided by the embodiment of the present application, the structure of the folding assembly 13, and the connection form between different components are simple and easy to implement.

As described above, the folding mechanism 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application can be compatible with the outer folding mode and the inner folding mode, and in this case, it is necessary to provide a sufficient folding degree of freedom for the second crank 132 and the third crank 133, specifically, the folding degree of freedom of the second crank 132 with respect to the first crank 131, the folding degree of freedom of the second crank 132 with respect to the third crank 133, the folding degree of freedom of the third crank 133 with respect to the second crank 132, and the folding degree of freedom of the third crank 133 with respect to the fourth crank 134.

For the application scenario compatible with the outer folding mode and the inner folding mode, in order to ensure that the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 have a sufficient degree of freedom for folding, each adjacent crank of the folding assembly 13 can be hinged by a hinge or a rotating shaft with a large degree of freedom for rotation.

Further, for the application scenario compatible with the outer folding mode and the inner folding mode, the angle between any adjacent cranks of the folding assembly 13 is maintained by damping.

Damping includes, but is not limited to, friction damping, viscous damping, elastic damping, etc. as examples, friction dampers, viscous dampers, damped hinges, etc. may be provided at the connection between adjacent cranks.

In this embodiment, the angle between the adjacent cranks is maintained by damping, so that the display panel 20 can be stably maintained at a plurality of different angles, and the use effect of the display panel 20 is improved.

As described above, the folding mechanism 10 provided in the embodiment of the present application can also be applied to an application scenario in which only the outer folding mode is provided, or an application scenario in which only the inner folding mode is provided.

For an application scenario providing only a single folding mode, the embodiment of the present application may limit the folding degrees of freedom of the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 to a suitable range through the following implementation.

As shown in fig. 5, a first side wall of the first crank 131 is provided with a first sliding slot 1311, a second side wall of the second crank 132 is provided with a second sliding slot 1321, and a first side wall of the fourth crank 134 is provided with a third sliding slot 1341;

the folding assembly 13 further comprises:

a first link 135, one end of the first link 135 is hinged with the second crank 132, and the other end is slidably connected with the first chute 1311;

one end of the second connecting rod 136 is hinged with the third crank 133, and the other end of the second connecting rod 136 is connected with the second chute 1321 in a sliding manner; and

and one end of the third connecting rod 137 is hinged to the third crank 133, and the other end of the third connecting rod 137 is slidably connected to the third chute 1341.

Specifically, the first link 135 is hinged to a first side wall of the second crank 132, the second link 136 is hinged to a second side wall of the third crank 133, and the third link 137 is hinged to a first side wall of the third crank 133, wherein the first side walls of the first crank 131, the second crank 132, the third crank 133, and the fourth crank 134 are all oriented in the same direction, and the second side walls of the first crank 131, the second crank 132, the third crank 133, and the fourth crank 134 are all oriented in the same direction.

Note that the cranks provided with the slide grooves may be switched in position, and for example, the slide grooves may be provided in the first crank 131, the third crank 133, and the fourth crank 134. In order to ensure the structural stability, it is optional to provide the crank with a larger width with a slide groove.

In this embodiment, the folding assembly 13 can limit the rotation angle of the folding assembly 13 by the first link 135, the second link 136 and the third link 137 during the rotation process.

As shown in fig. 6, taking the folding freedom between the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 as an example, when the folding assembly 13 is folded, the second link 136 slides along the second sliding slot 1321 to the leftmost end, and is limited by the left end of the second sliding slot 1321, so that the folding angle between the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 does not exceed the designed folding angle. Accordingly, when the folding assembly 13 is unfolded, the second link 136 slides along the second sliding slot 1321 to the rightmost end, and the unfolding angle between the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 does not exceed the designed unfolding angle due to the limitation of the right end of the second sliding slot 1321.

Here, it should be noted that the second connecting rod 136 can limit the folding freedom degree between the second crank 132 and the third crank 133, and can form a stable triangular structure together with the second crank 132 and the third crank 133, so as to improve the overall stability of the folding assembly 13.

Further, as shown in fig. 6, a sliding block 138 may be disposed at one end of the first link 135, the second link 136, and the third link 137, which are slidably connected to the sliding slot, and the sliding block 138 is embedded in the sliding slot and can slide along the sliding slot. Specifically, the first link 135 is slidably connected to the first chute 1311 through the first slider 138, the second link 136 is slidably connected to the second chute 1321 through the second slider 138, and the third link 137 is slidably connected to the third chute 1341 through the third slider 138.

The above structure can be called a four-crank connecting rod mechanism, and can also be called a crank slider 138 angle control structure.

The bending length of the bending region of the display panel 20 is generally changed during the folding and unfolding processes, and the space requirement of the bending region of the display panel 20 is different in different folding modes, and the length of the display panel 20 is generally not flexible.

In the embodiment of the present application, in order to switch the display panel 20 between the plurality of folding configurations, the folding assembly 13 can be in any one of the following four configurations: first, when folded in the outer folding mode, the folding assembly 13 is folded in to prevent the top screen; secondly, when the foldable module is unfolded in the external folding mode, the foldable assembly 13 is unfolded to carry the unfolded display panel 20; thirdly, when the display panel is folded in the inward folding mode, the folding assembly 13 is unfolded to accommodate the bending region of the display panel 20 when the display panel is folded in the inward folding mode; fourthly, when the screen is unfolded in the internal folding mode, the folding component 13 is folded to prevent the screen from being pulled when the screen is unfolded.

When the outer folding is performed, the folding assembly 13 can be folded between the two bearing bodies by utilizing the principle that the multi-crank structure is folded and furled, so that the situation that the multi-crank structure protrudes out of the two bearing bodies and pushes the display panel 20 can be avoided, and the display panel 20 can be ensured to be smoothly folded outwards.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, when the folding mechanism 10 is unfolded, the folding assembly 13 is in a linear unfolded state, and when the folding mechanism 10 is folded outwards, the folding assembly 13 is folded inwards in an "M" shape, so that the folding assembly 13 is prevented from abutting against the display panel 20.

When the inner folding is performed, the principle that the multi-crank structure is unfolded and extended can be utilized, so that the folding assembly 13 is bent towards the direction away from the two bearing bodies, the folding assembly 13 is unfolded and extended relative to the two bearing bodies, and the accommodating space formed by the unfolded and extended part can be used for accommodating the folded and bent display panel 20, thereby ensuring that the display panel 20 is smoothly folded inwards.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 2, when the folding mechanism 10 is unfolded, the folding assembly 13 is in a "V" shaped unfolded state, and when the folding mechanism 10 is folded inwards, the folding assembly 13 is folded outwards in a "U" shape, and the folded region of the folded display panel 20 can be accommodated in the "U" shaped accommodating space.

In some embodiments, in order to stably maintain the display panel 20 at a plurality of different angles, the angle between any adjacent cranks of the folding assembly 13 may be maintained by damping, or the angle between a connecting rod and a crank may be maintained by damping between the connecting rod and the crank, thereby maintaining the angle between the crank and the crank.

In still other embodiments, as shown in fig. 7, the first crank 131, the second crank 132 and the fourth crank 134 are further provided with first magnetic members 141 arranged at intervals along the length direction of the chute;

the ends of the first link 135, the second link 136 and the third link 137 connected to the slide groove are further provided with a second magnetic member 142.

The polarity of the first magnetic member 141 may be different from that of the second magnetic member 142, so that when the end of the link moves along the slide slot to a position where the first magnetic member 141 is located, the end of the link may be maintained at the position by the attractive force between the first magnetic member 141 and the second magnetic member 142, thereby controlling the folding angle of the folding assembly 13. In addition, the polarity of the first magnetic member 141 may also be the same as that of the second magnetic member 142, so that when the end of the link moves to a position between two first magnetic members 141 along the chute, the end of the link may be maintained at the position by the repulsive force between the first magnetic members 141 and the second magnetic member 142. The polarity of the first magnetic member 141 may be changed alternately.

The material of each of the first magnetic member 141 and the second magnetic member 142 may be a magnet, or the material of the first magnetic member 141 may be a magnet, and the material of the second magnetic member 142 may be iron.

The above structure may be referred to as a magnetic hovering structure.

Further, in an embodiment where the slider 138 is disposed at one end of the first link 135, the second link 136, and the third link 137 slidably connected to the chute, the second magnetic member 142 may be disposed at the slider 138, or the slider 138 is formed of the second magnetic member 142.

Optionally, the first magnetic member 141 is disposed on the second sidewall of the first crank 131, the first sidewall of the second crank 132, and the second sidewall of the fourth crank 134.

In this way, the first magnetic member 141 faces the second magnetic member 142, and the holding force between the first magnetic member 141 and the second magnetic member 142 can be increased.

Alternatively, as shown in fig. 1, the number of the folding assemblies 13 is two, including a first folding assembly 13a and a second folding assembly 13 b;

the folding mechanism 10 further includes:

the first transmission shaft 151 is used for connecting the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 of the first folding assembly 13a through one end of the first transmission shaft 151, and the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 of the second folding assembly 13b are connected through the other end of the first transmission shaft 151.

Specifically, the first folding assembly 13a and the second folding assembly 13b may be connected to two sides of the two supporting bodies, respectively, and the first transmission shaft 151 may pass through the rotation centers of the second crank 132 and the third crank 133 of the two folding assemblies 13.

In this embodiment, with the above arrangement, the two folding assemblies 13 can be synchronized together to maintain the folding angle of the folding mechanism 10, which can improve the stability of the folding mechanism 10 during folding or unfolding.

In addition, more folding assemblies 13 may be provided to further improve the stability of the folding mechanism 10 during folding or unfolding, such as a first folding assembly, a second folding assembly, and a third folding assembly.

Further, as shown in fig. 1, the folding mechanism 10 further includes:

the first crank 131 of the first folding assembly 13a is hinged to the second crank 132 through one end of the second transmission shaft 152, and the first crank 131 of the second folding assembly 13b is hinged to the second crank 132 through the other end of the second transmission shaft 152;

and a third transmission shaft 153, wherein the third crank 133 and the fourth crank 134 of the first folding assembly 13a are hinged through one end of the third transmission shaft 153, and the third crank 133 and the fourth crank 134 of the second folding assembly 13b are hinged through the other end of the third transmission shaft 153.

Specifically, three transmission shafts respectively penetrate through three rotation centers of the two folding assemblies 13.

In this embodiment, with the above arrangement, the two folding assemblies 13 can be further synchronized to maintain the folding angle of the folding mechanism 10, which can further improve the stability of the folding mechanism 10 during folding or unfolding.

As mentioned above, for the external folding mode, the bending region of the display panel 20 needs to reserve the thickness of the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 themselves, and the thickness of the folding assembly 13 folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, so the space between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 is generally larger. In this case, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, the display panel 20 (i.e., the bending region of the display panel 20) located between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 loses support, and the bending region of the display panel 20 may be concave and uneven. When the folding mechanism 10 is in the first folding state, since the folding assembly 13 is folded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, there is a gap between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12, and the display panel 20 located between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 loses its support, and the bending region of the display panel 20 may be concave and uneven.

In view of this, the embodiment of the present application may support the bending region of the display panel 20 through the following embodiments.

As shown in fig. 8-9, the folding mechanism 10 further includes a first support 16, the first support 16 including:

a first support plate 161, wherein the first support plate 161 is rotatably connected with the first carrier 11;

a second support plate 162, the second support plate 162 is rotatably connected with the second carrier 12, and the second support plate 162 is rotatably connected with the first support plate 161;

a third support plate 163, the third support plate 163 being connected to the first transmission shaft 151, the third support plate 163 being connected to the first support plate 161 and the second support plate 162 at a connection portion of the first support plate 161 and the second support plate 162;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state or the first folded state, the first support plate 161 and the second support plate 162 are in the same plane, and are used for supporting the bending region of the display panel 20.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 8, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state, the first support plate 161, the second support plate 162, the first surface 113 of the first carrier 11, and the first surface 123 of the second carrier 12 are all located on the same plane, and the first support plate 161, the second support plate 162, the first carrier 11, and the second carrier 12 can jointly support the display panel 20. As shown in fig. 9, when the folding mechanism 10 is in the first folding state, the first supporting plate 161 and the second supporting plate 162 are in the same plane and are attached to the end surface of the first carrier 11 and the end surface of the second carrier 12, and the first supporting plate 161 and the second supporting plate 162 can support the bending region of the display panel 20 together. The first support member 16 is "T" shaped when the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state or the first folded state.

The first support plate 161 may be hinged to the first carrier 11, the second support plate 162 may be hinged to the second carrier 12, the first support plate 161, the second support plate 162, and the third support plate 163 may be hinged to each other, and the third support plate 163 may be hinged or fixedly connected to the first transmission shaft 151.

The movement of the first support 16 is described below in connection with the folding or unfolding process of the folding mechanism 10.

Assuming that the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state in the initial state, and the cranks of the folding assembly 13 are in the extended state, the first support plate 161 and the second support plate 162 are unfolded between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 and under the display panel 20 to support the bending region of the display panel 20.

When the folding mechanism 10 is folded from the unfolded state to the first folded state, the folding assembly 13 drives the first supporting body 11 and the second supporting body 12 to rotate relatively, the first supporting body 11 and the second supporting body 12 respectively drive the first supporting plate 161 and the second supporting plate 162 to rotate relatively therewith, when the folding mechanism 10 is located in the first folded state, the first supporting plate 161 and the second supporting plate 162 are respectively attached to the end surfaces of the first supporting body 11 and the second supporting body 12, and the first supporting body 11 and the second supporting body 12 are located on the same plane to support the bending region of the display panel 20.

This embodiment may be adapted for the outer folding mode, and the above structure may be referred to as a screen rotation support structure.

As described above, for the inner folding mode, the bending region of the display panel 20 extends to the receiving space formed by the second crank 132, the third crank 133 and the carrier, and the receiving space is an open receiving space, which makes the structure weaker, and when an external force is applied, the bending region of the display panel 20 is easily damaged by the impact of the external force.

In view of this, the embodiment of the present application may protect the bending region of the display panel 20 through the following embodiments.

As shown in fig. 10 to 11, the electronic apparatus further includes a second support member 17, and the second support member 17 includes:

a fourth support plate 171, one side of the fourth support plate 171 being connected to the first transmission shaft 151, and the other side being connected to the second transmission shaft 152;

a fifth support plate 172, one side of the fifth support plate 172 is connected to the first transmission shaft 151, and the other side is connected to the third transmission shaft 153;

when the folding mechanism 10 is in the second folded state, the fourth supporting plate 171 and the fifth supporting plate 172 form an accommodating space with the carrier.

The movement of the second support member 17 will be described below in conjunction with the folding or unfolding process of the folding mechanism 10.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 10, assuming that the folding mechanism 10 is in the unfolded state in the initial state, the fourth supporting plate 171 and the fifth supporting plate 172 are located between the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 to support the middle portion of the bending region of the display panel 20.

As shown in fig. 11, when the folding mechanism 10 is folded from the unfolded state to the second folded state, the folding assembly 13 drives the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 to rotate relatively, the fourth supporting plate 171 and the fifth supporting plate 172 rotate along with the folding assembly 13, and when the folding mechanism 10 is in the second folded state, the fourth supporting plate 171 and the fifth supporting plate 172 can form an accommodating space together with the two carriers to accommodate an extra bending area of the display panel 20 due to folding.

Through the above arrangement, the fourth supporting plate 171 and the fifth supporting plate 172 can form a non-open accommodating space together with the two supporting bodies, which not only can improve the structural strength of the position, but also can protect the bending region of the display panel 20, and prevent the bending region of the display panel 20 from being damaged due to external impact.

This embodiment may be adapted for the in-folded mode, and the above-described structure may be referred to as a screen rotation support structure.

Alternatively, the fourth and

fifth support plates

171 and 172 are hinged by the first transmission shaft 151.

The embodiment of the application also provides the electronic equipment.

As shown in fig. 1 to 11, the electronic apparatus includes:

a flexible display panel 20; and

the folding mechanism 10 and the flexible display panel 20 are connected to the first surfaces 123 of the first carrier 11 and the second carrier 12 of the folding mechanism 10.

The electronic device may include more than two carriers, and each two adjacent carriers may be connected by the folding assembly 13, so as to meet the folding requirement of two-fold or multi-fold of the flexible display panel 20.

It should be noted that, the implementation manner of the embodiment of the folding mechanism 10 is also applicable to the embodiment of the electronic device, and can achieve the same technical effect, and for avoiding repetition, the details are not described herein again.

The electronic device may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a palm top computer, a vehicle-mounted electronic device, a wearable device, an ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), a netbook, or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), etc.

Other configurations and operations of the electronic device according to the embodiments of the present application are known to those of ordinary skill in the art and will not be described in detail herein.

In the description herein, reference to the description of the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "an illustrative embodiment," "an example," "a specific example," or "some examples" or the like means 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 application. In this specification, the schematic representations of the terms used above 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: various 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

1. A folding mechanism for supporting a flexible display panel, the folding mechanism comprising:

2. The folding mechanism of claim 1 wherein said folding assembly includes a first crank, a second crank, a third crank and a fourth crank hinged in sequence, said first crank connected to said first carrier second side and said fourth crank connected to said second carrier second side;

when the folding mechanism is in the unfolded state, the second crank and the third crank extend between the first carrier and the second carrier, or are folded between the first carrier and the second carrier;

when the folding mechanism is in the second folding state, the second crank and the third crank bend towards the direction far away from the bearing body, and form the accommodating space with the bearing body.

3. The folding mechanism of claim 2 wherein a first side wall of said first crank is provided with a first runner, a second side wall of said second crank is provided with a second runner, and a first side wall of said fourth crank is provided with a third runner;

the folding assembly further comprises:

one end of the first connecting rod is hinged with the second crank, and the other end of the first connecting rod is connected with the first sliding chute in a sliding manner;

one end of the second connecting rod is hinged with the third crank, and the other end of the second connecting rod is connected with the second sliding chute in a sliding manner; and

and one end of the third connecting rod is hinged with the third crank, and the other end of the third connecting rod is connected with the third sliding chute in a sliding manner.

4. The folding mechanism of claim 3, wherein the first crank, the second crank and the fourth crank are further provided with first magnetic members arranged at intervals along the length direction of the sliding chute;

the ends of the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the third connecting rod, which are connected with the sliding groove, are also provided with second magnetic pieces.

5. The folding mechanism of claim 4 wherein said first magnetic member is disposed on a second side wall of said first crank, a first side wall of said second crank, and a second side wall of said fourth crank.

6. The folding mechanism of claim 2 wherein said folding assemblies are two in number, including a first folding assembly and a second folding assembly;

the folding mechanism further comprises:

the second crank and the third crank of the first folding assembly are hinged through one end of the first transmission shaft, and the second crank and the third crank of the second folding assembly are hinged through the other end of the first transmission shaft.

7. The folding mechanism of claim 6 further comprising a first support, said first support comprising:

the first supporting plate is rotatably connected with the first bearing body;

the second supporting plate is rotatably connected with the second bearing body and is rotatably connected with the first supporting plate;

a third support plate connected to the first transmission shaft, the third support plate being connected to the first support plate and the second support plate at a connection point of the first support plate and the second support plate;

when the folding mechanism is in the unfolding state or the first folding state, the first supporting plate and the second supporting plate are in the same plane and are used for supporting the bending area of the display panel.

8. The folding mechanism of claim 6 further comprising:

the first crank and the second crank of the first folding assembly are hinged through one end of the second transmission shaft, and the first crank and the second crank of the second folding assembly are hinged through the other end of the second transmission shaft;

and the third crank and the fourth crank of the second folding assembly are hinged through the other end of the third transmission shaft.

9. The folding mechanism of claim 8 further comprising a second support, said second support comprising:

one side of the first supporting plate is connected with the first transmission shaft, and the other side of the first supporting plate is connected with the second transmission shaft;

one side of the second supporting plate is connected with the first transmission shaft, and the other side of the second supporting plate is connected with the third transmission shaft;

when the folding mechanism is in the second folding state, the fourth support plate and the fifth support plate and the bearing body form the accommodating space.

10. The folding mechanism of claim 9 wherein said fourth support plate and said fifth support plate are hinged by said first drive shaft.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a flexible display panel; and

the folding mechanism of any of claims 1 to 10, said flexible display panel being connected to a first face of said first and second carriers of said folding mechanism.