CN114822255A

CN114822255A - Foldable support plate, flexible screen module and foldable electronic equipment

Info

Publication number: CN114822255A
Application number: CN202210456526.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王海洋; 王维; 赵欢; 杨秀南; 陈倩滢
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-04-28
Filing date: 2022-04-28
Publication date: 2022-07-29
Also published as: WO2023207816A1

Abstract

The embodiment of the application provides a foldable support plate, a flexible screen module and foldable electronic equipment. A second support plate may be provided on a first support plate of the foldable support plates, and the second support plate may be located at a foldable portion of the first support plate. The second support plate can provide the flexible display screen with the properties of support, buffering and the like on the basis of the first support plate, so that the bending, support, buffering and the like of the foldable support part of the foldable support plate can be adjusted. Since the fixing area between the first support plate and the second support plate is relatively small and the stacking fault force between the first support plate and the second support plate is relatively small, the bending property of the foldable support plate is relatively excellent.

Description

Foldable support plate, flexible screen module and foldable electronic equipment

Technical Field

The embodiment of the application relates to the field of electronic equipment, and more particularly relates to a foldable support plate, a flexible screen module and foldable electronic equipment.

Background

Users have an increasing demand for electronic devices having a large size and easy to carry, and thus electronic devices having a foldable flexible display screen (i.e., foldable electronic devices) are gaining wide attention. Wherein the flexible display screen can be unfolded in use to provide a larger display area; the flexible display screen can be folded and closed when not in use so as to reduce the occupied space of the foldable electronic equipment.

The foldable electronic device can be transformed from an unfolded state to a folded state by folding outwards. In this case, since the folding area of the flexible display screen is exposed on the surface of the foldable electronic device, the folding area of the flexible display screen is generally relatively fragile and is easily damaged by collision or the like. How to improve the impact resistance of the foldable electronic device is a problem to be solved.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the application provides a collapsible backup pad, flexible screen module and collapsible electronic equipment, and the purpose improves collapsible backup pad, flexible screen module, collapsible electronic equipment's shock resistance.

In a first aspect, a foldable support panel is provided, the foldable support panel being applied to a foldable electronic device, the foldable electronic device comprising a flexible display screen, the foldable support panel comprising:

a first support plate for carrying the flexible display screen, the first support plate comprising a first portion, a second portion and a foldable portion connected between the first portion and the second portion;

a second support plate disposed at the foldable portion and located at a side of the first support plate away from the flexible display screen, at least a portion of the first portion and at least a portion of the second portion being uncovered by the second support plate.

The second support plate can provide the flexible display screen with the properties of support, buffering and the like on the basis of the first support plate, so that the bending, support, buffering and the like of the foldable support part of the foldable support plate can be adjusted. Because the foldable support plate is locally thickened, the fixing area between the first support plate and the second support plate is relatively small, and the stacking fault force between the first support plate and the second support plate is relatively small, the bending property of the foldable support plate is relatively excellent.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second support plate includes a first support layer and a second support layer, the first support layer and the second support layer satisfying one or more of the following:

the material of the first support layer and the material of the second support layer are different;

the thickness of the first support layer is different from the thickness of the second support layer.

The relatively stiffer support layer of the first and second support layers may be used to provide a supporting force and the relatively less stiff support layer of the first and second support layers may be used to provide a relatively better bendability.

The bending property and the impact resistance of the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer can be adjusted by adjusting the thicknesses of the first supporting layer and the second supporting layer.

In case the first support layer is located on the outside and the second support layer is located on the inside, the first support layer may have a tendency to be stretched and the second support layer may have a tendency to be compressed when the foldable electronic device is in the folded state. Because the thickness of the first supporting layer is relatively large, the first supporting layer cannot be locally and obviously thinned due to stretching; due to the relatively small thickness of the second support layer, the first support layer is not locally significantly thickened by compression. Therefore, after the foldable electronic device is repeatedly bent, the flatness of the whole second supporting plate can be relatively good.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the first support layer has a stiffness that is less than a stiffness of the second support layer, the first support layer is located on a side of the second support plate that is close to the first support plate, and the second support layer is located on a side of the second support plate that is far from the first support plate.

After the shock wave from the flexible display screen is transmitted to the hinge mechanism and rebounded to the second supporting layer, the second supporting layer has relatively large rigidity, so that the whole deformation of the second supporting layer is relatively small under the action of the shock wave, and the second supporting layer is not easy to generate local stress concentration. That is, the shock wave is relatively easily dispersed on the second support layer. The pressure exerted by the second support layer on the first support layer is also relatively small. The rigidity of the first supporting layer is relatively low, and the shock waves are dispersed by the second supporting layer, so that the whole first supporting layer can be used for absorbing the shock waves, and the reduction of the shock waves which are not buffered is facilitated.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the foldable support plate further includes a third support plate disposed at the first portion and located at a side of the first support plate away from the flexible display screen, the third support plate includes a first support plate receiving groove, the first support plate receiving groove is located at a side of the third support plate close to the flexible display screen, an opening of the first support plate receiving groove is located at a side of the third support plate close to the foldable portion, and the second support plate is fixed in the first support plate receiving groove.

When the foldable support plate is folded, the amounts of deformation of the first support plate and the second support plate cannot fully cooperate, and thus there may be a stacking fault force between the first support plate and the second support plate. Through with second backup pad and third backup pad fixed connection, be favorable to retraining the position of second backup pad at collapsible electronic equipment, reduce the possibility that the second backup pad slided for first backup pad.

In some embodiments, a fourth support plate receiving groove may be disposed on the fourth support plate. The fourth support plate receiving groove may be located at a side of the fourth support plate facing the flexible display screen. The opening of the fourth support plate receiving groove may be disposed toward the foldable portion of the first support plate. The second supporting plate can also be accommodated in the fourth supporting plate accommodating groove.

Both the first portion and the second portion of the first support plate may be considered as being free from fold deformation. The two ends of the second support plate are fixedly connected with the part of the foldable electronic equipment, which is not folded and deformed, so that the symmetrical deformation force borne by the second support plate can be at least partially offset, and the possibility that the second support plate slides relative to the first support plate is further reduced.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the foldable portion is provided with a first support plate slot, and the second support plate covers the first support plate slot.

In some embodiments, the first support plate slot body may be a through slot or a blind slot.

In some embodiments, the first support plate slot may be machined by, for example, chemical etching or mechanical cutting.

In some embodiments, the port of the first support plate channel may be shaped as a racetrack, a bone, a dumbbell, or the like. The first supporting plate groove body provided by the embodiment of the application can also be in other shapes.

The foldable part of the first supporting plate is provided with a first supporting plate groove body, so that the external force required by bending the foldable supporting part can be reduced.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second supporting plate fills in the groove of the first supporting plate.

The first supporting plate groove body can restrain the second supporting plate, and the possibility that the second supporting plate slides relative to the first supporting plate under the action of the layer fault force is reduced.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second support plate includes a second support plate slot.

Set up the second backup pad cell body in the second backup pad, be favorable to improving the bendability of second backup pad.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the second support plate groove body is a blind groove, and the opening of the second support plate groove body is located on one side of the second support plate, which is far away from the first support plate.

The opening of the second support plate groove body is far away from the flexible display screen, so that the influence of the deformation of the opening of the second support plate groove body on the flexible display screen is favorably reduced.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the foldable portion is provided with a first support plate slot, and the second support plate slot is located outside the first support plate slot in a projection area of the first support plate.

The second supporting plate can provide supporting force for the flexible display screen at the part of the first supporting plate with better bending property; in the portion of the second support plate with better bending property, the first support plate can provide supporting force for the flexible display screen. It is advantageous that the properties of the second support plate and the properties of the second support plate can be complemented.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the material of the second support plate includes one or more of: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyimide (PI), stainless steel, a titanium alloy sheet, a copper alloy, an aluminum alloy, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, glass fibers and thermoplastic polyurethane rubber (TPU).

In some embodiments, the stiffness of the metal material may be greater than the stiffness of the fiber material, the stiffness of the fiber material may be greater than the stiffness of the rigid polymer material, and the stiffness of the fiber material may be greater than the stiffness of the elastic cushioning material.

The rigidity of the second supporting plate is relatively large, supporting force is provided for the flexible display screen, and the possibility that the flexible display screen is sunken towards the foldable supporting plate under the impact effect is reduced. The rigidity of the second supporting plate is relatively low, so that shock waves from the flexible display screen are facilitated, and the possibility that the shock waves reversely impact the flexible display screen is reduced.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the processing of the second support plate includes one or more of: paste, spray, coat, and 3D print.

The second support plate can be manufactured separately from the first support plate and assembled with the first support plate as a whole through glue. Set up the second backup pad through pasting the mode, be favorable to improving the machining efficiency of collapsible backup pad.

The second supporting plate is arranged in an additive manufacturing mode, so that the total thickness of the foldable supporting plate is favorably reduced, and a sufficient steering space is favorably provided for the hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism has a relatively large turning space, so that a user can bend the foldable support plate under the condition of applying relatively small bending force. The foldable support panel may be made of a relatively rigid material to provide sufficient support for the flexible display.

With reference to the first aspect, in certain implementations of the first aspect, the flexible display is an outwardly foldable display.

In a second aspect, a flexible screen module is provided, which includes a flexible display screen and a foldable support plate as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

In a third aspect, a foldable electronic device is provided, which is characterized by comprising a flexible display screen and a foldable support plate as described in any one of the possible implementations of the first aspect.

With reference to the third aspect, in certain implementations of the third aspect, the foldable electronic device further includes a hinge mechanism, and the second support plate is fixedly connected with the hinge mechanism.

The flexible display screen can be fixedly connected with the hinge mechanism through the second support plate, so that the flexible display screen has relatively low possibility of arching and separating from the hinge mechanism after being folded for multiple times.

With reference to the third aspect, in some implementation manners of the third aspect, the foldable electronic device further includes a first side frame, the first side frame surrounds the periphery of the flexible display screen, the first side frame is fixedly connected to the hinge mechanism, the first side frame includes a second supporting plate receiving groove, the second supporting plate receiving groove is located on a side of the first side frame close to the flexible display screen, an opening of the second supporting plate receiving groove is located on a side of the first side frame close to the hinge mechanism, and the second supporting plate is fixed in the second supporting plate receiving groove.

When the foldable support plate is folded, the amounts of deformation of the first support plate and the second support plate cannot fully cooperate, and thus there may be a stacking fault force between the first support plate and the second support plate. Through with second backup pad and first side frame fixed connection, be favorable to retraining the position of second backup pad at collapsible electronic equipment, reduce the possibility that the second backup pad slided for first backup pad.

In some embodiments, the second side frame may include a third support plate receiving slot, and the third support plate receiving slot may be located on a side of the second side frame adjacent to the flexible display screen and on a side of the second side frame adjacent to the hinge mechanism. The second supporting plate can be contained in the third supporting plate containing groove and is fixedly connected with the groove wall of the third supporting plate containing groove through a colloid.

Since the first side frame and the second side frame can be regarded as not folding deformation. The two ends of the second support plate are fixedly connected with the part of the foldable electronic equipment, which is not subjected to folding deformation, so that the symmetrical deformation force applied to the second support plate can be at least partially offset.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the foldable electronic device folded outward.

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable support plate provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a flexible screen module according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 6 is a partial structural diagram of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of three types of foldable electronic devices provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of three second support plates provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of three types of foldable electronic devices provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 10 is a schematic structural view of another foldable support board provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 11 is a schematic structural view of another foldable support board provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of two flexible screen modules provided in an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of another foldable support plate provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of four flexible screen modules provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device 100 provided in an embodiment of the present application. The foldable electronic device 100 may be a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a watch, an electronic reader, a notebook computer, a wearable device, or other electronic devices with a folding function. The embodiment shown in fig. 1 is illustrated by way of example of a foldable handset.

Referring to fig. 1, the foldable electronic device 100 may include a flexible display screen 110, a first side frame 121, a first cover 122, a second side frame 123, a second cover 124, and a hinge mechanism 125. In some embodiments, the first side frame 121, the first cover 122, the second side frame 123, and the second cover 124 may form a housing of the flexible display screen 110. In other embodiments, at least one of the first cover 122 and the second cover 124 may be a display screen.

The pattern of fig. 1 filled with an electrical matrix may schematically represent the flexible display screen 110. The flexible display screen 110 may have a feature of strong flexibility and flexibility, and may provide a user with a new interaction manner based on the bendable characteristic. The display panel of the flexible display panel 110 may be any one of a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), an organic light-emitting diode (OLED), an active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode, AMOLED), a flexible light-emitting diode (FLED), a quantum dot light-emitting diode (QLED), and the like, which is not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

The flexible display 110 may include a first display portion 111 corresponding to the first cover 122, a second display portion 112 corresponding to the second cover 124, and a foldable display portion 113 corresponding to the hinge mechanism 125. The foldable display part 113 may be connected between the first display part 111 and the second display part 112.

The first side frame 121 may surround the outer circumference of the first cover 122 and the outer circumference of the first display part 111. The first display portion 111 and the first cover 122 may be disposed in parallel and spaced apart, and the first display portion 111 and the first cover 122 may be disposed at two sides of the first side frame 121. The space between the first display portion 111 and the first cover 122 can be used for disposing devices of the foldable electronic device 100, such as an antenna, a circuit board assembly, and the like.

The second side frame 123 may surround the outer circumference of the second cover 124 and the outer circumference of the second display part 112. The second display portion 112 and the second cover 124 may be disposed in parallel and spaced apart, and the second display portion 112 and the second cover 124 may be disposed at two sides of the second side frame 123. The space between the second display portion 112 and the second cover 124 can be used for disposing devices of the foldable electronic device 100, such as an antenna, a circuit board assembly, and the like.

In an embodiment provided by the present application, the cover and the side frame may be two parts of the housing of the foldable electronic device 100, and the cover and the side frame may be connected in a manner that does not belong to assembling manners such as clamping, adhering, welding, riveting, clearance fitting, and the like. The connection between the cover and the side frame is often difficult to divide. In another embodiment provided herein, the cover and side frame may be two distinct pieces. The housing of the foldable electronic device 100 may be formed by assembling the cover and the side frame together.

The hinge mechanism 125 may be connected between the first cover 122 and the second cover 124. The foldable display portion 113 of the flexible display 110 may be secured to a hinge mechanism 125. The first cover 122 and the second cover 124 can be moved toward or away from each other by the hinge mechanism 125. Accordingly, the first display portion 111 of the flexible display screen 110 and the second display portion 112 of the flexible display screen 110 may be close to or far from each other, so that the flexible display screen 110 may be folded or unfolded.

In one example, hinge mechanism 125 may include, for example, a spindle assembly, a first hinge assembly, and a second hinge assembly. The first hinge assembly may be fixed with the first cover 122, the second hinge assembly may be fixed with the second cover 124, and the first hinge assembly and the second hinge assembly may rotate relative to the spindle assembly. The first cover 122 and the second cover 124 can be driven to move relative to each other by the mutual movement of the first hinge assembly and the second hinge assembly, so as to realize the opening and closing functions of the foldable electronic device 100.

The foldable electronic device 100 shown in fig. 1 is currently in an unfolded state. In the unfolded state, the angle between the first cover 122 and the second cover 124 may be about 180 °. The flexible display screen 110 may be in an expanded state as shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 2 shows one possible folded state of the foldable electronic device 100. Wherein fig. 2 shows an outward folded state of the foldable electronic device 100. The outward folded state shown in fig. 2 may be, for example, a left-right outward folded state or a top-bottom outward folded state. One possible folded state of the foldable electronic device 100 is explained below in conjunction with fig. 1 and 2.

In this application, the foldable electronic device 100 being in the folded state may mean that the foldable electronic device 100 is currently bent and the degree of bending of the foldable electronic device 100 is maximized. At this time, the first cover 122 and the second cover 124 may be parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other, and face each other, and the spacing distance between the first cover 122 and the second cover 124 is the smallest; similarly, the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 may be parallel to each other, spaced apart from each other, and disposed facing each other, and the height of the space between the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 is the smallest. At this time, the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 may be regarded as being located on different planes

With reference to fig. 1 and 2, when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the outward folded state, the first cover 122 and the second cover 124 may be close to each other, and the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112 may be close to each other. The first display portion 111, the second display portion 112, and the foldable display portion 123 may form a housing accommodating area for accommodating the first cover 122, the second cover 124, and the hinge mechanism 125. That is, the first cover 122, the second cover 124, and the hinge mechanism 125 may be accommodated in the space between the first display portion 111 and the second display portion 112.

Fig. 3 shows an exploded view of the foldable electronic device 100 shown in fig. 1. As shown in fig. 3, the foldable electronic device 100 may include a foldable support panel 130. The foldable support plate 130 can be, for example, a metal sheet, such as a stainless steel sheet, a titanium alloy sheet, a copper alloy sheet, or an aluminum alloy sheet. The foldable support plate 130 may be housed in a space between the housing of the foldable electronic device 100 and the flexible display screen 110. The foldable support plate 130 may have certain strength, rigidity, and the bending performance of the foldable support plate 130 may be relatively excellent. The foldable support plate 130 can provide a supporting force for the flexible display 110, which is beneficial to ensure the overall flatness of the flexible display 110, and thus beneficial to ensure the anti-squeezing performance of the foldable electronic device 100. If the supporting force is insufficient, the flexible display screen 110 may have a delamination effect.

In a possible scenario, the foldable supporting board 130 may be adhered to the flexible display screen 110, so as to form the flexible screen module 200 of the foldable electronic device 100. In another possible scenario, the foldable support board can be affixed to the hinge mechanism 125, which can form a foldable module of the foldable electronic device.

The foldable support panel 130 may include a first support 131, a second support 132, and a foldable support 133. The first supporting portion 131 may be correspondingly adhered to the first display portion 111 of the flexible display panel 110, and the first supporting portion 131 may be located between the first display portion 111 and the first cover 122. The second supporting portion 132 may be correspondingly adhered to the second display portion 112 of the flexible display screen 110, and the second supporting portion 132 may be located between the second display portion 112 and the second cover 124. The foldable support portion 133 may be correspondingly adhered to the foldable display portion 113 of the flexible display 110, and the foldable support portion 133 may be located between the foldable display portion 113 and the hinge mechanism 125.

During normal operation of the flexible display screen 110, the electronic devices (e.g., light emitting diodes, semiconductors, etc.) in the flexible display screen 110 accumulate electric charges. If too much charge is accumulated on the flexible display screen 110, the normal use of the flexible display screen 110 may be affected. In some embodiments, the foldable support panel 130 can be electrically connected to the flexible display 110, such that the foldable support panel 130 can be used to transfer excess charges on the flexible display 110, thereby facilitating the radio frequency performance of the foldable electronic device 100 (e.g., reducing Radiation Stray Emission (RSE) of the foldable electronic device 100). In one example, the foldable support panel 130 and the flexible display screen 110 can be adhered together, for example, by a conductive adhesive layer (e.g., conductive foam, conductive double-sided grid adhesive, etc.).

A foldable support plate 130 provided in the embodiments of the present application is described in detail below with reference to fig. 3 and 4. The schematic configuration of the foldable support panel 130 shown in fig. 4 can be obtained by viewing the foldable support panel 130 in the X direction shown by the dotted line in fig. 3.

The foldable support plate 130 may include a first support plate 1301. The first support plate 1301 may be used to attach to the flexible display 110, thereby providing relatively reliable support for the flexible display 110. The material of the first support plate 1301 may be, for example, a metal such as stainless steel, a titanium alloy, a copper alloy, or an aluminum alloy, where possible.

The first support plate 1301 may include a first portion 13011, a second portion 13012, and a foldable portion 13013. The first portion 13011 may be located on the first support portion 131 of the foldable support panel 130 and is correspondingly adhered to the first display portion 111 of the flexible display screen 110. The second portion 13012 can be located on the second support portion 132 of the foldable support panel 130 and correspondingly adhered to the second display portion 112 of the flexible display screen 110. The foldable portion 13013 may be located at the foldable support portion 133 of the foldable support panel 130 and is correspondingly adhered to the foldable display portion 113 of the flexible display screen 110.

The foldable support panel 130 can also include a second support panel 1302. The second support plate 1302 may be provided to the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The second support plate 1302 may be located on a side of the first support plate 1301 remote from the flexible display screen 110. The projected area of the second support plate 1302 on the first support plate 1301 at least partially coincides with the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The second support panel 1302 can cover a portion or all of the foldable portion 13013. The thickness of the second support plate 1302 may be greater than or equal to or less than the thickness of the first support plate 1301.

In some embodiments, the projection area of the second support plate 1302 on the first support plate 1301 may be located within the foldable portion 13013. That is, the projected area of second support plate 1302 on first support plate 1301 may not coincide with first portion 13011 and second portion 13012 of first support plate 1301. That is, the second support plate 1302 does not cover the first portion 13011 and the second portion 13012. In other embodiments, the projected area of second support plate 1302 on first support plate 1301 may also only partially coincide with first portion 13011 and/or second portion 13012 of first support plate 1301. That is, only a part of the first portion 13011 and only a part of the second portion 13012 are covered by the second support plate 1302.

When the foldable support plate 130 is impacted, the second support plate 1302 may facilitate absorbing the impact wave on the basis of the first support plate 1301 and also facilitate providing a supporting force for the relatively fragile foldable display portion 113 of the flexible display screen 110.

In a possible case, the second support plate 1302 may absorb shock waves by elastic deformation after receiving an impact, which is beneficial to reduce the amount of plastic deformation of the second support plate 1302. In one aspect, the second support plate 1302 can be made to continue to provide reliable support for the flexible display screen 110 after being impacted; on the other hand, since the deformation of the second support plate 1302 can be elastically restored, the deformation of the first support plate 1301 under the traction of the second support plate 1302 can be restored, thereby being beneficial to maintaining the foldable support plate 130 to provide reliable support for the flexible display screen 110.

In some embodiments shown in fig. 4, the foldable support panel 130 can further include a third support panel 1303 and a fourth support panel 1304. The third support plate 1303 and the fourth support plate 1304 may be respectively positioned at both sides of the second support plate 1302.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the third support plate 1303 may be attached to the first portion 13011 of the first support plate 1301 and located on a side of the first portion 13011 away from the flexible display 110. The first portion 13011 and the third support plate 1303 may correspond to the first support 131 of the foldable support plate 130 and to the first display portion 111 of the flexible display 110.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, a fourth support plate 1304 may be attached to the second portion 13012 of the first support plate 1301 on a side of the second portion 13012 away from the flexible display 110. The second portion 13012 and the fourth support panel 1304 can correspond to the second support portion 132 of the foldable support panel 130 and to the second display portion 112 of the flexible display screen 110.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the foldable portion 13013 may correspond to the foldable support 133 of the foldable support panel 130. The foldable portion 13013 may provide a supporting force for the foldable display portion 113 of the flexible display 110.

The third support plate 1303 may include a thin material, and the material of the thin material may be stainless steel, titanium alloy, copper alloy, aluminum alloy, or the like. In some embodiments, the third support plate 1303 can also include a plating layer wrapped around the periphery of the sheet. The material of the plating layer may include, for example, nickel, gold, silver, vanadium, or the like. The coating can play a role in protecting the thin material. In one possible case, the thickness of the third support plate 1303 may be greater than that of the second support plate 1302. The fourth support plate 1304 may have a similar structure to the third support plate 1303.

In case that the projection area of the second support plate 1302 on the first support plate 1301 may only partially coincide with the first portion 13011 of the first support plate 1301, a first support plate receiving groove may be provided on the third support plate 1303. The first support plate receiving groove may be located at a side of the third support plate 1303 facing the flexible display screen 110. The opening of the first support plate receiving groove may be disposed toward the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The second support plate 1302 may be received in the first support plate receiving groove.

In a case where a projection area of the second support plate 1302 on the first support plate 1301 may only partially coincide with the second portion 13012 of the first support plate 1301, a fourth support plate receiving groove may be provided on the fourth support plate 1304. The fourth support plate receiving groove may be located at a side of the fourth support plate 1304 facing the flexible display screen 110. The opening of the fourth support plate receiving groove may be disposed toward the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The second supporting plate 1302 can also be received in the fourth supporting plate receiving groove.

When the foldable support plate 130 is folded, the amounts of deformation of the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302 do not cooperate completely, and thus there may be a stacking fault force between the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302. By fixedly connecting the second support plate 1302 with the third support plate 1303 and/or the fourth support plate 1304, the position of the second support plate 1302 in the foldable electronic device 100 is advantageously restrained, and the possibility of slippage of the second support plate 1302 relative to the first support plate 1301 is reduced.

Both the first portion 13011 and the second portion 13012 of the first support plate 1301 may be considered as being free from folding deformation. Fixedly connecting both ends of the second support plate 1302 with the portion of the foldable electronic device 100 that is not deformed by folding is beneficial to enable the symmetric deformation force applied to the second support plate 1302 to be at least partially offset, and is beneficial to further reduce the possibility that the second support plate 1302 slides relative to the first support plate 1301.

Fig. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of a flexible screen module 200 provided by the present application. In the embodiment shown in fig. 5, the flexible screen module 200 may include the foldable support plate 130 shown in fig. 4 and the flexible display screen 110 shown in fig. 3. In another embodiment, the foldable support board 130 and the hinge mechanism 125 shown in fig. 1 to 3 may belong to a foldable module of the foldable electronic device 100, and the flexible display screen 110 may belong to the flexible screen module 200.

The following explains the arrangement of the foldable support board 130 provided in the embodiment of the present application in the foldable electronic device 100 by using fig. 6. Fig. 6 shows a partial schematic view of a foldable electronic device 100 provided in the present application.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 6, the foldable electronic device 100 may be in a folded state. The flexible display screen 110 may be located on the outside of the foldable electronic device 100 and the foldable support plate 130 may be located on the inside of the flexible display screen 110. The foldable support panel 130 may include a first support panel 1301 and a second support panel 1302. The flexible display 110 and the first support plate 1301 may be adhered together by the glue 140. The second support plate 1302 may be located on a side of the first support plate 1301 remote from the flexible display 110 and disposed facing the hinge mechanism 125. The foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly connected with the hinge mechanism 125 by fixedly connecting the second support plate 1302 with the hinge mechanism 125.

Hinge mechanism 125 can include a hinge main shaft 1251, a first support bar 1252, and a first hinge connection bar 1253. The first support bar 1252 can be mated with the hinge spindle 1251 such that the first support bar 1252 can rotate about the hinge spindle 1251. The first hinge connection bar 1253 may be located on a side of the first support bar 1252 away from the hinge main axis 1251. The first articulation link 1253 may be mated with the first support bar 1252 such that the first articulation link 1253 may rotate about the articulation primary axis 1251. The first hinge link 1253 may be fixedly coupled to the first side frame 121. The first hinge link 1253 may be coplanar with the first side frame 121.

Assume that when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, there is a target plane that is disposed vertically with respect to the first cover 122 shown in fig. 1 and passes through the hinge main axis 1251. The center of rotation of the first support bar 1252 is spaced from the target plane. During the process of the foldable electronic device 100 transforming from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first support rod 1252 may rotate around the hinge main axis 1251, so that the first support rod 1252 may rotate to the target plane. In one possible case, the rotation angle of the first support bar 1252 about the hinge main axis 1251 may be α, 0 ° < α <90 °. Therefore, when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state, the first support rod 1252 may be located on the same plane as the hinge main shaft 1251.

When the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state, the first hinge connecting bar 1253 may be vertically disposed with respect to the aforementioned assumed target plane, and thus the first side frame 121 may be vertically disposed with respect to the target plane. In the process of the foldable electronic device 100 changing from the folded state to the unfolded state, the first supporting rod 1252 rotates around the hinge main shaft 1251, and can drive the first hinge connecting rod 1253 to approach and move to the target plane; the first hinge connecting bar 1253 may rotate about the first support bar 1252 so that the angle between the first hinge connecting bar 1253 and the target plane may gradually decrease. In one possible case, the angle of rotation of the first articulation link 1253 about the first support bar 1252 may be 90 ° - α. Accordingly, when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the unfolded state, the first side frame 121, the first hinge connecting bar 1253 and the first support plate 1301 may be located on the same plane as the hinge main shaft 1251.

Hinge mechanism 125 can also include a second support bar 1254 and a second hinge connection bar 1255. The second support bar 1254 and the first support bar 1252 may be symmetrically disposed with respect to the hinge main axis 1251. The second hinge connection bar 1255 may be symmetrically disposed with respect to the hinge main axis 1251 with respect to the first hinge connection bar 1253. Second support bar 1254 may be engaged with hinge spindle 1251 such that second support bar 1254 may rotate about hinge spindle 1251. A second hinge connection rod 1255 may be located on a side of the second support rod 1254 away from the hinge main shaft 1251. Second articulation link 1255 may be mated with second support bar 1254 such that second articulation link 1255 may rotate about articulation spindle 1251. Second hinge link 1255 may be fixedly coupled to second side frame 123. The second hinge connection bar 1255 may be coplanar with the second side frame 123. In the process of the foldable electronic device 100 from the folded state to the unfolded state, the principle of cooperation of the hinge mechanism 125, the second support bar 1254 and the second hinge connection bar 1255 can be referred to the principle of cooperation of the hinge mechanism 125, the first support bar 1252 and the first hinge connection bar 1253.

Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of three foldable electronic devices 100 provided in the embodiment of the present application.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the first support plate 1301 of the foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly connected to the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123. The region of the first support plate 1301 fixedly connected to the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123 may be located outside the second support plate 1302. The second support plate 1302 may be positioned between the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123.

In this application, specific ways of fixedly connecting include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: bonding, welding, screw fastening connection, clamping and riveting.

In some embodiments, there may be a gap between the second support panel 1302 and the first side frame 121 to facilitate the positioning of the foldable support panel 130 and the first and second side frames 121, 123.

In one embodiment, a glue may be filled between the second supporting plate 1302 and the first side frame 121. Since the second support plate 1302 may be bent during the folding of the foldable electronic device 100. The deformation amount of the side of the second support plate 1302 close to the first support plate 1301 is different from the deformation amount of the side of the second support plate 1302 far from the first support plate 1301. The second support plate 1302 may have a tendency to peel away from the first support plate 1301. If the edge of the second support plate 1302 is peeled off from the first support plate 1301, the edge of the second support plate 1302 cannot bend and deform following the first support plate 1301, so that the edge of the second support plate 1302 may act on the first support plate 1301, the first support plate 1301 has a local protrusion, and the flexible display screen 110 may be damaged by being pressed by the local protrusion of the first support plate 1301. By filling the glue between the second supporting plate 1302 and the first side frame 121, the edge of the second supporting plate 1302 can move along with the first side frame 121, which is beneficial to reducing the possibility that the first supporting plate 1301 and the flexible display screen 110 are locally deformed under the action of the edge of the second supporting plate 1302.

In some embodiments, the first support plate 1301 and the first side frame 121 may be bonded together by the glue 141. The gel 141 may fill a partial or entire space between the first support plate 1301 and the first side frame 121. That is, the first support plate 1301 and the first side frame 121 may be partially bonded or globally bonded. Similarly, the first support plate 1301 and the second side frame 123 may be partially bonded or globally bonded. In other embodiments, the first support plate 1301 and the first side frame 121 may be fixedly connected by other methods.

In one possible scenario, as shown in (a) or (b) of fig. 7, the flexible screen module 200 may be obtained by assembling the foldable support plate 130 and the flexible display screen 110. The hinge mechanism 125 can be mounted within a housing of the foldable electronic device 100, wherein the housing includes a first side frame 121 and a second side frame 123. In some embodiments, the housing may further include the first cover 122 and/or the second cover 124 shown in fig. 1-3. The hinge mechanism 125 may be fixed between the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123, the first hinge connecting rod 1253 of the hinge mechanism 125 may be fixedly connected to the first side frame 121, and the second hinge connecting rod 1255 of the hinge mechanism 125 may be fixedly connected to the second side frame 123. Thereafter, the foldable support plate 130 of the flexible screen module 200 can be assembled with the housing and hinge mechanism 125. The first support plate 1301 of the foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly coupled to the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123. The second support plate 1302 of the foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly coupled to the hinge mechanism 125. In one possible case, the second support plate 1302 of the foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly connected with the hinge main shaft 1251, the first hinge connection rod 1253 and the second hinge connection rod 1255 of the hinge mechanism 125.

In one embodiment, the second support plate 1302 and the first support plate 1301 can be fixedly connected by global adhesion. Thereby contributing to an increase in the coupling strength between the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302.

In another possible scenario, as shown in fig. 7 (c), a foldable module can be obtained by assembling the foldable support plate 130, the hinge mechanism 125 and the housing. The housing includes a first side frame 121 and a second side frame 123. The hinge mechanism 125 may be fixed between the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123, the first hinge connecting rod 1253 of the hinge mechanism 125 may be fixedly connected to the first side frame 121, and the second hinge connecting rod 1255 of the hinge mechanism 125 may be fixedly connected to the second side frame 123. The first support plate 1301 of the foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly connected to the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123. The second support plate 1302 of the foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly coupled to the hinge mechanism 125. In one possible case, the second support plate 1302 of the foldable support plate 130 can be fixedly connected with the hinge main shaft 1251, the first hinge connection rod 1253 and the second hinge connection rod 1255 of the hinge mechanism 125. The flexible display screen 110 can then be assembled on the foldable support plate 130 of the foldable module.

In the process of folding the foldable electronic device 100, the second support plate 1302 and the first support plate 1301 are deformed by different amounts, and a tendency of a stacking fault may occur between the second support plate 1302 and the second support plate 1302. Since the second support plate 1302 is fixedly connected to the hinge mechanism 125, the second support plate 1302 can be constrained by the hinge mechanism 125, which is beneficial to reducing the amount of stacking faults between the second support plate 1302 and the second support plate 1302.

The second support plate 1302 and the first support plate 1301 can be fixedly connected by means of partial adhesion. Thereby facilitating a reduction in the stacking fault force between the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302. If the stacking fault force between the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302 is too large, the foldable support plate 130 has relatively poor bending performance.

The flexible display 110 can be fixedly connected to the hinge mechanism 125 through the second support plate 1302, so that the flexible display 110 is less likely to arch and separate from the hinge mechanism 125 after being folded for a plurality of times.

In fig. 7 (a) and (c), the second support plate 1302 may be fixed to the first support plate 1301 by the gel 142. The glue 142 is disposed between the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302. The second support plate 1302 may be manufactured separately from the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302 are assembled into a single body by the gel 142. The second support plate 1302 is disposed in a sticking manner, which is beneficial to improving the processing efficiency of the foldable support plate 130.

In fig. 7 (b), the second support plate 1302 may be directly fixed to the first support plate 1301. That is, the gel 142 shown in (a) of fig. 7 may not be present between the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302. In some embodiments, the second support plate 1302 may be directly affixed to the first support plate 1301 by additive manufacturing means such as spraying, coating, or 3D printing.

The second support plate 1302 is provided by additive manufacturing, which is beneficial to reducing the total thickness of the foldable support plate 130 and providing enough turning space for the hinge mechanism 125. The hinge mechanism 125 has a relatively large turning space, and a user can bend the foldable support plate 130 with a relatively small bending force. The foldable support panel 130 may be made of a relatively rigid material to provide sufficient support for the flexible display screen 110.

In some embodiments provided herein, the second support plate 1302 may include one or more of the following: hard polymer materials, metal materials, fiber materials and elastic buffer materials.

The hard polymer material may include, but is not limited to: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyimide (PI), or the like.

The metallic material may include, but is not limited to: stainless steel, titanium alloy sheet, copper alloy, aluminum alloy, or the like.

Fibrous materials may include, but are not limited to: carbon fibers, aramid fibers, glass fibers, or the like.

The elastic cushioning material may include, but is not limited to: rubber or silicone, etc. In one embodiment, the rubber may comprise thermoplastic polyurethane rubber (also known as thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers, TPU).

In a possible case, the metal material or the fiber material of the second support plate 1302 may be adhered to the first support plate 1301 by the glue 142 shown in fig. 7.

In another possible case, the elastic buffer material or the hard polymer material of the second support plate 1302 may be adhered to the first support plate 1301 through the adhesive 142 shown in fig. 7.

In yet another possible case, the elastic buffer material or the hard polymer material of the second support plate 1302 may be fixed on the first support plate 1301 by additive manufacturing methods such as spraying, coating or 3D printing.

Fig. 8 shows a schematic structural diagram of a second supporting plate 1302 according to an embodiment of the present application.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8(a), the second support plate 1302 may have a single-layer structure. That is, the second support plate 1302 may include only the first support layer 13021. By adjusting the performance of the second supporting plate 1302, the supporting and buffering effects of the second supporting plate 1302 on the foldable display portion 113 of the flexible display screen 110 can be adjusted.

In one possible case, the stiffness of the second support plate 1302 may be less than the stiffness of the first support plate 1301. When the flexible display screen 110 is impacted, the impact waves from the flexible display screen 110 can be transmitted to the foldable support plate 130. The first support plate 1301 has relatively high rigidity and may provide a supporting force for the flexible display screen 110, however, the first support plate 1301 has relatively poor performance in absorbing shock waves. The second support plate 1302 has a relatively low stiffness to facilitate shock waves from the flexible display screen 110, reducing the likelihood that the shock waves will impact the flexible display screen 110 in a reverse direction. In some embodiments, the second support plate 1302 may be made of a resilient cushioning material.

In another possible scenario, the stiffness of the second support plate 1302 may be greater than the stiffness of the first support plate 1301. When the flexible display screen 110 is impacted, the impact waves from the flexible display screen 110 can be transmitted to the foldable support plate 130. The rigidity of the first support plate 1301 is relatively low, which is beneficial to improving the absorption amount of the shock wave of the flexible display screen 110 and reducing the possibility that the shock wave reversely impacts the flexible display screen 110, and the bending property of the first support plate 1301 is relatively excellent. However, the first support plate 1301 may have a tendency to deform easily. The second support plate 1302 has a relatively high stiffness, which is beneficial for providing a supporting force for the flexible display screen 110 and reducing the possibility that the flexible display screen 110 will sag toward the foldable support plate 130 under the impact. In some embodiments, the second support plate 1302 may be made of a hard polymer material, a metal material or a fiber material.

Since the hinge mechanism 125 shown in fig. 6 and 7 is a movable component, there may be gaps between the components of the hinge mechanism 125. In some embodiments, there may be a gap between the hinge main shaft 1251 and the first support bar 1252 of the hinge mechanism 125. In other embodiments, there may be a gap between first support bar 1252 and first hinge connection bar 1253 of hinge mechanism 125. The flexible display screen 110 has the potential to collapse toward the gap of the hinge mechanism 125.

In one possible scenario, where the size of the gap of hinge mechanism 125 is relatively large, the likelihood of flexible display screen 110 collapsing toward the gap of hinge mechanism 125 is relatively high. If the stiffness of the second support plate 1302 is relatively high, the second support plate 1302 may provide a supporting force for the flexible display 110 on the basis of the first support plate 1301, which is advantageous for reducing the possibility of the flexible display 110 collapsing towards the gap of the hinge mechanism 125. In some embodiments, the second support plate 1302 may be made of a metal material.

In another possible scenario, where the size of the gap of the hinge mechanism 125 is relatively modest, the likelihood of the flexible display screen 110 collapsing toward the gap of the hinge mechanism 125 may be reduced. The second support plate 1302 may be made of a relatively medium stiffness and low density material to reduce the weight of the foldable electronic device 100. If the second support plate 1302 is an insulating material, the second support plate 1302 may interfere relatively little with the devices within the foldable electronic device 100 in terms of radio frequencies. In some embodiments, the second support plate 1302 may be formed of a fibrous material.

In one possible scenario, the size of the gap of hinge mechanism 125 is relatively small, and the likelihood of flexible display screen 110 collapsing toward the gap of hinge mechanism 125 is relatively small. If the stiffness of the second support plate 1302 is relatively low, the amount of elastic deformation of the second support plate 1302 may be relatively large and the second support plate 1302 may provide flatness support for the flexible display screen 110 and the first support plate 1301. In some embodiments, the second supporting plate 1302 may be made of a hard polymer material.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8(b), the second support plate 1302 may have a double-layer structure. The second support plate 1302 may include a first support layer 13021 and a second support layer 13022. In one possible case, the first support layer 13021 may be located on a side of the second support plate 1302 close to the flexible display 110 and the second support layer 13022 may be located on a side of the second support plate 1302 remote from the flexible display 110. By adjusting the performance of the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022, the effects of the second support plate 1302 on supporting, cushioning, bending, etc. of the foldable display portion 113 of the flexible display screen 110 can be adjusted.

In one possible case, the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 may be glued together by glue. In another possible case, the first support layer 13021 may be machined from the second support layer 13022 by additive manufacturing, or the second support layer 13022 may be machined from the first support layer 13021 by additive manufacturing.

The first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 may be selected from the same or different materials. The thicknesses of the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 may be the same or different.

In some embodiments, the materials of the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 are the same, and the thickness of the first support layer 13021 is greater than the thickness of the second support layer 13022. Since the first support layer 13021 is on the outside and the second support layer 13022 is on the inside, the first support layer 13021 may have a tendency to be stretched and the second support layer 13022 may have a tendency to be compressed when the foldable electronic device 100 is in the folded state. Because the thickness of the first support layer 13021 is relatively large, the first support layer 13021 is not locally and obviously thinned due to stretching; since the thickness of the second support layer 13022 is relatively small, the first support layer 13021 is not locally significantly thickened by compression. Therefore, after the foldable electronic device 100 is repeatedly bent, the flatness of the second support plate 1302 as a whole can be relatively good.

In other embodiments, the materials of the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 are different. The rigidity of the first support layer 13021 may be different from the rigidity of the second support layer 13022. The thicknesses of the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 may be the same or different. A relatively stiff one of the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 may be used to provide a support force, and a relatively stiff one of the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 may be used to provide relatively superior bendability.

In one embodiment, the stiffness of the first support layer 13021 may be greater than the stiffness of the second support layer 13022. The stiffness of the foldable portion 13013 and the second support layer 13022 of the first support plate 1301 may be relatively high. The stiffness of the first support layer 13021 may be relatively low. The foldable portion 13013, the first support layer 13021 and the second support layer 13022 of the first support plate 1301 may form a sandwich structure.

After the shock wave from the flexible display screen 110 is transmitted to the foldable portion 13013, because the rigidity of the foldable portion 13013 is relatively large, the amount of deformation of the foldable portion 13013 as a whole is relatively small, and the foldable portion 13013 is not prone to local stress concentration. That is, the shock wave is relatively easily dispersed on the foldable portion 13013. The pressure exerted by the foldable portion 13013 on the first support layer 13021 is also relatively small. The rigidity of the first support layer 13021 is relatively small and the shock waves are dispersed by the foldable portion 13013, so the entirety of the first support layer 13021 can be used to absorb shock waves, which is advantageous for reducing shock waves that are not buffered.

When the shock wave from the flexible display screen 110 is transmitted to the hinge mechanism and bounces toward the flexible display screen 110, because the rigidity of the second support layer 13022 is relatively large, the overall deformation of the second support layer 13022 is relatively small under the action of the shock wave, and the second support layer 13022 is not prone to local stress concentration. That is, the shock wave is relatively easily dispersed on the second support layer 13022. The pressure exerted by the second support layer 13022 on the first support layer 13021 is also relatively small. The rigidity of the first support layer 13021 is relatively small and the shock waves are dispersed by the second support layer 13022, so the entirety of the first support layer 13021 can be used to absorb shock waves, which is beneficial to reducing the shock waves that are not buffered.

Since the pressure exerted by the foldable portion 13013 on the first support layer 13021 is relatively small and the pressure exerted by the second support layer 13022 on the first support layer 13021 is relatively small, the amount of deformation of the first support layer 13021 is relatively small. On the one hand, the impact of the shock waves on the flatness of the foldable support plate 130 as a whole is relatively small; on the other hand, the first support layer 13021 is relatively easy to recover so that the foldable support panel 130 can subsequently continue to provide reliable support and cushioning for the flexible display screen 110.

Since the stiffness of the foldable portion 13013 and the stiffness of the second support layer 13022 can be relatively large, the supporting effect of the foldable support plate 130 on the flexible display 110 can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the foldable portion 13013 and the thickness of the second support layer 13022; since the stiffness of the first support layer 13021 can be relatively small, the cushioning effect of the foldable support plate 130 on the flexible display screen 110 can be adjusted by adjusting the thickness of the first support layer 13021.

In another embodiment, the stiffness of the first support layer 13021 may be greater than the stiffness of the second support layer 13022. The first support layer 13021 may provide further rigid support for the flexible display 110 on the basis of the foldable portion 13013. After the shock wave from the flexible display screen 110 is transmitted to the first support layer 13021, because the foldable portion 13013 and the first support layer 13021 have relatively high rigidity, the overall deformation of the first support layer 13021 is relatively small under the effect of the shock wave, and the first support layer 13021 is not prone to local stress concentration. That is, the shock wave can be dispersed on the foldable portion 13013, and the dispersed shock wave can be further dispersed on the first support layer 13021. The pressure exerted by the first support layer 13021 on the second support layer 13022 is relatively small. The rigidity of the second support layer 13022 is relatively small, and the shock waves are dispersed by the first support layer 13021, so that the whole second support layer 13022 can be used for absorbing the shock waves, which is beneficial to reducing the shock waves which are not buffered. The overall deformation of the second support layer 13022 is relatively small, which is beneficial to reducing the plastic deformation of the second support layer 13022, and is convenient for the foldable support plate 130 to provide multiple cushioning effects for the flexible display screen 110.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 8(c), the second support plate 1302 may have a multi-layer structure. The second support plate 1302 may include n support layers, which are the support layers 13021, … … and the support layer 1302n, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 3. The support layers 13021 and … … and the support layer 1302n are stacked in this order. The support layer 13021 may be the closest support layer of the n support layers to the flexible display 110. The support layer 1302n may be the support layer of the n support layers that is furthest from the flexible display screen 110. Any of the n support layers may include one or more of: hard polymer materials, metal materials, fiber materials or elastic buffer materials. Since the second support plate 1302 is composed of multiple types of materials, the performance of the second support plate 1302 can meet multiple requirements.

In a possible case, two adjacent support layers may be bonded by a glue. In another possible case, the support layer 1302i may be fixed to the support layer 1302i +1 or the support layer 1302i-1, 1< i < n by additive manufacturing such as spraying, coating, or 3D printing, where the support layer 1302i and the support layer 1302i +1 may be two adjacent support layers, and the support layer 1302i-1 may be two adjacent support layers. That is, the support layer may be sandwiched between the support layer 1302i +1 and the support layer 1302 i-1.

In some embodiments, the n support layers of the second support plate 1302 include a support layer 1302i-1, and a support layer 1302i +1, 1< i < n, the support layer 1302i and the support layer 1302i +1 can be two adjacent support layers, the support layer 1302i and the support layer 1302i-1 can be two adjacent support layers, and the stiffness of the support layer 1302i can be greater than the stiffness of the support layer 1302i +1 and greater than the stiffness of the support layer 1302 i-1. That is, a relatively stiffer support layer may be sandwiched between two relatively less stiff support layers.

In other embodiments, the n support layers of the second support plate 1302 include a support layer 1302i-1, and a support layer 1302i +1, 1< i < n, where the support layer 1302i and the support layer 1302i +1 may be two adjacent support layers, the support layer 1302i and the support layer 1302i-1 may be two adjacent support layers, and the stiffness of the support layer 1302i may be less than the stiffness of the support layer 1302i +1 and less than the stiffness of the support layer 1302 i-1. That is, a relatively less stiff support layer may be sandwiched between two relatively more stiff support layers.

Fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of three other foldable electronic devices 100 provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Similar to the foldable electronic device 100 shown in fig. 7, in the foldable electronic device 100 shown in fig. 9, the foldable support plate 130 may be fixedly connected with the flexible display 110, the housing, and the hinge mechanism 125. The foldable support panel 130 may include a first support panel 1301 and a second support panel 1302. The second support plate 1302 is disposed on a side of the first support plate 1301 away from the flexible display 110 and covers the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. Fig. 9 (a) and (b) show an embodiment of assembling the foldable support plate 130 and the flexible display screen 110 into the flexible screen module 200. Fig. 9 (c) shows an embodiment of assembling the foldable support plate 130 with the housing, hinge mechanism 125, as a foldable module. In fig. 9 (a) and (c), the second support plate 1302 may be fixed to the first support plate 1301 by the gel 142. In fig. 9 (b), the second support plate 1302 may be directly fixed to the first support plate 1301 by additive manufacturing means such as spraying, coating or 3D printing.

Unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 7, in the embodiment shown in fig. 9, the first side frame 121 may include a second supporting plate receiving groove 1211, and the second supporting plate receiving groove 1211 may be located on a side of the first side frame 121 close to the flexible display screen 110 and on a side of the first side frame 121 close to the hinge mechanism 125. The second supporting plate 1302 can be accommodated in the second supporting plate receiving groove 1211 and is fixedly connected to the wall of the second supporting plate receiving groove 1211 through the glue 143. That is, in conjunction with fig. 4, the second support plate 1302 may also partially cover the first portion 13011 of the first support plate 1301.

In the case that the third support plate 1303 is disposed on the first support plate 1301, the third support plate 1303 may be disposed with a first support plate receiving groove, as described with reference to the embodiment shown in fig. 4. The first support plate receiving groove may be located at a side of the third support plate 1303 facing the flexible display screen 110. The opening of the first support plate receiving groove may be disposed toward the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The second support plate 1302 may also be received in the first support plate receiving slot.

In some embodiments, the second side frame 123 may include a third support plate receiving groove 1231, and the third support plate receiving groove 1231 may be located on a side of the second side frame 123 close to the flexible display screen 110 and on a side of the second side frame 123 close to the hinge mechanism 125. The second supporting plate 1302 can be accommodated in the third supporting plate accommodating groove 1231, and is fixedly connected to the groove wall of the third supporting plate accommodating groove 1231 through the glue 144. That is, in conjunction with fig. 4, the second support plate 1302 may also partially cover the second portion 13012 of the first support plate 1301.

In connection with the embodiment shown in fig. 4, in the case that the fourth support plate 1304 is provided on the first support plate 1301, a fourth support plate receiving groove may be provided on the fourth support plate 1304. The fourth support plate receiving groove may be located at a side of the fourth support plate 1304 facing the flexible display screen 110. The opening of the fourth support plate receiving groove may be disposed toward the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The fourth supporting plate 1304 can also be received in the fourth supporting plate receiving groove.

When the foldable support plate 130 is folded, the amounts of deformation of the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302 do not cooperate completely, and thus there may be a stacking fault force between the first support plate 1301 and the second support plate 1302. By fixedly connecting the second supporting board 1302 to the first side frame 121 and/or the second side frame 123, the position of the second supporting board 1302 in the foldable electronic device 100 is restrained, and the possibility of sliding the second supporting board 1302 relative to the first supporting board 1301 is reduced.

Since both the first side frame 121 and the second side frame 123 can be regarded as not being folded and deformed. The two ends of the second support plate 1302 are fixedly connected with the portion of the foldable electronic device 100 that is not deformed by folding, so that the symmetric deformation force applied to the second support plate 1302 can be at least partially offset.

Fig. 10 and 11 are schematic structural views of another foldable supporting plate 130 provided in the embodiments of the present application. Fig. 10 and 11 show the front and back of the foldable support panel 130, respectively.

Similar to the foldable support panel 130 shown in fig. 4, the foldable support panel 130 shown in fig. 10 and 11 may include a first support panel 1301 and a second support panel 1302. The first support plate 1301 may include a first portion 13011, a second portion 13012, and a foldable portion 13013. The second support plate 1302 may be provided to the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The second support plate 1302 may be located on a side of the first support plate 1301 remote from the flexible display screen 110.

Unlike the foldable support plate 130 shown in fig. 4, the first support plate 1301 shown in fig. 10 and 11 may include a plurality of first support plate slots 1331 that are not connected to each other. The first support plate slot 1331 may be a through slot or a blind slot. A first support plate groove 1331 may be provided at the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. In the case where the first support plate groove 1331 is a through groove, the first support plate groove 1331 may penetrate the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. In the case that the first support plate slot 1331 is a blind slot, the opening of the first support plate slot 1331 may be disposed on a side of the first support plate 1301 away from the flexible display screen 110. The depth of the first support plate groove 1331 may be less than the thickness of the first support plate 1301.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 11, the second support plate 1302 may cover the first support plate slot 1331 of the first support plate 1301. In one possible case, the plurality of first support plate slots 1331 of the first support plate 1301 may be located within a projection area of the second support plate 1302 on the first support plate 1301.

In some embodiments, the first support plate slot 1331a and the first support plate slot 1331b of the foldable support plate 130 may be disposed in parallel and spaced apart. In one possible case, when the foldable support plate 130 is in the unfolded state, a part or the whole area of the first support plate groove 1331a may be projected on the first support plate groove 1331b along the width or the length direction of the first support plate groove 1331, and the first support plate groove 1331a and the first support plate groove 1331b may be two adjacent first support plate grooves 1331. Providing the first support plate slot 1331 at the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301 is advantageous to reduce an external force required to bend the foldable support part 133.

In some embodiments, the first support plate slot 1331 may be formed by, for example, chemical etching or mechanical cutting.

In some embodiments, the port shape of the first support plate slot 1331 may be racetrack, bone, dumbbell, etc. The first support plate slot 1331 provided in the embodiments of the present application may also have other shapes.

In the embodiment shown in fig. 11, the foldable support panel 130 may also include one or more partial plating 138. The partial plating 138 may include, for example, nickel, gold, silver, or vanadium, among others. The partial plating layer 138 may be formed by plating, spraying, or the like. The partial plating 138 may serve as a pin for the foldable support plate 130. The partial plating 138 may be provided at the first support 131 and/or the second support 132 of the foldable support plate 130. In the embodiment shown in fig. 11, the local plating 138 may be provided at the first portion 13011 and/or the second portion 13012 of the first support plate 1301.

Referring to fig. 3 and 11, the partial plating 138 may be disposed toward or near the housing of the foldable electronic device 100. That is, the local plating 138 may face away or away from the flexible display screen 110. As can be seen from the above, the local plating layer 138 and the flexible display 110 may be electrically connected through the first supporting plate 1301.

The side of the partial plating 138 facing away from or away from the foldable support plate 130 may be grounded. In some embodiments, a ground line and an electrical connector (e.g., a spring plate, etc.) may be disposed on the middle frame of the foldable electronic device 100, and the electrical connector may be in electrical communication with the ground line. The partial plating 138 and the ground line may be electrically connected by an electrical connector. In other embodiments, an electrical connector (e.g., a spring plate, etc.) may be disposed on a side frame of the foldable electronic device 100, and the side frame may be in communication with a human hand holding the foldable electronic device 100. The partial plating 138 and the side frame may be electrically connected by an electrical connection. Thus, the excess charges on the flexible display screen 110 can be conducted to the ground through the local plating 138.

Fig. 12 shows schematic structural diagrams of two flexible screen modules 200 provided in the embodiments of the present application.

In some embodiments, the second support plate 1302 may partially or completely fill the first support plate slot 1331 of the first support plate 1301. The first support plate slot 1331 may constrain the second support plate 1302, reducing the likelihood that the second support plate 1302 will slip relative to the first support plate 1301 under the effect of a stacking fault.

In one embodiment, the first support plate slot 1331 may be a through slot, and the second support plate 1302 may be partially inserted into the first support plate slot 1331. The side of the second support plate 1302 closest to the flexible display screen 110 may have a spacing from the flexible display screen 110. When the foldable support plate 130 is in the unfolded state, the second support plate 1302 may contact the groove wall of the first support plate groove 1331. When the foldable support plate 130 is in the folded state, the second support plate 1302 may be partially separated from the groove wall of the first support plate groove 1331. A gap may be formed between the second support plate 1302 and the first support plate groove 1331. If the second support plate 1302 is in contact with the flexible display screen 110, the flexible display screen 110 may risk collapsing towards the gap. After the foldable support plate 130 is converted from the folded state to the unfolded state, there is a risk that the flexible display screen 110 may be caught by a gap between the second support plate 1302 and the first support plate slot 1331, which may further cause the flexible display screen 110 to be damaged.

In another embodiment, as shown in fig. 12 (a), the first support plate slot 1331 may be a through slot, and the second support plate 1302 may be completely filled in the first support plate slot 1331. The side of the second support plate 1302 closest to the flexible display screen 110 may be in contact with the flexible display screen 110. The flexible display 110 may collapse toward the first support plate slot 1331, and therefore the second support plate 1302 may penetrate through the first support plate slot 1331 to provide a supporting force for the flexible display 110, which is beneficial to reducing the possibility that the flexible display 110 collapses toward the first support plate slot 1331.

In yet another embodiment, the first support plate slot 1331 may be a blind slot. On a side of the first support plate 1301 adjacent to the flexible display 110, a region of the first support plate 1301 opposite to the first support plate groove 1331 may contact the flexible display 110, thereby providing a supporting force to the flexible display 110.

In other embodiments, as shown in fig. 12 (b), the second support plate 1302 may not be filled in the first support plate slot 1331 of the first support plate 1301. Thereby contributing to a reduction in the influence of the second support plate 1302 on the bending performance of the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301.

Fig. 13 is a schematic structural view of still another foldable supporting plate 130 provided in the embodiments of the present application.

Similar to the foldable support panel 130 shown in fig. 11, the foldable support panel 130 shown in fig. 13 can include a first support panel 1301 and a second support panel 1302. The first support plate 1301 may include a first portion 13011, a second portion 13012, and a foldable portion 13013. The second support plate 1302 may be provided to the foldable portion 13013 of the first support plate 1301. The second support plate 1302 may be located on a side of the first support plate 1301 remote from the flexible display screen 110.

Unlike the foldable support panel 130 shown in fig. 11, the second support panel 1302 shown in fig. 13 may include a plurality of second support panel slots 1332 that are not connected to each other. The second support plate slot 1332 may be a through slot or a blind slot. In the case that the second support plate groove portions 1332 are through grooves, the second support plate groove portions 1332 may penetrate the second support plate 1302. In the case that the second support plate slot 1332 is a blind slot, in one embodiment, the opening of the second support plate slot 1332 may be disposed on the side of the second support plate 1302 away from the flexible display screen 110. The opening of the second support plate slot 1332 is disposed away from the flexible display screen 110, which is beneficial to reducing the influence of the deformation of the opening of the second support plate slot 1332 on the flexible display screen 110. The depth of the second support plate slot 1332 may be less than the thickness of the second support plate 1302. The second supporting plate slot 1332 is beneficial to improving the bending property of the second supporting plate 1302.

Fig. 14 shows schematic structural diagrams of four flexible screen modules 200 provided in the embodiment of the present application.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 14 (a), the first support plate 1301 may not have the first support plate groove 1331 shown in fig. 11 and 12. In a possible case, the thickness of the first support plate 1301 may be relatively thin, and the bendability of the first support plate 1301 in the foldable portion 13013 shown in fig. 13 is relatively superior. The stiffness of the second support plate 1302 may be relatively large. The second supporting plate slot 1332 is formed in the second supporting plate 1302, so that the flexibility of the second supporting plate slot 1332 can be improved. The second support plate slot 1332 may be a blind slot or a through slot.

In other embodiments, as shown in fig. 14 (b), the first support plate 1301 may have a first support plate groove 1331 shown in fig. 11 and 12, wherein the first support plate groove 1331 may be a blind groove or a through groove. The second support plate groove 1332 may be disposed opposite to the first support plate groove 1331. The projection area of the second support plate slot 1332 on the first support plate 1301 may at least partially coincide with the first support plate slot 1331. The second support plate slot 1332 may be a blind slot or a through slot. In the case where the second support plate groove 1332 is a through groove, the second support plate groove 1332 may be penetrated through the first support plate groove 1331.

The first support plate 1301 may have relatively excellent bending property at the first support plate groove 1331, the second support plate 1302 may have relatively excellent bending property at the second support plate groove 1332, and the matching degree between the bending property of the first support plate 1301 and the bending property of the second support plate 1302 is relatively high because the second support plate groove 1332 is disposed opposite to the first support plate groove 1331.

In still other embodiments, as shown in fig. 14 (c), the first support plate 1301 may have a first support plate slot 1331 shown in fig. 11 and 12, wherein the first support plate slot 1331 may be a blind slot or a through slot. The second support plate groove 1332 may be disposed to be staggered from the first support plate groove 1331. A projection area of the second support plate groove 1332 on the first support plate 1301 may be located outside the first support plate groove 1331. The projection area of the second support plate slot 1332 on the first support plate 1301 may not overlap or be connected to or intersect with the first support plate slot 1331. The second support plate groove 1332 may be a blind groove or a through groove.

The first support plate 1301 may have relatively excellent bendability at the first support plate groove 1331, and the second support plate 1302 may have relatively excellent bendability at the second support plate groove 1332. Because the second supporting plate slot 1332 and the first supporting plate slot 1331 are staggered, the second supporting plate 1302 can provide a supporting force for the flexible display screen 110 at a portion of the first supporting plate 1301 with better bending property; the first support plate 1301 may provide a supporting force for the flexible display 110 at a portion of the second support plate 1302 where the bendability is better. It is advantageous that the performance of the second support plate 1302 and the performance of the second support plate 1302 can be complementary.

The second support plate 1302 may not be filled or partially filled or completely filled into the first support plate slot 1331. In one possible case, as shown in fig. 14 (d), the second support plate 1302 may be filled in the first support plate groove 1331 and provided with a second support plate groove 1332 outside an area disposed opposite to the first support plate groove 1331. The first support plate groove 1331 may be a blind groove or a through groove. The second support plate slot 1332 may be a blind slot. The second support plate groove 1332 may be disposed to be staggered from the first support plate groove 1331. A projection area of the second support plate groove 1332 on the first support plate 1301 may be located outside the first support plate groove 1331. The first support plate slot 1331 may constrain the second support plate 1302, reducing the likelihood that the second support plate 1302 will slip relative to the first support plate 1301 under the effect of a stacking fault.

The embodiment of the application provides a foldable support plate, a flexible display screen and a foldable electronic device. A second support plate may be provided on a first support plate of the foldable support plates, and the second support plate may be located at a foldable portion of the first support plate. The second support plate can provide the flexible display screen with the properties of support, buffering and the like on the basis of the first support plate, so that the bending, support, buffering and the like of the foldable support part of the foldable support plate can be adjusted. Because the foldable support plate is locally thickened, the fixing area between the first support plate and the second support plate is relatively small, and the stacking fault force between the first support plate and the second support plate is relatively small, the bending property of the foldable support plate is relatively excellent.

The above description is only for the specific embodiments of the present application, but the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art can easily conceive of the changes or substitutions within the technical scope of the present application, and shall be covered by the scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application shall be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A foldable support panel for use in a foldable electronic device, the foldable electronic device including a flexible display, the foldable support panel comprising:

2. The foldable support panel of claim 1, wherein the second support panel comprises a first support layer and a second support layer, the first support layer and the second support layer satisfying one or more of the following:

3. The foldable support plate of claim 2, wherein the first support layer has a stiffness less than a stiffness of the second support layer, the first support layer being located on a side of the second support plate proximal to the first support plate and the second support layer being located on a side of the second support plate distal to the first support plate.

4. The foldable support plate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a third support plate disposed at the first portion and located at a side of the first support plate away from the flexible display, the third support plate comprising a first support plate receiving groove located at a side of the third support plate close to the flexible display, wherein an opening of the first support plate receiving groove is located at a side of the third support plate close to the foldable portion, and wherein the second support plate is fixed in the first support plate receiving groove.

5. The foldable support panel of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the foldable portion is provided with a first support panel slot, and the second support panel covers the first support panel slot.

6. The foldable support panel of claim 5, wherein the second support panel fills the first support panel channel.

7. The foldable support panel of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the second support panel comprises a second support panel slot.

8. The foldable support plate of claim 7, wherein the second support plate slot is a blind slot, and the opening of the second support plate slot is located on a side of the second support plate away from the first support plate.

9. The foldable support plate of claim 7 or 8, wherein the foldable portion is provided with a first support plate slot, and the second support plate slot is located outside the first support plate slot in a projection area of the first support plate.

10. The foldable support panel of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the material of the second support panel comprises one or more of: polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyimide (PI), stainless steel, a titanium alloy sheet, a copper alloy, an aluminum alloy, carbon fibers, aramid fibers, glass fibers and thermoplastic polyurethane rubber (TPU).

11. The foldable support panel of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the process of the second support panel comprises one or more of: paste, spray, coat, and 3D print.

12. The foldable support panel of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the flexible display is an outwardly foldable display.

13. A flexible screen module comprising a flexible display screen and a foldable support panel according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that it comprises a flexible display and a foldable support plate according to any of claims 1 to 12.

15. The foldable electronic device of claim 14, further comprising a hinge mechanism, the second support plate being fixedly connected with the hinge mechanism.

16. The foldable electronic device of claim 15, further comprising a first side frame surrounding the flexible display screen, wherein the first side frame is fixedly connected to the hinge mechanism, the first side frame comprises a second supporting board receiving groove, the second supporting board receiving groove is located on a side of the first side frame close to the flexible display screen, an opening of the second supporting board receiving groove is located on a side of the first side frame close to the hinge mechanism, and the second supporting board is fixed in the second supporting board receiving groove.