CN116980508B

CN116980508B - Locking mechanism and foldable electronic device

Info

Publication number: CN116980508B
Application number: CN202310794472.8A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 许可
Original assignee: Honor Device Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honor Device Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-06-29
Filing date: 2023-06-29
Publication date: 2024-04-05
Anticipated expiration: 2043-06-29
Also published as: CN116980508A

Abstract

The application provides a locking mechanism and foldable electronic equipment, the foldable electronic equipment comprises a locking mechanism, a first shell and a second shell which are rotationally connected, wherein the first shell comprises a mounting groove, and the second shell is provided with a locking groove; the locking mechanism is arranged in the mounting groove; the first shell and the second shell are folded relatively, and the mounting groove and the locking groove are opposite and communicated; the pressing surface of the key of the locking mechanism is exposed out of the mounting groove, the lock tongue of the locking member of the locking mechanism stretches out of the first shell and is positioned in the locking groove, the locking mechanism is in a locking state, and the pretension force of the key and the elastic member of the locking mechanism provides locking force for the locking member; the key is pressed into the mounting groove, the locking mechanism is in an unlocking state, the lock tongue exits the locking groove, and the first shell and the second shell are opened relatively.

Description

Locking mechanism and foldable electronic device

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of electronic products, in particular to a locking mechanism and foldable electronic equipment.

Background

With the development of technology, various foldable electronic devices have become indispensable products for daily life and production. Such as folding cell phones, pop-up watches, etc.

Taking a folding mobile phone as an example, the folding mobile phone generally includes two shells, and the two shells are rotationally connected. When the folding mobile phone is in a folding state, the two shells are required to be relatively fixed, and a locking mechanism is required to lock the two shells at the moment so as to prevent the two shells from being relatively unfolded. When the folding mobile phone is required to be switched from the folding state to the unfolding state, the locking mechanism releases the locking of the two shells, so that the two shells can be relatively unfolded. But in the existing locking mechanism locking and unlocking back and forth switching process, larger friction can be generated, and the subsequent service life can be influenced.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a locking mechanism and foldable electronic equipment, but locking foldable electronic equipment that can be reliable, and frictional force is less.

The application provides a locking mechanism, which comprises a key, a locking piece, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a first sliding part and a second sliding part,

the locking piece comprises a lock tongue and a connecting plate connected to one end of the lock tongue, one end of a first connecting rod is rotationally connected with the first sliding part, the other end of the first connecting rod is connected with the connecting plate, one end of a second connecting rod is rotationally connected with the second sliding part, the other end of the second connecting rod is connected with the connecting plate, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are positioned on two opposite sides of the connecting plate, the first sliding part and the second sliding part are oppositely arranged, the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the connecting plate are positioned between the first sliding part and the second sliding part, the elastic piece is connected between the first sliding part and the second sliding part, the first sliding part and the second sliding part can relatively move, the locking piece can relatively move to the elastic piece, and the key can relatively move to the connecting plate;

The locking mechanism is in a locking state, the key is in abutting connection with the first sliding part and the second sliding part and is opposite to the connecting plate at intervals, and the elastic piece is in a natural state; the spring bolt and the elastic piece are provided with a first distance, and the first sliding part and the second sliding part are provided with a second distance;

the locking mechanism is in an unlocking state, the key is close to the connecting plate, the first sliding part and the second sliding part have a fourth distance, the elastic piece is stretched, and the lock tongue and the elastic piece have a third distance; the first distance is less than a third distance, and the second distance is less than a fourth distance; the moving direction of the locking piece, the moving direction of the key and the moving directions of the first sliding part and the second sliding part are perpendicular to each other.

The first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged between the key and the locking piece, and the transmission of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod is realized through the elastic piece, so that the acting force of the key on the locking piece is realized, and the locking piece locks the first shell and the second shell or releases the locking; under the effort of first connecting rod and second connecting rod and elastic component, button and locking piece can not direct contact can realize the button and control the locking piece, avoid button and locking piece direct action to produce mutual friction and influence the sensitivity of using of button and locking piece, can understand that the frictional force of whole locking mechanism is given the conversion by first connecting rod and second connecting rod, and the frictional force of whole locking mechanism reduces, and the smooth operation degree has improved the life of locking mechanism simultaneously.

In one embodiment, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod incline away from the lock tongue, the locking mechanism is in a locking state, and the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged at a first included angle with the moving direction of the locking piece; the locking mechanism is in an unlocking state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are both arranged at a second included angle with the moving direction of the locking piece, and the first included angle is smaller than the second included angle. The locking mechanism is in a locking state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are arranged at a first included angle with the moving direction of the locking piece, and when the key pushes the first sliding part and the second sliding part to move, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod generate a pulling force perpendicular to the elastic deformation direction of the elastic piece to pull the locking piece to move.

In one embodiment, the key is moved towards the connecting plate by an external force, the first sliding part and the second sliding part are moved to the fourth distance in a reverse direction, the lock tongue is moved to the third distance in the direction of the elastic piece,

and the external force is removed, the elastic restoring force of the elastic piece pulls the first sliding part and the second sliding part to be close to each other and restore to the second distance, and the lock tongue moves to the first distance in the direction away from the elastic piece. The locking mechanism of the embodiment is simple to operate, and the locking state can be recovered by withdrawing the external force. The first sliding part and the second sliding part reversely move to the fourth distance, which means that the distance between the first sliding part and the second sliding part is kept at the fourth distance. The spring bolt moves to the third distance towards the direction of the elastic piece, and the spring bolt and the elastic piece are kept at the third distance.

In one embodiment, the key comprises a pressing surface and a back surface arranged opposite to the pressing surface, wherein the back surface is provided with two pressing blocks arranged at intervals, each pressing block is provided with a first inclined surface, the first inclined surfaces of the two pressing blocks are arranged opposite to each other,

the first sliding part comprises a second inclined plane, the second sliding part comprises a third inclined plane, the second inclined plane is opposite to the third inclined plane in the moving direction of the first sliding part and the second sliding part, and the second inclined plane and the third inclined plane are respectively abutted to one first inclined plane. The key, the first sliding part and the second sliding part of the embodiment adopt inclined planes to push and generate displacement to realize movement, so that the structure is simpler, and the matching precision is easy to achieve. And the key adopts two independent pressing blocks to set up first inclined plane, and the space between two pressing blocks can provide the distance of button displacement, also can avoid with the connecting plate butt.

In one embodiment, the lock tongue includes a connection end and a locking end disposed opposite to the connection end, and the locking end has an arc surface. When the locking end is in relative sliding contact with the second shell, the arc-shaped surface and the second shell move smoothly, so that friction loss is reduced.

In one embodiment, the connecting plate is connected to the connecting end and extends away from the connecting end along the extending direction of the lock tongue; the first distance or the third distance is formed between the connecting end and the elastic piece;

the connecting plate comprises a body and a plug-in section arranged at one end of the body, wherein the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are connected to the body, and the connection thickness of the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the body is smaller than or equal to the thickness of the plug-in section. In this embodiment, the connecting plate is set to the body and the plug-in section of inconsistent thickness, so that the overall thickness of the connecting plate is not increased after the connecting plate is assembled with the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod, and the thickness of the plug-in section can ensure the strength of the connecting plate and the plug-in strength when being matched with the first shell.

In one embodiment, the first sliding portion includes a first fixed body, the second sliding portion includes a second fixed body, the second inclined surface is opposite to the first fixed body, and the third inclined surface is opposite to the second fixed body;

the elastic piece comprises a first connecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting end and the second connecting end are two ends of the elastic piece in the length direction, the first connecting end is connected with the first fixing body, and the second connecting end is connected with the second fixing body. The elastic piece of this embodiment is connected with first fixed body and second fixed body detachable, makes things convenient for locking mechanism's equipment, maintenance and adjustment.

In one embodiment, the first sliding part comprises a first body, wherein the first body is provided with a first mounting side surface and two first mounting surfaces which are arranged in a back-to-back way, and the first mounting side surface is connected with the two first mounting surfaces; the second inclined plane is formed at the joint of the first mounting side surface and one first mounting surface; the other first mounting surface is provided with a concave part, the concave part penetrates through the first mounting side surface, and the first fixing body is positioned in the concave part;

the second sliding part comprises a second body, wherein the second body is provided with a second mounting side surface and two second mounting surfaces which are arranged in a back-to-back mode, and the second mounting side surface is connected with the two second mounting surfaces; the third inclined surface is formed at the joint of the second mounting side surface and one second mounting surface; the other second mounting surface is provided with a concave part, the concave part penetrates through the second mounting side surface, and the second fixing body is positioned in the concave part. In this embodiment, the first fixing body is disposed in the recess of the first sliding portion, so that the size of the first sliding portion can be prevented from being additionally increased, the second fixing body is disposed in the recess of the second sliding portion, so that the size of the second sliding portion can be prevented from being additionally increased, and under the condition of being connected with the elastic member, the space of the electronic device using the locking mechanism can be prevented from being additionally occupied.

In one embodiment, the first sliding part is further provided with a first hinge seat, the first hinge seat is provided with a shaft hole, and the axial direction of the shaft hole is the same as the moving direction of the key; the first connecting rod is provided with a first shaft, the first connecting rod is arranged on the first hinging seat, and the first shaft is inserted into the shaft hole of the first hinging seat and is rotationally connected with the shaft hole of the first hinging seat;

the second sliding part is also provided with a first hinging seat, the second hinging seat is provided with a shaft hole, and the axial direction of the shaft hole is the same as the moving direction of the key; the second connecting rod is provided with a second shaft, the second connecting rod is arranged on the second hinging seat, and the second shaft is inserted into the shaft hole of the second hinging seat and is rotationally connected with the shaft hole of the second hinging seat. In this embodiment, every articulated seat is concave to locate the inslot in the first sliding part, and the tip of first connecting rod and second connecting rod inserts in the inslot and connects through the axle, simple structure adopts articulated seat to connect first connecting rod and second connecting rod moreover, can guarantee connection stability under the prerequisite of realizing rotating the connection.

The application provides a foldable electronic device, comprising: the first shell is rotationally connected with the second shell, the first shell comprises a mounting groove, and the second shell is provided with a locking groove; the locking mechanism is arranged in the mounting groove;

The first shell and the second shell are folded relatively, and the mounting groove and the locking groove are opposite and communicated; the pressing surface of the key exposes out of the mounting groove, the lock tongue of the locking piece stretches out of the first shell and is positioned in the locking groove, the locking mechanism is in a locking state, and the pretension force of the key and the elastic piece provides locking force for the locking piece;

the key is pressed into the mounting groove, the locking mechanism is in an unlocking state, the lock tongue exits the locking groove, and the first shell and the second shell are opened relatively.

In this application collapsible electronic equipment, first casing and second casing locking and release locking in-process, the button carries out driving force and gives the locking piece through first connecting rod and second connecting rod to do not with first casing and/or second casing direct friction contact, can subtract the frictional force between locking mechanism and first casing and the second casing. And under the effort of first connecting rod and second connecting rod and elastic component, button and locking piece can not direct contact can realize the button and control the locking piece, avoid button and locking piece direct action to produce mutual friction and influence the sensitivity of using of button and locking piece, can understand that the frictional force of whole locking mechanism is given the conversion by first connecting rod and second connecting rod, and the frictional force of whole locking mechanism reduces, has promoted collapsible electronic equipment's life.

In one embodiment, the first housing includes a first side surface, the first side surface is a concave arc surface, the second housing includes a third side surface, the third side surface is a convex arc surface, the end surface of the locking end of the lock tongue is a convex arc surface, the locking groove is concavely arranged on the third side surface,

the locking end slides into the locking groove along a third side face, the first shell and the second shell are folded, and the third side face and the first side face are oppositely attached. In this embodiment, the end surfaces of the locking ends of the first side surface, the third side surface and the lock tongue are arc-shaped surfaces, and in the folding process of the second shell of the first shell, the third side surface is in relative contact with the first side surface and slides, so that the sliding smoothness can be improved, and the friction loss of the two surfaces can be reduced. And when the lock tongue is pushed by the third side surface to retract and is locked by the locking groove, the third side surface and the end surface of the locking end slide smoothly, so that the friction loss of the two surfaces can be reduced.

In one embodiment, the mounting groove comprises a first groove side wall and a second groove side wall, wherein the first groove side wall and the second groove side wall are oppositely arranged along the width direction of the mounting groove; the first side wall is concavely provided with a containing groove, the second side wall and the first side face are arranged in a back-to-back mode, the second side wall is concavely provided with a sliding through groove, the sliding through groove penetrates through the first side face, and the containing groove and the sliding through groove are oppositely arranged along the moving direction of the locking piece and are communicated with the mounting groove;

The inserting section of the connecting plate is located in the accommodating groove, the lock tongue is accommodated in the sliding through groove, the locking piece moves between the accommodating groove and the sliding through groove, and the lock tongue can extend out of the first side face. The mounting groove for accommodating the locking mechanism is simple in structure, and does not occupy too much space of the shell. The mounting groove is formed in the first portion of the first shell, the inner space of the first portion is smaller than that of the second portion, the size of components arranged in the first portion is smaller, the mounting position can be flexibly arranged, space is provided for the mounting groove, and the space of the first shell can be saved as much as possible.

In one embodiment, the mounting slot includes two opposing end walls, both of which connect the first slot side wall and the second slot side wall; the connection parts of the two end walls and the first groove side wall and the second groove side wall are respectively provided with a protruding part, and the two protruding parts close to each end wall protrude into the mounting groove along the width direction of the mounting groove;

the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod, the first sliding part, the second sliding part and the elastic piece are all positioned between the first groove side wall and the second groove side wall; the first sliding part is arranged at intervals with one end wall and is positioned between the two protruding parts near the end wall; the second sliding part is arranged at a distance from the other end wall and is positioned between the two protruding parts near the end wall. The protruding portion of this embodiment can realize the guide effect to first sliding part and the second sliding part in the slip, prevents that first sliding part and second sliding part from producing the skew at the slip in-process, guarantees locking mechanism's use precision.

In one embodiment, the key comprises a pressing surface, a back surface arranged opposite to the pressing surface, and a peripheral side surface connecting the pressing surface and the back surface, wherein the peripheral side surface is convexly provided with a boss,

the first shell comprises a first part, the first part comprises a mounting seat and a shell, the mounting groove is concavely formed in the mounting seat, the shell is provided with a through groove, the groove peripheral wall of the through groove is provided with a step, the key is arranged in the mounting groove, the shell is covered on the mounting seat, the through groove is opposite to and communicated with the mounting groove, the pressing surface is exposed out of the through groove, the back face faces the mounting groove, and the boss and the step are propped against each other in the moving direction of the key. The key and the through groove matched with the key in the embodiment have simple structures.

In one embodiment, the housing includes a second portion, the first portion is connected to one side of the second portion, the first portion has a thickness greater than that of the second portion, and the first portion is flush with one side of the second portion facing away from the mounting groove;

the first part comprises a first surface, the mounting groove is formed in the first surface, the second part comprises a second surface, and the first side surface is connected with the first surface and the second surface and forms an included angle with the first surface and the second surface; the second housing is rotatably coupled to the second portion and may be laminated to the second portion. The display screen of the foldable electronic device in this embodiment is displayed on the outside, that is, when the first casing and the second casing are folded, the display screen is located outside the main body, and the second casing is stacked on the second part of the first casing, so that the appearance integrity of the foldable electronic device can be ensured.

Drawings

In order to more clearly describe the technical solutions in the embodiments or the background of the present application, the following description will describe the drawings that are required to be used in the embodiments or the background of the present application.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in a first state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in a second state according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 3 is a partially exploded view of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of a second housing of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded structural view of the first housing shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first housing shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an exploded view of a portion of the first housing and a portion of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a partial schematic view of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is another angular schematic view of a portion of the structure of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a partially exploded schematic view of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 8.

Fig. 11 is a partially exploded schematic view of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a schematic view of a portion of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1 at an angle.

Fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1 at another angle.

Fig. 15 is a schematic view showing a state of a locking mechanism change process of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present application are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present application.

Referring to fig. 1, fig. 2 and fig. 3, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in a first state provided in an embodiment of the present application, and fig. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a foldable electronic device in a second state provided in an embodiment of the present application. FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the foldable electronic device shown in FIG. 1; in particular an exploded view of the main body and the display screen, and in a fully deployed state.

The foldable electronic device 1000 shown in fig. 1 is in a folded state, and the foldable electronic device 1000 shown in fig. 2 is in a semi-open state. The foldable electronic device 1000 shown in fig. 3 has an unfolding angle of 180 degrees. The foldable electronic device 1000 includes, but is not limited to, a cell phone, a notebook (notebook computer), a tablet (tablet personal computer), a personal digital assistant (personal digital assistant), or a vehicle mounted device (mobile device), etc. In the embodiment of the present application, the foldable electronic device 1000 is taken as an example of a mobile phone.

It should be noted that the angles illustrated in the embodiments of the present application allow for slight deviations. For example, the mobile phone shown in fig. 2 has an unfolding angle of 180 degrees, which may be 180 degrees, or may be about 180 degrees, such as 170 degrees, 175 degrees, 185 degrees, 190 degrees, etc. The angles illustrated hereinafter are to be understood identically.

For convenience of description, a width direction of the foldable electronic device 1000 is defined as an X-axis direction, a length direction of the foldable electronic device 1000 is defined as a Y-axis direction, and a thickness direction of the foldable electronic device 1000 is defined as a Z-axis direction. The X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction are perpendicular to each other.

It should be noted that, the terms of "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "front" and "rear" used in describing the foldable electronic device 1000 according to the embodiments of the present application are mainly described according to the display directions of the mobile phone in fig. 2, and do not limit the directions of the foldable electronic device 1000 in practical application.

With continued reference to fig. 1 and 3, the foldable electronic device 1000 of the present embodiment is an out-folding mobile phone, and the mobile phone includes a main body 500 and a display screen 600, and the display screen 600 is mounted on the main body 500. The display screen 600 includes a display surface and a mounting surface, the display surface and the mounting surface being disposed opposite one another. The display surface is used for displaying characters, images, videos and the like. The display screen 600 includes a first display portion 610, a second display portion 620, and a third display portion 630. The third display portion 630 is positioned between the first display portion 610 and the second display portion 620, and the third display portion 630 is flexible to be bent in the X-axis direction. In this embodiment, the display screen 600 is a flexible display screen 600. The first display portion 610 and the second display portion 620 are also bendable in nature when not secured.

In this embodiment, the main body 500 includes a first housing 200, a second housing 300, a rotation mechanism 400, and a lock mechanism 100. The rotation mechanism 400 is installed between the first and second housings 200 and 300, and the rotation mechanism 400 is connected with the first and second housings 200 and 300, respectively, to achieve a rotational connection between the first and second housings 200 and 300, and the first and second housings 200 and 300 can be rotated relatively by the rotation mechanism 400, so that the body 500 is switched between the folded and unfolded states.

The side of the first and second housings 200 and 300 facing away from the display 600 is the inner surface of the mobile phone, and the side bearing the display 600 is the outer side. Specifically, the display screen 600 is mounted on the main body 500, and the mounting surface is fixedly connected with the main body 500. Specifically, the first housing 200 carries the first display portion 610, and the second housing 300 carries the second display portion 620. In other words, the first display portion 610 is mounted to the first housing 200, and the second display portion 620 is mounted to the second housing 300. Wherein the rotation mechanism 400 is disposed opposite to the third display portion 630 to achieve bending of the display screen 600.

Referring to fig. 2, the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 rotate relatively through the rotation mechanism 400, and when the mobile phone is in an unfolded state, as shown in fig. 3, the display screen 600 has a large-area display area, so as to realize a large-screen display and operation function of the mobile phone, and improve the user experience. Referring to fig. 1, when the mobile phone is in a folded state, the display 600 is located at the outermost side and is in a visible state, so that the overall size of the mobile phone is reduced, and the mobile phone is convenient to carry.

The first housing 200, the second housing 300, and the rotation mechanism 400 are sequentially disposed along the X-axis direction, and the sum of the dimensions of the three is the dimension of the main body 500 in the X-axis direction (including the assembly tolerance and the assembly gap therebetween). The dimensions of the main body 500 and the display 600 in the X-axis direction are the same as those of the mobile phone in the X-axis direction, and the same includes an allowable tolerance range. The dimensions of the first housing 200, the second housing 300, and the rotation mechanism 400 in the Y-axis direction are identical, which may allow for assembly or production tolerances. The dimensions of the first and second housings 200 and 300 along the Y-axis direction are the dimensions of the main body 500 along the Y-axis direction, and the dimensions of the main body 500 along the Y-axis direction are the same as the dimensions of the display 600 and the mobile phone along the Y-axis direction. Of course, the same here can also allow for small deviations (assembly and production tolerances).

In the X-axis direction, the width of the first case 200 is greater than the width of the second case 300, and when the cellular phone is in a folded state, a portion of the first case 200 and the second case 300 are stacked in the Z-axis direction, another portion of the first case 200 is not folded with the second case 300, the thickness of the portion of the first case 200 not stacked with the second case 300 is greater than the thickness of the portion of the first case 200 stacked with the second case 300, and the thickness of the portion of the first case 200 not stacked with the second case 300 is the sum of the thicknesses of the stacked portions of the first case 200 and the second case 300.

In this embodiment, the rotation mechanism 400 is a hinge, and the rotation mechanism 400 is connected between the first housing 200 and the second housing 300, which corresponds to a rotation structure between the first housing 200 and the second housing 300, so as to enable the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 to rotate relatively and fold relatively. Specifically, the rotation mechanism 400 includes two connected hinges, which are sequentially arranged along the Y-axis direction, wherein one hinge is connected to the first housing 200, and the other hinge is connected to the second housing 300; alternatively, the rotation mechanism 400 includes a hinge that extends from one side of the handset to the other in the Y-axis direction. In other embodiments, the rotation mechanism 400 is two rotation shafts that are connected and rotatable relative to each other, wherein one rotation shaft is rotatably connected to the first housing 200, and the other rotation shaft is rotatably connected to the second housing 300, so as to implement the relative rotation of the first housing 200 and the second housing 300. In other embodiments, the rotation mechanism 400 may be a rotation mechanism of other structures, as long as the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 can rotate and fold relatively without damaging the display screen 600.

The locking mechanism 100 is mounted on the first housing 200, and in the case where the main body 500 is in a folded state, that is, in the case where the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are stacked in the Z-axis direction, the locking mechanism 100 locks the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 to prevent the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 from being relatively unfolded. When the main body 500 is required to be switched to the unfolded state, the locking mechanism 100 may release the locking of the first and second housings 200 and 300, and the first and second housings 200 and 300 are unfolded relatively. The first and second cases 200 and 300 are opened and flattened by an external force, and may be maintained in a flattened state by a damping force on the rotating shaft structure. In some embodiments, the opening of the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 may additionally provide a pop-up structure, or a pop-up structure may be provided within the hinge mechanism.

In this embodiment, the first housing 200 includes a first portion 220 and a second portion 240, where the first portion 220 and the second portion 240 are distributed along the X-axis direction and are fixedly connected, a side of the first portion 220 and the second portion 240 facing the display screen 600 is a first outer side surface, the first outer side surface is a plane (tolerance is allowed), and a thickness dimension of the first portion 220 along the Z-axis direction is greater than a thickness dimension of the second portion 240 along the Z-axis direction. It is understood that the first portion 220 protrudes from the second portion 240.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, fig. 5 is an exploded view of the first housing shown in fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first housing shown in fig. 5. The first portion 220 of the first housing 200 includes a mounting seat 230 and a housing 250, and the housing 250 and the mounting seat 230 are stacked and fixed in the Z-axis direction. The mounting base 230 is used for accommodating electronic devices of a mobile phone, and the mounting base 230 comprises a first side 231, a first surface 232, a second surface (not shown) opposite to the first surface 232, and two first end surfaces 234 opposite to each other along the Y-axis direction; the first side 231 is connected to the first surface 232, and the first surface 232 faces away from the outer side of the main body 500. The first side 231 of this embodiment is concave in shape.

The second portion 240 of the first housing 200 includes a second side surface (not shown) located in the positive X-axis direction, two second end surfaces 242 opposite each other in the Y-axis direction, a third surface 243 opposite each other in the Z-axis direction, and a fourth surface (not shown).

In this embodiment, the first portion 220 and the second portion 240 are integrally formed into the first housing 200 along the X-axis direction, and the second portion 240 is located at one side of the first side 231 of the first portion 220; the second side faces the first side 231 toward the same side and away from each other. In the Y-axis direction, the length dimension of the first portion 220 and the length dimension of the second portion 240 are both the same as the length dimension of the first housing 200. In the Z-axis direction, the height dimension of the first portion 220 is greater than the height dimension of the second portion 240, and in one embodiment the height dimension of the first portion 220 is approximately twice the height dimension of the second portion 240.

In this embodiment, the second end face 242 of the second portion 240 of the first housing 200 and the first end face 234 of the first portion 220 are connected along the Z-axis direction, and the second end face 242 and the first end face 234 are located on the same plane. The first surface 232 is connected with the first side 231, an included angle close to 90 degrees is formed between the first side 231 and the first surface 232, the first side 231 is connected with the first surface 232 and the third surface 243, and the first surface 232 and the third surface 243 are arranged in a step shape, namely, a height difference is formed between the first surface 232 and the third surface 243. The second surface and the fourth surface are connected along the X-axis direction, and the second surface and the fourth surface are located on the same plane and are part of the outer side surface of the main body 500.

As shown in fig. 4, fig. 4 is a schematic structural view of a second housing of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 3. In this embodiment, the second housing 300 includes a third side surface 3001 and a fourth side surface (not shown) opposite to each other in the X-axis direction, two third end surfaces 3003 opposite to each other in the Y-axis direction, a fifth surface 3005 and a sixth surface 3006 opposite to each other in the Z-axis direction. The third side 3001 is a convex arcuate surface. The rotation mechanism 400 is located between the first side 241 and the fourth side.

The second housing 300 is provided with a locking groove 300A, and the locking groove 300A is concavely arranged on the third side surface 3001, that is, a notch of the locking groove 300A is located on the arc surface. The arced surface is used for cooperating with locking mechanism 100, guides locking mechanism 100, and locking mechanism 100 and locking groove 300A block of being convenient for. The first and second cases 200 and 300 are closed, and the third side 3001 is relatively attached to the first side 231, that is, the convex arc surface and the concave arc surface are matched, so that the closing tightness and the appearance attractiveness of the first and second cases 200 and 300 are improved.

The thickness of the second housing 300 is the same as the thickness of the first portion 220 of the first housing 200, the length of the second housing 300 is the same as the length of the first housing 200, and the width of the second housing 300 is the same as the width of the first portion 220 of the first housing 200.

When the first and second housings 200 and 300 are relatively unfolded, the second, fourth and sixth surfaces are substantially coplanar, the third and fifth surfaces 3005 are substantially coplanar, and the first surface 232 is higher than the third surface 243. The third end face 3003, the second end face 242, and the first end face 234 on the same side of the body 500 are coplanar. When the first and second housings 200 and 300 are folded relative to each other, the third surface 243 faces the fifth surface 3005, and the third side 3001 faces the first side 231. In other words, the sum of the thickness of the second housing 300 and the thickness of the second portion 240 of the first housing 200 is equal to the thickness of the second portion 240 of the first housing 200 in the Z-axis direction; alternatively, the sum of the thickness of the second housing 300 and the thickness of the second portion 240 of the first housing 200 and the thickness of the display screen 600 is equal to the thickness of the second portion 240 of the first housing 200.

Referring to fig. 6, the mounting base 230 is provided with a mounting groove 260, and the mounting groove 260 is concavely disposed on the first surface 232. One side wall of the mounting groove 260 is provided with a containing groove 270, the other side wall is provided with a sliding through groove 280, and the sliding through groove 280 penetrates through the groove side wall and the first side 231 of the mounting groove 260; the sliding through groove 280 is spaced apart from the receiving groove 270. The mounting groove 260 is used for accommodating the locking mechanism 100, the sliding through groove 280 is used for enabling part of devices of the locking mechanism 100 to extend out, and the accommodating groove 270 is used for enabling the other part of the locking mechanism 100 to have a movable space. The mounting slot 260 is positioned in a notch of the first surface 232 for mounting the locking mechanism 100 within the mounting slot 260.

Specifically, the mounting groove 260 is a substantially rectangular groove, and is formed by recessing the first surface 232 toward the first housing 200, and a notch is formed on the first surface 232. The mounting groove 260 includes two opposite end walls 261, a first groove side wall 262 and a second groove side wall 263, the two end walls 261 are connected with the first groove side wall 262 and the second groove side wall 263, the first groove side wall 262 and the second groove side wall 263 are oppositely arranged along the width direction of the mounting groove 260, and the second groove side wall 263 and the first side 231 are arranged back to back along the width direction of the mounting groove 260. The mounting groove 260 of this embodiment is a generally rectangular recess that is further provided with a groove bottom wall 265, with two end walls 261, a first groove side wall 262 and a second groove side wall each connecting the groove bottom wall 265. The first groove side wall 262 is concavely provided with a receiving groove 270, and the receiving groove 270 is concaved into the first groove side wall 262 along the width direction of the mounting groove 260. Along the width direction of the mounting groove 260, the sliding through groove 280 penetrates through the second groove side wall 263 and the first side 231, that is, the sliding through groove 280 penetrates through a part of the mounting seat 230 between the mounting groove 260 and the first side 231, and a notch is formed on the first side 231; the sliding through groove 280 is provided opposite to the accommodating groove 270 in the width direction of the mounting groove 260. The cross sections of the sliding through groove 280 and the accommodating groove 270 in this embodiment are rectangular.

In this embodiment, the connection position between the first groove side wall 262 and the two end walls 261 and the connection position between the second groove side wall 263 and the two end walls 261 are provided with the protruding portion 266, the protruding portion 266 protrudes into the mounting groove 260 along the width direction of the mounting groove 260, and the distance between the two opposite protruding portions 266 is smaller than the distance between the first groove side wall 262 and the second groove side wall 263. It will be appreciated that the distance between two projections 266 at a location near the same end wall 261 is less than the distance between the first and second channel side walls 262, 263.

Referring to fig. 5 and 7, fig. 7 is an exploded view of a portion of the first housing and a portion of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 3. In this embodiment, the housing 250 is a strip-shaped plate that may completely cover the first surface 232 of the first portion 220. The housing 250 includes an outer surface 2501 and an inner surface 2502 disposed opposite each other, two opposite cover end surfaces 2503, and two side surfaces (not shown); two side surfaces connect the outer surface 2501 and the inner surface 2502 and two cover end surfaces 2503, the two side surfaces are arc-shaped surfaces, and square bending is performed from the outer surface 2501 to the inner surface 2502. The housing 250 is also provided with a through slot 250A, the through slot 250A extending through the outer surface 2501 and the inner surface 2502. The through groove 250A is provided with a step 2504 protruding inward, the step 2504 protruding inward of the through groove 250A around the groove peripheral wall of the through groove 250A, and the step is provided at a notch position of the outer surface 2501 of the through groove 250A. The housing 250 is mounted on the mounting base 230, the first surface 232 is opposite to and connected with the inner surface 2502, and the two cover end surfaces 2503 are coplanar with the first end surface 234 and the second end surface respectively; one side connects to the first side 231. The through slot 250A is opposite to and communicates with the mounting slot 260 for receiving and retaining the locking mechanism 100 in the first housing 200.

Referring to fig. 2 and 7, and fig. 8 and 9, fig. 8 is a schematic view of a portion of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 1; i.e. without a schematic key. Fig. 9 is another angular schematic view of a portion of the structure of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 8.

The locking mechanism 100 includes a key 10, a locking member 30, and a link assembly 50. The link assembly 50 includes an elastic member 40, and the link assembly 50 is connected to the locking member 30, which can be understood that the key 10 is used for pushing the link assembly 50 to move and deform by an external force, so as to displace the locking member 30. The elastic member 40 serves to provide a locking force of the locking member 30.

As shown in fig. 7, in the present embodiment, the key 10 is a substantially rectangular block body, and includes a pressing surface 11, a back surface 12, and a peripheral surface 13, wherein the pressing surface 11 and the back surface 12 are disposed opposite to each other, and the peripheral surface 13 connects the pressing surface 11 and the back surface 12. The back surface 12 is convexly provided with two pressing blocks 14, and the two pressing blocks 14 are positioned at opposite ends of the back surface 12 along the length direction of the key 10. Each of the pressing blocks 14 includes a first inclined surface 141. The first inclined surfaces 141 of the two pressing blocks 14 in the present embodiment are disposed opposite to each other. The peripheral side surface 13 is provided with a boss 15 protruding upward, and in this embodiment, the boss 15 is an annular boss extending along the peripheral side surface 13. In other embodiments, the boss 15 is a plurality of blocks protruding along the peripheral side surface 13.

In this embodiment, the locking member 30 is a generally T-shaped plate, and includes a connecting plate 31 and a locking tongue 32, where the locking tongue 32 includes a locking end 321 and a connecting end 322, and the connecting end 322 and the locking end 321 are disposed opposite to each other; in this embodiment, the locking end 321 has an arc surface 3211, and the third side 3001 of the second housing 300 pushes the locking end 321 of the arc surface 3211, so as to improve the smoothness of inserting the locking bolt 32 into the locking slot 300A. The connecting plate 31 comprises a body 310 and a plug section 311 arranged at one end of the body, one end of the body 310 of the connecting plate 31, which is opposite to the plug section 311, is connected to a connecting end 322, and the connecting plate 31 extends away from the lock tongue 32. The body 310 is provided with a mounting hole for connection with the link assembly. The thickness of the plugging section 311 of this embodiment is greater than the thickness of the body of the connecting plate 31, and after the connecting rod assembly is fixed to the connecting plate 31, the total thickness of the connecting assembly and the connecting plate 31 is not increased, so that the space in the thickness direction of the mounting groove 260 can be saved, and the thickness of the plugging section 311 can enable the connecting plate 31 to have sufficient strength.

Fig. 10 is a partially exploded schematic view of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a partially exploded schematic view of the locking mechanism shown in fig. 10. The elastic member 40 is a coil spring including a first connection end 41 and a second connection end 42, and the first connection end 41 and the second connection end 42 are both ends of the elastic member 40 in the length (expansion and contraction) direction.

The link assembly 50 includes a first sliding portion 51, a second sliding portion 53, two first links 54, and two second links 55, the two first links 54 being connected between the first sliding portion 51 and the connection plate 31 of the locking member 30, and the two first links 54 being disposed in parallel; the two second links 55 are connected between the second sliding portion 53 and the connecting plate 31 of the locking member 30, and the two second links 55 are arranged in parallel; the locking member 30 is located between the first link 54 and the second link 55.

The first link 54 and the second link 55 are elongated rod bodies. Along the length direction of the first link 54, first shafts 541 are connected to opposite ends of the first link 54, and the axial direction of the first shafts 541 is perpendicular to the length direction of the first link 54. In this embodiment, the first shaft 541 for connecting one end of the first sliding portion 51 passes through opposite sides of the first link 54, and has two first shaft ends, and the first link 54 is fixedly connected to the first link 54 through the first shaft 541. The first shaft 541, which is used to connect the first link 54 to the connection plate 31, is fixed to one side of the first link 54. Along the length direction of the second connecting rod 55, two opposite ends of the second connecting rod 55 are respectively provided with a second shaft 551, and the axial direction of the second shaft 551 is perpendicular to the length direction of the second connecting rod 55. In this embodiment, the second link 55 is used for connecting a second shaft 551 of one end of the second sliding portion 53 to pass through two opposite sides of the second link 55, and has two second shaft ends; the second link 55 is fixedly connected to the second link 55 by a second shaft 551. The first shaft 541 and the second shaft 551 are detachable and reinstalled when the first link 54 and the second link 55 are connected to the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53.

Referring to fig. 11 together, the first sliding portion 51 includes a first body 511, a first fixing body 512, and a second inclined surface 513, and the first fixing body 512 and the second inclined surface 513 are disposed opposite to each other along the Z-axis direction. Specifically, the first fixing body 512 and the second inclined surface 513 are disposed on two opposite sides of the first body 511. The first body 511 is also provided with two first hinging seats 514, and the first hinging seats 514 are provided with shaft holes; the axial direction of the shaft hole of the first hinge base 514 extends in the Z direction (the moving direction of the key 10). Along the X-axis direction, the first fixing body 512 and the second inclined plane 513 are located between the two first hinge seats 514, and it should be noted that, in this embodiment, the X-axis direction is the length direction of the first sliding portion 51, and the Z-axis direction is the thickness direction of the first sliding portion 51; the Y axis is the sliding direction of the first sliding portion 51.

Specifically, the first body 511 is a substantially rectangular block body that includes a first mounting side 5111, two first mounting surfaces 5112, and two mounting end surfaces (not labeled). The first mounting side 5111 connects the two first mounting surfaces 5112, the first mounting side 5111 is located in the Y-axis direction, and the two first mounting surfaces 5112 are disposed opposite to each other in the Z-axis direction. The two mounting end surfaces connect the first mounting side surface 5111 and the two first mounting surfaces 5112, and the two mounting end surfaces are disposed opposite to each other in the X-axis direction.

A second inclined surface 513 is formed at the junction of the first mounting side 5111 and one of the first mounting surfaces 5112. The second inclined surface 513 is located at a middle position of the first mounting side 5111 and the first mounting side 5112, and the second inclined surface 513 is inclined from the first mounting side 5112 to the first mounting side 5111. It is understood that the bottom surface of the recess formed by the connection between the first mounting side 5111 and one first mounting surface 5112 is a second inclined surface; the second inclined surface 513 is adapted to cooperate with the first inclined surface 141. The edge of the middle part of the other first mounting surface 5112 is recessed toward the first body 511 to form a recess 5113, the recess 5113 penetrates through the first mounting side 5111, a first fixing body 512 is convexly arranged on the bottom surface of the recess 5113, and an included angle is formed between the protruding direction of the first fixing body 512 and the first mounting surface 5112; the first fixing body 512 of the present embodiment is a cylinder, and is protruding on the bottom surface of the recess 5113 along the Z-axis direction. The first fixing body 512 is adapted to be coupled (detachably coupled) to the first coupling end 41 of the elastic member 40, and the recess 5113 penetrates the first mounting side 5111 so as to allow the elastic member 40 to pass therethrough. In this embodiment, the second inclined plane 513 and the first fixing body 512 are both formed after the first body 511 is recessed in the Z-axis direction (the thickness direction of the first sliding portion), so that the thickness dimension of the whole first sliding portion 51 in the Z-axis direction is reduced, and the space occupied by the first sliding portion 51 in the first housing 200 is further reduced. In other embodiments, the first fixing body 512 may be a hook or the like.

The two first hinge bases 514 are formed by the first mounting side 5111 being concavely arranged towards the first body 511, and the first hinge bases 514 of the embodiment are a plurality of grooves with notches, and the notches are formed on the first mounting side 5111 and the mounting end face. Each first hinge seat 514 has two opposite groove walls in the thickness direction of the first body 511, and each groove wall is provided with a shaft hole 5341. Wherein the notch of the first mounting side 5111 is used for inserting the first link 54, the notch at the mounting end surface can provide a larger swing space for the first link 54.

The second sliding portion 53 is identical in structure to the first sliding portion 51, and includes a second body 531, a second fixing body 532, and a third inclined surface 533, and a second hinge seat 534 provided with a shaft hole 5341, and the second body 531 includes a second mounting side surface 5311, two second mounting surfaces 5312, and two mounting end surfaces. The specific structure and the mating relationship can be referred to the specific description of the first sliding portion 51, and the second sliding portion 53 will not be repeated.

One end of each of the two first connecting rods 54 is fixedly connected to the same side of the connecting plate 31 of the locking member 30 through a first shaft 541, the other end of each of the two first connecting rods 54 is respectively inserted into the two first hinge seats 514 through a notch of the mounting end face of the first body 511, the two first connecting rods 54 are rotatably connected with the shaft holes 5341 of the first hinge seats 514 through two shaft ends of the first shaft 541, the two first connecting rods 54 are connected between the locking member 30 and the first sliding portion 51, and the two first connecting rods 54 are arranged in parallel. One end of each second connecting rod 55 is fixedly connected to the same side of the connecting plate 31 of the locking member 30 through a second shaft 551, the other end of each second connecting rod 55 is inserted into the second hinge seat 534 through a notch of the mounting end face of the second body 531, the two second connecting rods 55 are rotatably connected with the shaft hole 5341 of the second hinge seat 534 through two shaft ends of the second shaft 551, the two second connecting rods 55 are connected between the locking member 30 and the second sliding part 53, and the two second connecting rods 55 are arranged in parallel. The center line of the locking member 30 in the moving direction (X-axis direction) of the locking member 30 is a line of symmetry of the two first links 54 and the two second links 55, that is, the two first links 54 and the two second links 55 are symmetrically disposed. The first connecting end 41 of the elastic member 40 is hung on (connected to) the first fixing body 512, and the second connecting end 42 is hung on (connected to) the second fixing body 532. Two first links 54 and two second links 55, connecting plate 31 are located between first sliding portion 51 and second sliding portion 53. In the Z-axis direction, the thickness after the first link 54 and the second link 55 are connected with the body 310 of the connection plate 31 and the thickness of the connection section 311 or less; thus, after the locking mechanism 100 is mounted to the first housing, the thickness space of the first housing can be saved.

As shown in fig. 8, 12 and 13, fig. 12 is a schematic view of a part of the structure of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1. Fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1 at an angle. The locking mechanism 100 is in a locked state, that is, the second housing 300 is locked to the first housing 200 after the locking mechanism 100 is mounted to the first housing 200. The key 10 is abutted against the first sliding part 51 and the second sliding part 53 and is opposite to the connecting plate 31 at intervals; the natural state of the elastic member 40 means that the elastic member 40 is not compressed and is located at a stretched critical point, and no elastic expansion force is generated. The elastic member 40 can be kept from being deformed without generating an external force by the contact of the key 10 with the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53. The lock tongue 32 and the elastic member 40 have a first distance (in the X-axis direction), and the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 have a second distance (in the Y-axis direction). At this time, the two first links 54 and the two second links 55 are each inclined in the moving direction (X-axis direction) of the locking member 30, and the two first links 54 and the two second links 55 are each inclined away (away from) the lock tongue 32; the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod form a first included angle with the moving direction of the locking piece.

The locking mechanism is in an unlocked state, in the Z-axis direction, the key 10 is pressed, the key 10 is close to the connecting plate 31 and pushes the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 away from each other (the two first inclined surfaces 141 are matched with the second inclined surfaces 513 and the third inclined surfaces 533), the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 have a fourth distance, the elastic member 40 is stretched, the lock tongue 32 moves towards the elastic member 40 along the X-axis, and has a third distance from the elastic member 40; the first distance is smaller than the third distance, and the second distance is smaller than the fourth distance; at this time, the first link 54 and the second link 55 are both disposed at a second included angle with the moving direction of the locking member 30, and the first included angle is smaller than the second included angle. It should be noted that, each of the above-mentioned distances refers to a linear distance between the two opposite sides, for example, a distance between the latch 32 and the elastic member 40, and a linear distance between the connecting surface of the latch 32 and the outer surface of the elastic member 40.

Specifically, when the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 slide away from each other, the first link 54 and the second link 55 are pulled, one end of the first link 54 rotates relative to the first sliding portion 51, one end of the second link 55 rotates relative to the second sliding portion 53, and the first link 54 and the second link 55 simultaneously generate a pulling force on the connecting plate 31, so that the whole locking member 30 is displaced, and a specific direction is a negative direction of the X axis. The moving direction (positive and negative X-axis direction) of the lock member 30, the moving direction (positive and negative Z-axis direction) of the key 10, and the moving directions (positive and negative Y-axis direction) of the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 are perpendicular to each other.

In one embodiment, unlike the above embodiment, the first link 54 and the second link 55 may be one, the first hinge seat 514 is one and disposed in the middle of the first body 511, and the second hinge seat 534 is one and disposed in the middle of the second body 531; the first link 54 is connected to the first hinge seat 514 of the first sliding portion 51, and the second link 55 is connected to the second hinge seat 534 of the second sliding portion 53.

The following is a detailed description of a specific embodiment of the locking mechanism 100 in the case of application to a folding cellular phone.

Referring to fig. 12, 13 and 14, fig. 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1 at another angle. The first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 to which the first link 54 and the second link 55 and the elastic member 40 are connected are mounted to the mounting groove 260, and the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 are respectively located at two end walls 261 of the mounting groove 260, and each have a distance from the end wall 261, which is sufficient for the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 to move. The first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 may slide along the groove bottom wall 265 of the mounting groove 260, specifically in a direction along the length direction of the mounting groove 260. Specifically, the first sliding portion 51 is located between the two protruding portions 266 at the position of one end wall 261, the second sliding portion 53 is located between the two protruding portions 266 at the position of the other end wall 261, and the protruding portions 266 play a guiding role when the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 slide, and accuracy of the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 is improved.

The first and second fixing bodies 512 and 532 to which the elastic member 40 is coupled face the groove bottom wall 265 of the mounting groove 260. The second inclined surface 513 of the first sliding portion 51 and the third inclined surface 533 of the second sliding portion 53 face the notch of the installation groove 260, that is, face away from the groove bottom wall 265 of the installation groove 260. The first body 511 is provided with a mounting surface of the first fixing body 512 facing the bottom wall of the mounting groove 260; the second body 531 is provided with a mounting surface of the second fixing body 532 facing the bottom wall of the mounting groove 260.

It will be appreciated that the connecting plate 31 of the locking member 30 is located between the first link 54 and the second link 55, and that both the first link 54 and the second link 55 are fixedly connected to the connecting plate 31. The two first connecting rods 54 are disposed at an angle to the first mounting side 5111 and the connecting plate 31. Specifically, the two first links 54 and the two second links 55 are inclined toward the lock tongue 32 side.

The locking member 30 is inserted through the notch of the sliding through groove 280 of the first side 231, the connecting plate 31 is located in the mounting groove 260, the insertion section is located in the receiving groove 270, and the connecting plate 31 is fixedly connected with one end of the first link 54 and fixedly connected with a large inner portion of the second link 55. Specifically, a part of the mounting hole of the body 310 of the connecting plate 31 is sleeved on the first shaft of the first connecting rod 54, and the first connecting rod 54 is located between the connecting plate 31 and the first sliding part 51; the other part of the mounting hole of the body 310 of the connecting plate 31 is sleeved on the second shaft of the second connecting rod 55, and the second connecting rod 55 is positioned between the connecting plate 31 and the second sliding part 53. The insertion section 311 of the connecting plate 31 of the locking member 30 is partially located in the receiving groove 270, the locking tongue 32 passes through the sliding through groove 280, and the locking end 321 exposes the notch of the sliding through groove 280 located on the first side 231. The locking member 30 slides in the accommodating groove 270 and the sliding through groove 280 along the width direction of the mounting groove 260; the moving direction of the key 10 is perpendicular to the moving direction of the locking member 30. The depth of the receiving groove 270 is greater than the length of the insertion section 311 to reserve a moving space for the locking member 30; and the connecting plate 31 of the locking piece 30 is partially positioned in the accommodating groove 270, and the lock tongue 32 is partially positioned in the sliding through groove 280, so that the locking piece 30 can be prevented from tilting, and the sliding stability of the locking piece 30 and the plugging accuracy of the lock tongue 32 and the locking groove 300A are ensured. In other embodiments, after the latch tongue 32 extends out of the first side 231, the insertion section 311 is located at the notch of the receiving slot 270.

The key 10 is mounted in the mounting groove 260, and the first inclined surfaces 141 of the two pressing blocks 14 of the key are respectively opposite to and abutted against the second inclined surface 513 and the third inclined surface 533; the housing 250 covers the mounting groove 260, the key 10 partially passes through the through groove 250A, and the pressing surface 11 exposes the outer surface 2501; the boss 15 is clamped with the step 2504 of the through groove 250A, so that the key 10 is limited in the installation space formed by the installation groove 260 and the through groove 250A, namely, the whole locking mechanism 100 is limited in the installation space formed by the installation groove 260 and the through groove 250A. The key can move along the Z-axis direction into the mounting slot 260.

The locking mechanism 100 is in an initial state, which may also be referred to as a locked state, the elastic member 40 is in a natural elastic state, and the elastic member 40 is used to provide a locking force. The elastic member 40 may be kept unchanged under the premise that the key 10 is in contact with the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53, but the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 do not move, that is, the locking member 30 may be kept at a certain position under the cooperation of the key 10 and the elastic member 40, so as to prevent the locking member 30 from shaking and displacing in the first housing 200.

Referring also to fig. 15, fig. 15 is a schematic view showing a state of a locking mechanism of the foldable electronic device shown in fig. 1. The dashed line in fig. 15 is the position of the various elements after displacement, and is provided merely for ease of understanding the principle of movement of the locking mechanism, and the dimensions and shape are merely illustrative. In the Z-axis direction, the pressing face 11 of the key is pressed, the first inclined face 141 of the pressing block 14 of the key pushes against the second inclined face 513 of the first sliding portion 51 and the third inclined face 533 of the second sliding portion 53, so that the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 slide in opposite directions along the groove bottom wall 265 of the mounting groove 260, the movement direction of the second sliding portion 53 is as in the s1 direction in FIG. 15, the movement direction of the first sliding portion 51 is as in the s2 direction in FIG. 15, that is, the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 move in the Y-axis direction, and at the same time, the elastic member 40 is stretched in the s1 direction and the s2 direction, along the length direction (Y-axis direction) of the mounting groove 260, one end of the first link 54 is pulled by the first sliding portion 51, one end of the second link 55 is pulled by the second sliding portion 53, the first shaft 541 of the first link 54 rotates relative to the first sliding portion 51, the second shaft 551 of the second link 55 rotates relative to the second sliding portion 53, the first link 54 and the second link 55 receiving the pulling force pull the connecting plate 31 along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the mounting groove 260, that is, the sliding through groove 280 slides toward the accommodating groove 270, and further pulls the lock tongue 32 to retract from the notch into the sliding through groove 280, and the inserting section 311 is inserted into the accommodating groove 270. At this time, the locking mechanism 100 is in a changed state, which may also be referred to as an unlocked state, and the inclination angle of the first link 54 and the second link 55 with respect to the locking member 30 is reduced; the elastic member has an elastic force that provides for restoring the locking member 30.

The external force to the key is removed, and the elastic restoring force of the elastic member 40 pulls the first sliding part 51 and the second sliding part 53 to slide toward each other along the bottom wall of the installation groove 260, and the second inclined surface 513 of the first sliding part 51 and the third inclined surface 533 of the second sliding part 53 push the first inclined surface 141 of the pressing block 14 of the key, so that the key moves away from the installation groove 260 toward the through groove 250A to restore the original position. The first link 54 and the second link 55 push the connection plate 31 to slide along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the installation groove 260, and drive the latch tongue 32 to extend out of the notch of the sliding through groove 280 again, that is, the locking mechanism 100 returns to the original state.

In this embodiment, when the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 are folded relatively, the third surface 243 faces the fifth surface 3005, the third side 3001 slides along the width direction of the first side 231, and the third side 3001 pushes the locking end of the locking bolt 32, so that the locking bolt 32 is retracted into the sliding through groove (the locking mechanism 100 is in a changed state) until the third side 3001 faces the first side 231, and the locking groove 300A of the second housing 300 faces and communicates with the notch of the sliding through groove 280 of the first housing 200. Since the third side surface 3001 and the first side surface 231 are arc-shaped, the third side surface 3001 can push the locking bolt 32 more smoothly, and friction force can be reduced. Of course, a certain safety gap may be formed between the third side 3001 and the first side 231, and the locking mechanism 100 returns to the original state, and the locking tongue 32 of the locking member 30 extends into the locking groove 300A of the second housing 300 to limit the second housing 300 to the first housing 200, so that the second housing 300 is fixed relative to the first housing 200, and the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 maintain the folded state, so as to prevent the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 from being accidentally opened, in other words, the locking mechanism 100 is in the original state, and the first housing and the second housing 300 are in the locked state. The display screen 600 is located outside the main body 500 and may be used.

In this embodiment, when the locking mechanism 100 is in the initial state, the force provided by the precompression force of the elastic member 40 causes the locking member 30 to be inserted into the locking groove 300A of the second housing 300, and to be kept in contact with the groove wall surface of the locking groove 300A. At this time, the first link 54 and the second link are inclined toward the tongue 32 of the lock 30, and the ends connected to the lock 30 are close to each other.

When the locked state of the locking mechanism 100 needs to be released, that is, when the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 need to be unlocked, the second housing 300 is opened with respect to the first housing 200. The pressing surface 11 of the key is pressed into the first housing 200 (along the Z axis direction), the first sliding portion 51 and the second sliding portion 53 are slid in opposite directions along the bottom wall of the mounting groove 260, the elastic member 40 is stretched, one end of the first link 54 is pulled by the first sliding portion 51 along the length direction (Y axis direction) of the mounting groove 260, one end of the second link 55 is pulled by the second sliding portion 53, the first link 54 and the second link 55 receiving the pulling force pull the connecting plate 31 along the width direction (X axis direction) of the mounting groove 260, that is, the sliding through groove 280 slides in the direction of the accommodating groove 270, and the locking tongue 32 is pulled to retract from the notch into the sliding through groove 280, the locking tongue 32 is unlocked from the locking groove, and the second housing 300 is unlocked from the first housing 200, that is, thereby the second housing 300 can be opened. When the second and first housings 300 and 200 are completely opened, the display screen 600 is completely unfolded, having a large screen function.

In this embodiment, by arranging the first link 54 and the second link 55 between the key 10 and the locking member 30, and implementing transmission of the first link 54 and the second link 55 through the elastic member, the acting force of the key 10 on the locking member 30 is implemented, so that the locking member 30 locks the first housing 200 and the second housing 300 or releases the locking; under the effort of first connecting rod 54 and second connecting rod 55 and elastic component 40, button 10 and locking piece 30 can not direct contact can realize button 10 to the control of locking piece 30, avoid button 10 and locking piece 30 direct action to produce mutual friction and influence button 10 and locking piece 30's sensitivity of use, can understand that the frictional force of whole locking mechanism 100 is given the conversion by first connecting rod 54 and second connecting rod 55, the frictional force of whole locking mechanism 100 reduces, the smooth operation degree improves the life of locking mechanism has been promoted simultaneously. In the foldable electronic device, in the locking and unlocking processes of the first shell and the second shell, the key 10 carries out driving force to the locking piece 30 through the first connecting rod 54 and the second connecting rod 55, and the key is not in direct friction contact with the first shell 200 and/or the second shell 300, so that friction force between the locking mechanism 100 and the first shell 200 and the second shell 300 can be reduced, and matching performance of the locking mechanism 100 and the first shell 200 and the second shell 300 is guaranteed.

The above is only a part of examples and embodiments of the present application, and the scope of the present application is not limited thereto, and any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical scope of the present application can easily think about the changes or substitutions, and all the changes or substitutions are covered in 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 locking mechanism is characterized by comprising a key, a locking piece, an elastic piece, a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a first sliding part and a second sliding part,

the locking mechanism is in an unlocking state, the key is close to the connecting plate, the first sliding part and the second sliding part have a fourth distance, the elastic piece is stretched, and the lock tongue and the elastic piece have a third distance; the first distance is less than the third distance, and the second distance is less than the fourth distance; the moving direction of the locking piece, the moving direction of the key and the moving directions of the first sliding part and the second sliding part are perpendicular to each other.

2. The locking mechanism of claim 1, wherein the first link and the second link are inclined away from the locking tongue, the locking mechanism is in a locked state, and the first link and the second link are both disposed at a first angle with respect to a moving direction of the locking member; the locking mechanism is in an unlocking state, the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are both arranged at a second included angle with the moving direction of the locking piece, and the first included angle is smaller than the second included angle.

3. The locking mechanism of claim 2, wherein the key is moved toward the connecting plate by an external force, the first sliding portion and the second sliding portion are moved reversely to the fourth distance, the tongue is moved toward the elastic member to the third distance,

and the external force is removed, the elastic restoring force of the elastic piece pulls the first sliding part and the second sliding part to be close to each other and restore to the second distance, and the lock tongue moves to the first distance in the direction away from the elastic piece.

4. The locking mechanism of claim 2, wherein the key comprises a pressing surface and a back surface opposite to the pressing surface, the back surface is provided with two pressing blocks arranged at intervals, each pressing block is provided with a first inclined surface, the first inclined surfaces of the two pressing blocks are opposite to each other,

the first sliding part comprises a second inclined plane, the second sliding part comprises a third inclined plane, the second inclined plane is opposite to the third inclined plane in the moving direction of the first sliding part and the second sliding part, and the second inclined plane and the third inclined plane are respectively abutted to one first inclined plane.

5. The locking mechanism of claim 4, wherein the locking tongue comprises a connecting end and a locking end disposed opposite the connecting end, the locking end having an arcuate surface.

6. The locking mechanism of claim 5, wherein the web is connected to the connection end and extends away from the connection end along the direction in which the locking tongue extends; the first distance or the third distance is formed between the connecting end and the elastic piece;

the connecting plate comprises a body and a plug-in section arranged at one end of the body, wherein the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod are connected to the body, and the connection thickness of the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod and the body is smaller than or equal to the thickness of the plug-in section.

7. The locking mechanism of claim 6, wherein the first sliding portion comprises a first fixed body, the second sliding portion comprises a second fixed body perpendicular to the sliding direction of the first sliding portion, the second inclined surface is disposed opposite the first fixed body, and the third inclined surface is disposed opposite the second fixed body;

the elastic piece comprises a first connecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting end and the second connecting end are two ends of the elastic piece in the length direction, the first connecting end is connected with the first fixing body, and the second connecting end is connected with the second fixing body.

8. The locking mechanism of claim 7, wherein the first slide comprises a first body having a first mounting side and two oppositely disposed first mounting surfaces, the first mounting side connecting the two first mounting surfaces; the second inclined plane is formed at the joint of the first mounting side surface and one first mounting surface; the other first mounting surface is provided with a concave part, the concave part penetrates through the first mounting side surface, and the first fixing body is positioned in the concave part;

the second sliding part comprises a second body, wherein the second body is provided with a second mounting side surface and two second mounting surfaces which are arranged in a back-to-back mode, and the second mounting side surface is connected with the two second mounting surfaces; the third inclined surface is formed at the joint of the second mounting side surface and one second mounting surface; the other second mounting surface is provided with a concave part, the concave part penetrates through the second mounting side surface, and the second fixing body is positioned in the concave part.

9. The locking mechanism of claim 8, wherein the first sliding portion is further provided with a first hinge seat, the first hinge seat is provided with a shaft hole, and the shaft hole has an axial direction identical to a moving direction of the key; the first connecting rod is provided with a first shaft, the first connecting rod is arranged on the first hinging seat, and the first shaft is inserted into the shaft hole of the first hinging seat and is rotationally connected with the shaft hole of the first hinging seat;

The second sliding part is also provided with a second hinging seat, the second hinging seat is provided with a shaft hole, and the axial direction of the shaft hole is the same as the moving direction of the key; the second connecting rod is provided with a second shaft, the second connecting rod is arranged on the second hinging seat, and the second shaft is inserted into the shaft hole of the second hinging seat and is rotationally connected with the shaft hole of the second hinging seat.

10. A foldable electronic device, comprising: a first housing, a second housing and a locking mechanism as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9, the first housing and the second housing being rotatably connected, the first housing comprising a mounting slot, the second housing being provided with a locking slot; the locking mechanism is arranged in the mounting groove;

the first shell and the second shell are folded relatively, and the mounting groove and the locking groove are opposite and communicated; the key is limited in the first shell, the pressing surface of the key is exposed out of the mounting groove, the lock tongue of the locking piece extends out of the first shell and is positioned in the locking groove, and the locking mechanism is in a locking state;

11. The foldable electronic device of claim 10, wherein the first housing comprises a first side, the first side is a concave arcuate surface, the second housing comprises a third side, the third side is a convex arcuate surface, the end surface of the locking end of the locking tongue is a convex arcuate surface, the locking groove is concavely disposed on the third side,

the locking end slides into the locking groove along a third side face, the first shell and the second shell are folded, and the third side face and the first side face are oppositely attached.

12. The foldable electronic device of claim 11, wherein the mounting slot comprises a first slot sidewall and a second slot sidewall, the first slot sidewall and the second slot sidewall being disposed opposite along a width direction of the mounting slot; the first groove side wall is concavely provided with a containing groove, the surface of the second groove side wall is arranged back to the first side surface, the second groove side wall is concavely provided with a sliding through groove, the sliding through groove penetrates through the first side surface, and the containing groove and the sliding through groove are oppositely arranged along the moving direction of the locking piece and are communicated with the mounting groove;

The inserting section of the connecting plate is located in the accommodating groove, the lock tongue is accommodated in the sliding through groove, the locking piece moves between the accommodating groove and the sliding through groove, and the lock tongue can extend out of the first side face.

13. The foldable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the mounting slot comprises two opposing end walls, both of the end walls connecting the first slot side wall and the second slot side wall; the connection parts of the two end walls and the first groove side wall and the second groove side wall are respectively provided with a protruding part, and the two protruding parts close to each end wall protrude into the mounting groove along the width direction of the mounting groove;

the first connecting rod, the second connecting rod, the first sliding part, the second sliding part and the elastic piece are all positioned between the first groove side wall and the second groove side wall; the first sliding part is arranged at intervals with one end wall and is positioned between the two protruding parts near the end wall; the second sliding part is arranged at a distance from the other end wall and is positioned between the two protruding parts near the end wall.

14. The foldable electronic device of claim 12, wherein the key comprises the pressing surface, a back surface disposed opposite the pressing surface, and a peripheral side surface connecting the pressing surface and the back surface, the peripheral side surface being convexly provided with a boss,

the first shell comprises a first part, the first part comprises a mounting seat and a shell, the mounting groove is concavely formed in the mounting seat, the shell is provided with a through groove, the groove peripheral wall of the through groove is provided with a step, the key is arranged in the mounting groove, the shell is covered on the mounting seat, the through groove is opposite to and communicated with the mounting groove, the pressing surface is exposed out of the through groove, the back face faces the mounting groove, and the boss and the step are propped against each other in the moving direction of the key.

15. The foldable electronic device of claim 14, wherein the housing includes a second portion, the first portion is coupled to a side of the second portion, the first portion has a thickness greater than the second portion, and the first portion is flush with a side of the second portion facing away from the mounting slot,

the first part comprises a first surface, the mounting groove is formed in the first surface, the second part comprises a second surface, the first side face is connected with the first surface and the second surface, and the first side face, the first surface and the second surface are arranged in an included angle; the second housing is rotatably coupled to the second portion and may be laminated to the second portion.