CN213960109U

CN213960109U - Folding mechanism and communication equipment

Info

Publication number: CN213960109U
Application number: CN202021469186.2U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 韦光东; 刘建军; 刘明生
Original assignee: Shenzhen Everwin Precision Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Everwin Precision Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-07-22
Filing date: 2020-07-22
Publication date: 2021-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 2030-07-22

Abstract

The application provides a folding mechanism and communication equipment, including U type dustcoat, left branch strut, right branch strut, collapsible and the backup pad that expandes and link assembly. The left supporting plate is supported on the left supporting frame and can slide along the guide groove on the left supporting frame; the right supporting plate is supported on the right supporting frame and can slide along the guide groove on the right supporting frame. The connecting rod assembly is provided with a first connecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting end is rotatably connected with the U-shaped outer cover, the second connecting end is rotatably connected with the left supporting frame or the right supporting frame, and when the folding mechanism is folded or unfolded, the second connecting end of the connecting rod assembly moves towards the direction far away from or close to the first connecting end and drives the left supporting frame and the right supporting frame to move towards the direction far away from or close to the U-shaped outer cover, so that the change of the outer arc length of the flexible display screen in the folding process is compensated, and the flexible display screen is prevented from being damaged due to extrusion in the folding process.

Description

Folding mechanism and communication equipment

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of communication electronics, in particular to a folding mechanism and communication equipment.

Background

With the rise of foldable electronic technology, foldable mobile phones have become a new research hotspot. What needs to be solved at present is how to support the flexible display screen and form the space for accommodating the bending part of the flexible display screen during the folding process, and meanwhile, when the flexible display screen is folded, the inner side of the flexible display screen can be slightly shortened, the outer side of the flexible display screen can be slightly lengthened, and at the moment, the folding mechanism must be kept synchronously changed, otherwise the flexible display screen can be damaged due to extrusion.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In one aspect, the present application provides a folding mechanism comprising a U-shaped housing, a left support frame, a right support frame, a foldable and expandable support plate, and a link assembly, wherein,

the supporting plate comprises a main supporting plate, a left supporting plate and a right supporting plate, the left supporting plate and the right supporting plate are arranged on the left side and the right side of the main supporting plate and are respectively rotatably connected with the main supporting plate, and the main supporting plate is fixed on the U-shaped outer cover;

guide grooves are formed in the left support frame and the right support frame, pin shafts are arranged on the left support plate and the right support plate, the left support plate is supported on the left support frame, and the pin shafts on the left support plate are inserted into the guide grooves of the left support frame and can slide along the guide grooves; the right support plate is supported on the right support frame, and a pin shaft on the right support plate is inserted into a guide groove of the right support frame and can slide along the guide groove;

the connecting rod assemblies are arranged on the left side and the right side of the U-shaped outer cover, each connecting rod assembly is provided with a first connecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting ends are rotatably connected with the U-shaped outer cover, the second connecting ends are rotatably connected with the left supporting frame or the right supporting frame, and when the folding mechanism is folded, the second connecting ends move towards the direction far away from the first connecting ends and drive the left supporting frame and the right supporting frame to move towards the direction far away from the U-shaped outer cover; when the folding mechanism is unfolded, the second connecting end moves towards the direction close to the first connecting end, and the left supporting frame and the right supporting frame are driven to move towards the direction close to the U-shaped outer cover.

Optionally, the folding mechanism further comprises a rotating mechanism, a left connecting arm, and a right connecting arm;

the rotating mechanism comprises at least one pair of rotating shafts, each rotating shaft is provided with a gear, the gears are fixed on the rotating shafts, and the rotating shafts are in meshing transmission through the gears on the rotating shafts;

the main supporting plate and the U-shaped outer cover enclose to form an accommodating space, and the rotating mechanism is arranged in the accommodating space; the side plates at two ends of the main supporting plate are provided with through holes communicated with the accommodating space, one ends of the pair of rotating shafts penetrate through the through holes to extend outwards and are respectively fixedly connected with the inner ends of the left connecting arm and the right connecting arm, and the other ends of the pair of rotating shafts are suspended in the accommodating space;

the outer end of the left connecting arm is connected with the left supporting frame in a sliding manner;

the outer end of the right connecting arm is connected with the right supporting frame in a sliding mode.

Optionally, the link assembly includes a first link and a second link, one end of the first link is hinged to one end of the second link, the other end of the first link is a first connection end of the link assembly, and the other end of the second link is a second connection end of the link assembly.

Optionally, one surface of the left connecting arm and one surface of the right connecting arm facing the supporting plate are provided with first grooves, and the first connecting rods are arranged in the first grooves and can rotate in the first grooves;

one surfaces, away from the supporting plate, of the left connecting arm and the right connecting arm are provided with second grooves, the second connecting rod is arranged in the second grooves, the projection surfaces of the first grooves and the second grooves are at least partially overlapped, a first sliding groove is arranged at the overlapped part, and the first sliding groove is communicated with the first grooves and the second grooves;

one end of the first connecting rod and one end of the second connecting rod are both provided with through holes, and a pin shaft penetrates through the first sliding groove and is respectively inserted into the through holes of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod for fixation;

the other end of the second connecting rod extends outwards towards one surface of the supporting plate to form a pin shaft, a second sliding groove is formed in the bottom surface of the second groove, and the pin shaft on the second connecting rod is inserted into the second sliding groove and can slide in the second sliding groove;

the shapes of the first groove, the second groove, the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove are matched with the rotating track of the connecting rod assembly.

Optionally, the left connecting arm with the right connecting arm deviates from one side of backup pad is equipped with spacing hole, the left branch strut with be equipped with the locating part on the right branch strut, the locating part sets up spacing downthehole, and can follow spacing hole slides.

Optionally, the rotating mechanism includes a pair of first rotating shafts, and a gear, a rotating shaft support, a rotating control member, a spring, a gasket, and a nut that are sequentially sleeved on the pair of first rotating shafts, the rotating shaft support is fixed in the accommodating space, one end of the rotating control member abuts against the rotating shaft support, the other end of the rotating control member abuts against one end of the spring, the other end of the spring abuts against the gasket, the gasket abuts against the nut, and the nut is locked at an end of the first rotating shaft;

when the folding mechanism is folded, the rotating control piece can slide along the rotating shaft direction to press the spring.

Optionally, the rotation control member includes a pair of cams and a concave wheel matched with the cams, the cams are fixed on the first rotating shaft and can rotate along with the first rotating shaft, the concave wheel is provided with a pair of through holes, the concave wheel is sleeved on the pair of first rotating shafts through the through holes and is rotatably connected with the pair of first rotating shafts, and a matching surface between the cams and the concave wheel is in a tooth-shaped structure.

Optionally, one end of the cam, which is far away from the concave wheel, is provided with an arc-shaped notch, and the rotating shaft support piece is provided with a limiting portion matched with the arc-shaped notch.

Optionally, the rotating mechanism further comprises a pair of second rotating shafts, and the pair of second rotating shafts is arranged between the pair of first rotating shafts.

Optionally, a wire arranging hole is arranged between the main support plate and the left support plate and/or the right support plate.

Another aspect of the present application provides a communication device, which includes a flexible display screen and the folding mechanism.

The application provides a folding mechanism, including U type dustcoat, left branch strut, right branch strut, collapsible and the backup pad that expandes and link assembly. The connecting rod assembly is provided with a first connecting end and a second connecting end, the first connecting end is rotatably connected with the U-shaped outer cover, the second connecting end is rotatably connected with the left supporting frame or the right supporting frame, and when the folding mechanism is folded or unfolded, the second connecting end of the connecting rod assembly moves towards the direction far away from or close to the first connecting end and drives the left supporting frame and the right supporting frame to move towards the direction far away from or close to the U-shaped outer cover, so that the change of the outer arc length of the flexible display screen in the folding process is compensated, and the flexible display screen is prevented from being damaged due to extrusion in the folding process.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the description of the embodiments are briefly introduced below, and it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious for those skilled in the art to obtain other drawings without creative efforts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a folding mechanism provided by an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural view of the folding mechanism of the embodiment of the present application in a folded state;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the folding mechanism of an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a central subassembly of a folding mechanism in accordance with an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a main support plate in the folding mechanism of the embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a connecting arm in a folding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

FIG. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of an embodiment of a rotating mechanism in a folding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application;

fig. 8 is a schematic structural view of an embodiment of a hinge support in a folding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present application.

Reference numerals:

u-shaped housing 10, body 11, blocking plate 12, receiving space 13, left support frame 210, first support plate 211, first connection plate 212, guide member 213, guide groove 214, right support frame 220, second support plate 221, second connection plate 222, support plate 30, main support plate 310, first shaft hole 311, first mounting hole 312, side plate 313, fifth pin 3131, sixth pin 3132, second mounting hole 3133, sub-support plate 314, flat cable hole 315, left support plate 320, second shaft hole 321, third pin 322, right support plate 330, third shaft hole 331, fourth pin 332, first pin 340, second pin 350, left link assembly 410, left first link 411, left first connection end 4111, left second link 412, left second connection end 4121, seventh pin 4122, right first link 421, right second link 422, left connection arm 610, right connection arm 620, first groove 630, second groove 640, The flexible screen comprises a first sliding chute 650, an eighth pin shaft 651, a second sliding chute 660, a limiting hole 670, a rotating mechanism 50, a first rotating shaft 510, a gear 511, a rotating shaft support 512, a first through hole 5121, a second through hole 5122, a mounting hole 5123, a limiting part 5124, a rotating control member 513, a spring 514, a gasket 515, a nut 516, a cam 530, a first lug 5301, an arc-shaped cut 5303, a concave wheel 540, a second lug 5401, a second rotating shaft 520 and a flexible screen 70.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative efforts belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

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

In this application, the word "exemplary" is used to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration. Any embodiment described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. In the following description, details are set forth for the purpose of explanation. It will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not shown in detail to avoid obscuring the description of the invention with unnecessary detail. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein.

As shown in fig. 1 to 3, the embodiment of the present application provides a folding mechanism, which can be used for folding the flexible display screen 70. The folding mechanism of the present application can be applied to an electronic device having a flexible display screen 70, such as a mobile phone, a computer, an electronic watch, and the like. The folding mechanism includes a U-shaped housing 10, a left support bracket 210, a right support bracket 220, a support plate 30 that can be folded and unfolded, and a link assembly 410.

The supporting plate 30 includes a main supporting plate 310, and a left supporting plate 320 and a right supporting plate 330 disposed at left and right sides of the main supporting plate 310 and rotatably connected to the main supporting plate 310, respectively. The support plate 30 provides support for the flexible display 70 when in the unfolded state, and the support plate 30 forms a receiving space (not shown) for receiving a bent portion of the flexible display 70 when in the folded state. When the folding mechanism is folded, the flexible display screen 70 supported on the supporting plate 30 is bent, and since the flexible display screen 70 has a certain thickness, the length of the outer arc surface thereof is lengthened and the length of the inner arc surface thereof is compressed and shortened during the folding process. Although the flexible display 70 has a small change in the length of the inner and outer arcs during the folding process, the folding mechanism must accommodate the change in the length of the inner and outer arcs of the flexible display 70, which may cause a squeezing and damage to the flexible display 70.

It should be noted that, in the present embodiment, for convenience of production and assembly, the left and right support frames 210 and 220, the left and

right support plates

320 and 330, and the left and right connecting rod assemblies 410 and 410 (not shown) are symmetrically disposed on the left and right sides of the main support plate 310 within an error range. Of course, in other embodiments of the invention, the structure may not be symmetrical.

In some embodiments of the present invention, a hinge structure may be disposed between the main support plate 310 and the left support plate 320 or the right support plate 330, wherein a feasible manner is to dispose the first shaft holes 311 on both sides of the main support plate 310, dispose the second shaft holes 321 on the inner side of the left support plate 320 (i.e., on the side close to the main support plate 310), and the first pin 340 simultaneously passes through the first shaft holes 311 on the left side of the main support plate 310 and the second shaft holes 321 on the left support plate 320, so as to enable the left support plate 320 to rotate around the first pin 340, thereby achieving the rotation connection between the left support plate 320 and the main support plate 310. Similarly, a third axial hole 331 is formed at the inner end of the right support plate 330 (i.e., the side close to the main support plate 310), and the second pin 350 is inserted through the first axial hole 311 at the right side of the main support plate 310 and the third axial hole 331 of the right support plate 330, so that the right support plate 330 can rotate around the second pin 350.

Specifically, referring to fig. 1 and 5, the main support plate 310 includes a sub support plate 314, and a pair of side plates 313 bent and extended from two ends of the sub support plate 314 toward the U-shaped housing 10. The left and right sides of the sub-supporting plate 314 are symmetrically provided with 2 first shaft holes 311, and the 2 first shaft holes 311 on the same side are respectively arranged near two ends of the sub-supporting plate 314. The inner side of the left support plate 320 is provided with 4 second shaft holes 321, and each end thereof is provided with 2 second shaft holes 321. At the same end, the first shaft hole 311 at the left end of the sub-supporting plate 314 is disposed between the 2 second shaft holes 322 of the left supporting plate 320, and the first pin shaft 340 is fixed to form a hinge portion through the 2 second shaft holes 321 and the 1 first shaft hole 311 at the same time. The two ends of the sub-supporting plate 314 and the left supporting plate 320 are respectively provided with 1 hinge part, so that the left supporting plate 320 is more stable in the rotating process; meanwhile, the flat cable hole 315 for the flat cable to pass through is formed between the 2 hinge portions of the sub-support plate 314 and the left support plate 320, so that the structure of the folding mechanism can be more compact. The right support plate 330 is connected to the sub-support plate 314 in the same manner, and will not be described again.

Referring to fig. 3, in the present embodiment, the U-shaped housing 10 includes a body 11 and blocking plates 12 disposed at two ends of the body 11, a bottom surface of the body 11 extends upward to form a cylindrical table 111 near the two ends, a threaded hole is disposed on the cylindrical table 111 along a top surface thereof toward the bottom surface of the body 11, first mounting holes 312 are disposed at corresponding positions at two ends of the main support plate 310, and a pair of bolts passes through the first mounting holes 312 and the threaded holes on the cylindrical table 111 to fix the main support plate 310 on the U-shaped housing 10. Side plate 313 is disposed above barrier plate 12 or on a side of barrier plate 12 away from cylindrical table 111. The main supporting plate 310 and the U-shaped housing 10 enclose a receiving space 13, and the receiving space 13 can be used for receiving components such as cables and rotating shafts, so that the folding mechanism has a more compact structure and a smaller volume.

Two ends of the left support plate 320, which are far away from the main support plate 310, are provided with an L-shaped notch, a third pin shaft 322 is formed by extending the bottom surface of the L-shaped notch along the length direction of the left support plate 320, and a guide groove matched with the third pin shaft 322 is arranged on the left support frame 210. Specifically, the left support frame 210 includes a first support plate 211 disposed along the length direction of the support plate, 2 guide members 213, and a pair of first connection plates 212 bent and extended from both ends of the first support plate 211 toward the main support plate 310, and the 2 guide members 213 are fixed to both ends of the first support plate 211 and correspond to the positions of the "L" shaped notches on the left support plate 320. The guide 213 has a guide groove 214, and the third pin 322 is disposed in the guide groove 214. In the folding process of the folding mechanism, the guide member 213 slides along the left support frame 210 and the third pin 322 along the side wall of the guide groove 214, and drives the left support plate 320 to rotate around the first pin 340.

Similarly, two ends of the right support plate 330, which are away from the main support plate 310, are provided with "L" -shaped notches, a fourth pin shaft 332 is formed by extending from the bottom surface of the "L" -shaped notch along the length direction of the right support plate 320, and the right support frame 220 is provided with a guide slot adapted to the fourth pin shaft 332. Specifically, the right support bracket 220 includes a second support plate 221 disposed along a length direction of the support plate, a guide 213, and second connection plates 222 extending from both ends of the second support plate 221 toward the main support plate 310, the guide 213 being fixed to both ends of the second support plate 221. The guide 213 has a guide groove 214, and the fourth pin 332 is disposed in the guide groove 214. In the folding process of the folding mechanism, the guide member 213 slides along the right supporting frame 220 and the third pin 332 along the side wall of the guide groove 214, and drives the right supporting plate 330 to rotate around the second pin 350.

In this embodiment, each link assembly has a first connecting end rotatably connected to the U-shaped housing 10 and a second connecting end rotatably connected to the left support frame 210 or the right support frame 220.

Specifically, two pairs of connecting rod assemblies are symmetrically arranged on the left side and the right side of the U-shaped outer cover 10. The left pair of link assemblies 410 are disposed at both ends of the left support plate 320, respectively, and the right pair of link assemblies are disposed at both ends of the right support plate 330, respectively. Each linkage assembly includes a first linkage (411; 421) and a second linkage (412; 422). One end of the left first connecting rod 411 and one end of the left second connecting rod 412 are both provided with through holes, and a pin shaft is simultaneously inserted into the through holes on the left first connecting rod 411 and the left second connecting rod 412 to form a hinge structure. The other end of the left first connecting rod 411 is a first connecting end 4111 of the left connecting rod assembly 410, and the other end of the left second connecting rod 412 is a second connecting end 4121 of the left connecting rod assembly 410. The right link assembly is identical in structure to the left link assembly 410 and will not be described again.

Referring to fig. 3 to 5, a pair of fifth pins 3131 are formed by extending left ends (ends close to the left support frame 210) of the side plates 313 at two ends of the main support plate to a side away from the accommodating space 13, and a pair of sixth pins 3132 are formed by extending right ends (ends close to the right support frame 220) of the side plates 313 to a side away from the accommodating space 13. The other end of the first link 411 (i.e., the left first connection end 4111) of the pair of left link assemblies 410 is provided with a mounting hole adapted to a fifth pin 3131, and the first link 411 can be rotated about the fifth pin 3131 by inserting the fifth pin 3131 into the mounting hole of the first link 411. One end of the right first link 421 of the pair of right link assemblies is provided with a mounting hole adapted to the sixth pin 121, and the right first link 421 can rotate around the sixth pin 3132 by inserting the sixth pin 121 into the mounting hole of one end of the right first link 421.

The pair of first connecting plates 212 on the left support frame 210 are respectively provided with a mounting hole, the other end of the left second connecting rod 412 in the pair of left connecting rod assemblies 410 extends towards one side of the left support frame 210 to form a seventh pin 4122, and the seventh pin 4122 is inserted into the mounting hole (not shown) of the first connecting plate 212 for fixation, so that the left second connecting rod 412 can rotate around the seventh pin 4122. In this embodiment, each left connecting rod assembly 410 includes a left first connecting rod 411 and a left second connecting rod 412, one end of the left first connecting rod 411 is hinged to one end of the left second connecting rod 412, the other end of the left first connecting rod 411 is rotatably connected to the fifth pin 3131 on the U-shaped housing, and the other end of the left second connecting rod 412 is rotatably connected to the connecting plate 212 on the left supporting frame 210, so that the left first connecting rod 411, the left second connecting rod 412 and the left supporting frame 210 form a left crank block mechanism. When the folding mechanism is folded, one end of the second link 412 (i.e. the left first connection end 4111) drives the left support frame 210 to move in a direction away from the U-shaped housing 10 during rotation, so as to compensate for the change of the outer arc length of the flexible display screen 70 during folding, and prevent the flexible display screen 70 from being damaged due to being squeezed during folding. The pair of right link assemblies are arranged in the same manner as the left side and will not be described again.

In the folding process of the folding mechanism, the first support plate 211 of the left support frame 210 and the second support plate 221 of the right support frame 220 approach each other in the folding process and drive the left-right connecting rod assembly to rotate, and one end of the second connecting rod (412; 422), namely the second connecting end of the connecting rod assembly, moves towards one end (namely the first connecting end of the connecting rod assembly) far away from the first connecting rod (411; 421), so that the left support frame 210 and the right support frame 220 are driven to move towards the direction far away from the U-shaped outer cover 10, and the change of the outer arc length of the flexible display screen 70 in the folding process is compensated. Meanwhile, the first support plate 211 and the second support plate 221 drive the guide member 213 thereon to rotate, and the guide member 213 drives the third pin 322 and the fourth pin 332 to slide along the side wall of the guide groove 214, and drives the left support plate 320 and the right support plate 330 to rotate, so as to fold the support plate 30.

Referring to fig. 3 and 7, the folding mechanism further includes a rotating mechanism 50, a left connecting arm 610, and a right connecting arm 620. The rotating mechanism 50 includes a pair of first rotating shafts 510 and a pair of second rotating shafts 520, wherein the first rotating shafts 510 and the second rotating shafts 520 are respectively provided with a gear 511, and the gear 511 is fixedly connected with the first rotating shafts 510 and the second rotating shafts 520. Specifically, the folding mechanism includes a pair of rotating mechanisms 50. The pair of second rotating shafts 520 of each rotating mechanism 50 is arranged between the pair of first rotating shafts 510, the pair of second rotating shafts 520 are provided with a pair of gears 511 which are meshed with each other, the pair of gears 511 on the pair of first rotating shafts 510 are respectively meshed with the gears 511 on the second rotating shafts 520 on the same side, and the pair of first rotating shafts 510 and the pair of second rotating shafts 520 realize synchronous rotation through 2 pairs of gears 511, so that the synchronous rotation of the left side and the right side of the main supporting plate 310 is realized. The pair of second rotating shafts 520 is disposed between the pair of first rotating shafts 510, so that the stability of the rotating mechanism 50 can be effectively increased, and the distance between the pair of first rotating shafts 510 is increased, so that the accommodating space for accommodating the bent portion of the flexible display screen 70 formed after the folding mechanism is folded is larger.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the rotating mechanism 50 may also include only one pair of first rotating shafts 510, and the pair of gears 511 on the pair of first rotating shafts 510 are engaged with each other to realize the synchronous rotation of the pair of first rotating shafts 510.

In this embodiment, the main supporting plate 310 and the U-shaped housing 10 enclose an accommodating space 13, and the rotating mechanism 50 is disposed in the accommodating space 13; the side plates 313 at two ends of the main supporting plate 310 are provided with second mounting holes 3133 communicated with the accommodating space 13, one ends of the pair of first rotating shafts 510 penetrate through the pair of second mounting holes 3133 to extend outwards and are respectively fixedly connected with the inner ends (ends close to the U-shaped outer covers) of the left connecting arm 610 and the right connecting arm 620, and the other ends of the pair of first rotating shafts 510 are suspended in the accommodating space 13. In the embodiment, the rotating mechanism 50 is disposed in the accommodating space 13, so that interference of external conditions on the rotating mechanism 50 can be reduced, and stability of the folding mechanism can be improved.

A gear 511, a rotating shaft supporting member 512, a rotating control member 513, a spring 514, a gasket 515 and a nut 516 are sequentially sleeved on a pair of first rotating shafts 510 of the rotating mechanism 50. The rotating shaft supporting member 512 is fixed on one surface of the main supporting plate 310, which is away from the flexible screen, one end of the rotating control member 513 is abutted to the rotating shaft supporting member 512, the other end of the rotating control member is abutted to one end of the spring 514, the other end of the spring 514 is abutted to the gasket 515, the gasket 515 is abutted to the nut 516, the suspended end of the first rotating shaft 510 is provided with a threaded structure, and the pair of nuts 516 are locked at the end part of one end of the first rotating shaft 510, which is suspended in the accommodating space 13. In the embodiment, the nut 516 and the thread on the first rotating shaft 510 are engaged to provide a stable and durable locking force, so as to provide a stable and durable supporting force for the gasket 515, thereby effectively improving the stability of the rotating mechanism 50.

Specifically, a mounting hole 5123 is formed on the top surface of the rotating shaft supporting member 512, and a bolt passes through the mounting hole 5123 to fix the rotating shaft supporting member 512 on the bottom surface of the U-shaped housing 10. The pair of first through holes 5121 and the pair of second through holes 5122 are disposed on the lateral surface of the rotation shaft support 512, and the pair of first rotation shafts 510 pass through the pair of first through holes 5121 and can rotate in the first through holes 5121. The pair of second rotating shafts 520 pass through the pair of second through holes 5122 and can rotate in the second through holes 5122.

The rotation control member 513 includes a pair of cams 530 and a concave wheel 540 engaged with the cams 530, the cams 530 are fixed on the first rotating shaft 510 and rotate with the first rotating shaft 510, a pair of through holes (not shown) are provided on the concave wheel 540, the concave wheel 540 is sleeved on the pair of first rotating shafts 510 through the through holes, the engaging surface between the cams 530 and the concave wheel 540 is a tooth-shaped structure, and when the folding mechanism is folded, the concave wheel 540 can slide along the first rotating shaft 510 to press the spring 514.

Specifically, the cam 530 extends outward toward a surface of the concave wheel 540 to form a plurality of first protruding tabs 5301, and a plurality of first recesses (not shown) are formed between two adjacent first protruding tabs 5301. A second recess (not labeled in the figure) matched with the first protruding piece 5301 and a second protruding piece 5401 matched with the first recess are arranged on one surface, facing the cam 530, of the concave wheel 540, and the side surfaces of the first protruding piece, the second protruding piece, the first recess and the second recess are all smooth inclined surfaces. When the folding mechanism is in an unfolded or folded state, the first protruding piece 5301 and the first recess on the concave wheel 540 are engaged with the second recess and the second protruding piece 5401 on the cam 530, respectively, so that the folding mechanism is maintained in the unfolded or folded state. When the folding mechanism starts to fold, the cam 530 rotates along the first rotating shaft 510, that is, the first tab 5301 rotates along the first rotating shaft 510, the first tab 5301 slides along the side wall of the second recess during the rotation and presses the concave wheel 540, the concave wheel 540 slides along the first rotating shaft 510 and presses the spring 514 to deform the spring, when the first tab 5301 passes over the adjacent second tab 5401 and enters into the adjacent one of the second recesses, a hand feeling or a sound for indicating that the spring is folded in place is generated, the first tab 5301 is clamped into the second recess under the restoring force of the spring 514, and the spring 514 returns to the initial state. The number of the first protruding pieces 5301, the number of the second protruding pieces 5401, and the torsion force when the folding mechanism folds can be set according to specific requirements.

Referring to fig. 7 and 8, in the present embodiment, an arc-shaped cut 5303 is disposed at an end of the cam 530 away from the concave wheel 540, and a position of the shaft support 512 corresponding to the arc-shaped cut 5303 is disposed with a limit block 5124 for limiting a rotation direction and a maximum rotation range of the first shaft 510. For example, when the folding mechanism is folded outwards in the unfolded state or when the folding mechanism has been rotated to a preset maximum rotation angle, the limiting block 5121 abuts against the side wall of the arc-shaped notch 5303 to prevent the pair of first rotating shafts 510 from rotating relatively.

Referring to fig. 1 and 6, in the present embodiment, first grooves 630 are respectively formed on the surfaces of the left connecting arm 610 and the right connecting arm 620 facing the supporting plate 30, and the first connecting rods (411; 421) are disposed in the first grooves 630 and can rotate in the first grooves 630. The surfaces of the left connecting arm 610 and the right connecting arm 620, which are far away from the supporting plate 30, are provided with second grooves 640, and the second connecting rods (412; 422) are arranged in the second grooves 640 and can rotate in the second grooves 640. Projection surfaces of the first groove 630 and the second groove 640 are at least partially overlapped, a first sliding groove 650 is arranged at the overlapped part, and the first sliding groove 650 is communicated with the first groove 630 and the second groove 640. One end of the first connecting rod (411; 421) and one end of the second connecting rod (412; 422) are both provided with through holes, and an eighth pin 651 penetrates through the first sliding groove 650 and is respectively inserted into the through holes of the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod for fixation, so that the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod can rotate around the eighth pin 651. The bottom surface of the second groove 640 is provided with a second sliding groove 660, a seventh pin 4122 on the second connecting rod passes through the second sliding groove 660 and is inserted into the mounting hole of the first connecting plate 212 for fixation, and the seventh pin 4122 can slide along the second sliding groove 660. The first groove 630 is adapted to the motion track of the first connecting rod, the second groove 640 is adapted to the motion track of the second connecting rod, the first sliding groove 650 is adapted to the rotation track of the eight-pin 651, and the second sliding groove 660 is adapted to the rotation track of the seven-pin 4122.

The above detailed description is made on a folding mechanism provided in the embodiments of the present application, and the principle and the implementation of the present invention are explained by applying specific examples, and the above description of the embodiments is only used to help understanding the method and the core idea of the present invention; meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the present invention, there may be some changes in the specific implementation and application scope, and to sum up, the content of the present specification should not be understood as a limitation to the present invention.

Claims

1. A folding mechanism, characterized in that the folding mechanism comprises a U-shaped outer cover, a left support frame, a right support frame, a foldable and unfoldable support plate and a connecting rod assembly, wherein,

2. The folding mechanism of claim 1 further comprising a rotation mechanism, a left connecting arm, and a right connecting arm;

3. The folding mechanism of claim 2, wherein said linkage assembly includes a first link and a second link, one end of said first link being hingedly connected to one end of said second link, the other end of said first link being a first connecting end of said linkage assembly, the other end of said second link being a second connecting end of said linkage assembly.

4. The folding mechanism of claim 3 wherein said left and right connecting arms have first recesses on their sides facing said support plate, said first link being disposed within said first recesses and rotatable therein;

5. The folding mechanism of claim 2, wherein a limiting hole is formed on a surface of the left connecting arm and a surface of the right connecting arm facing away from the supporting plate, a limiting member is disposed on the left supporting frame and the right supporting frame, and the limiting member is disposed in the limiting hole and can slide along the limiting hole.

6. The folding mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the rotating mechanism includes a pair of first rotating shafts, and a gear, a rotating shaft supporting member, a rotating control member, a spring, a spacer, and a nut sequentially sleeved on the pair of first rotating shafts, the rotating shaft supporting member is fixed in the accommodating space, one end of the rotating control member abuts against the rotating shaft supporting member, the other end of the rotating control member abuts against one end of the spring, the other end of the spring abuts against the spacer, the spacer abuts against the nut, and the nut is locked at an end of the first rotating shaft;

7. The folding mechanism of claim 6 wherein said rotational control member includes a pair of cams and a concave wheel cooperating with said cams, said cams being fixed to said first shaft and rotatable therewith, said concave wheel having a pair of through holes, said concave wheel being sleeved on said pair of first shafts through said through holes and being rotatably connected to said pair of first shafts, and mating surfaces of said cams and said concave wheel having a tooth-shaped configuration.

8. The folding mechanism of claim 7 wherein said cam has an arcuate cutout at an end thereof remote from said concave wheel, said pivot support having a stop portion cooperating with said arcuate cutout.

9. The folding mechanism of claim 6 wherein said rotation mechanism further includes a pair of second shafts disposed between said pair of first shafts.

10. The folding mechanism of claim 1 wherein a line hole is provided between said main support plate and said left support plate and/or said right support plate.

11. A communication device comprising a flexible display and a folding mechanism according to any of claims 1 to 10.