CN112639308A

CN112639308A - Rotating shaft assembly and foldable display device

Info

Publication number: CN112639308A
Application number: CN201880094178.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 凡小飞; 杨松龄
Original assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-08-09
Filing date: 2018-08-09
Publication date: 2021-04-09
Also published as: WO2020029208A1

Abstract

The invention provides a rotating shaft assembly (50) and a foldable display device (100), wherein the foldable display device (100) comprises the rotating shaft assembly (50). Wherein, pivot subassembly (50) are including backing sheet (20), a plurality of first pivot (511), a plurality of second pivot (521) and a plurality of connecting piece (53), for the pivot subassembly including gear, connecting rod and pivot, simple structure is favorable to using widely.

Description

Rotating shaft assembly and foldable display device

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of display, in particular to a rotating shaft assembly and foldable display equipment.

Background

The foldable display device may be foldable to enable a size change of the foldable display device. Specifically, the foldable display device comprises a first part and a second part which are oppositely opened and closed, and the first part and the second part are oppositely opened and closed through a rotating shaft assembly. In the prior art, the mode that the pivot subassembly generally adopted gear to add the connecting rod and add the pivot realizes buckling, but this kind of structure is comparatively complicated, is unfavorable for large-scale popularization and application.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a rotating shaft assembly with a simple structure and a foldable display device.

The rotating shaft assembly comprises a supporting sheet, a plurality of first rotating shafts, a plurality of second rotating shafts and a plurality of connecting pieces, wherein the first rotating shafts are fixed on the supporting sheet at intervals, and the adjacent two first rotating shafts are movably connected with the same second rotating shaft through the connecting pieces

The foldable display device comprises a flexible screen, a first shell, a second shell and a rotating shaft component, wherein the rotating shaft component is positioned between the first shell and the second shell and connected with the first shell and the second shell, and the flexible screen is arranged on the first shell and on the second shell and covers the rotating shaft component.

The rotating shaft assembly provided by the invention only comprises the supporting sheet, the rotating shaft (comprising the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft) and the connecting piece, the rotating shaft assembly can rotate by fixing the first rotating shaft in the rotating shaft on the supporting sheet and connecting the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft through the connecting piece, and the rotating shaft assembly is simple in structure.

Drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly described below, it is obvious that the drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained according to these drawings without any creative effort.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a foldable display device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a flat configuration;

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a foldable display device according to an embodiment of the present invention in an unfolded state;

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a foldable display device according to an embodiment of the present invention when folded;

fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of a rotating shaft assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention, and it is obvious that the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be derived by a person skilled in the art from the embodiments given herein without making any creative effort, shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Referring to fig. 1 and 2, the present invention provides a foldable display device 100, and the foldable display device 100 may be a mobile phone, a tablet, an electronic reader, a computer, an electronic display screen, or other display devices. The present invention is described by taking a mobile phone as an example. The foldable display device 100 includes a flexible screen 10, a first housing 30, a second housing 40, and a hinge assembly 50. The spindle assembly 50 includes a support member 20. The supporting member 20 may be made of a material having a high strength and a certain elasticity, such as a steel sheet or a resin sheet. The rotating shaft assembly 50 is located between the first housing 30 and the second housing 40 and connected to the first housing 30 and the second housing 40, and the rotating shaft assembly 50 drives the first housing 30 and the second housing 40 to rotate relatively, so that the foldable display device 100 can be opened and closed with the rotating shaft assembly 50 as a bending position. The support member 20 is fixed to the first housing 30 and the second housing 40, and when the rotating shaft assembly 50 is bent, the support piece 20 is bent in an arc shape. The flexible screen 10 is disposed on the first casing 30 and the second casing 40 and covers the support member 20. In other words, the flexible screen 10 is disposed on the supporting member 20 and fixed to the first casing 30 and the second casing 40, so that the flexible screen 10 is supported by the first casing 30, the second casing 40 and the supporting member 20.

Further, the foldable display device 100 further includes a covering member (not shown) covering the rotating shaft assembly 50 and being connected to the first housing 30 and the second housing 40 in a sealing manner. The hinge assembly 50 is covered by the covering member, so that the foldable display device 100 has a better appearance. Furthermore, by hermetically connecting the covering member with the first casing 30 and the second casing 40, impurities such as external water and oxygen are prevented from entering the flexible screen 10 or other structures of the foldable display device 100 through the rotating shaft assembly 50, the influence of impurities such as water and oxygen on the display of the foldable display device 100 is avoided, and the service life of the foldable display device 100 is prolonged.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the rotating shaft assembly 50 includes a first rotating shaft 511 and a second rotating shaft 521, and each first rotating shaft 511 and each second rotating shaft 521 are arranged in a staggered manner. In other words, the rotating shaft assembly 50 includes two layers of rotating shafts, namely a first layer of rotating shaft 51 and a second layer of rotating shaft 52. The first layer rotating shaft 51 comprises a plurality of first rotating shafts 511 arranged in parallel at intervals, and the second layer rotating shaft 52 comprises a plurality of second rotating shafts 521 arranged in parallel at intervals. The first rotating shaft 511 of the first layer rotating shaft 51 is staggered with the second rotating shaft 521 of the second layer rotating shaft 52. In other words, the orthographic projection of each second rotating shaft 521 on the first-layer rotating shaft 51 is located between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511. Each of the first rotating shafts 511 is rotatably connected to two second rotating shafts 521 closest to the first rotating shaft 511 by a plurality of connecting pieces 53, so that the first rotating shaft 511 can rotate relative to the second rotating shafts 521. The first rotating shaft 511 is fixedly connected to the supporting member 20, that is, the side wall of the first rotating shaft 511 and the outer surface of the supporting member 20 may be fixed by welding or gluing, so that the length of the portion of the supporting member 20 between the two first rotating shafts 511 is kept fixed. In this embodiment, the intervals between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 are the same. Since the first rotating shaft 511 is movably connected with the second rotating shaft 521, the length of the supporting member 20 between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 can be kept unchanged by the supporting member 20 when the rotating shaft assembly 30 is bent. Specifically, when the rotating shaft assembly 50 is bent, because the position of the first rotating shaft 511 fixed on the support member 20 is not changed, when the rotating shaft assembly 50 is bent to bend the support member 20, the portion of the support sheet 20 between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 is arched to form an arc shape, so that the portion of the support member 20 located between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 pulls the adjacent first rotating shafts 511 to move towards each other relative to the other first rotating shaft 511, and the two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 drive the second rotating shaft 521 to move towards the direction away from the two first rotating shafts 511 through the connecting member 53, that is, drive the second rotating shaft 521 to move towards the position of the bending center. The adjacent second rotating shafts 521 approach each other during the movement, so that the distance between the adjacent second rotating shafts 521 decreases. In addition, in the bending process of the rotating shaft assembly 50, a distance between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 is greater than a distance between two adjacent second rotating shafts 521, and at this time, an included angle formed between two connecting pieces 53 which connect the same second rotating shaft 521 and respectively connect two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 is gradually reduced when the rotating shaft assembly 50 is bent. Because the two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 are actually movably connected through the second rotating shaft 521, in the bending process, the support member 30 can drive the two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 and the two adjacent second rotating shafts 521 to move relatively only with a small acting force, so that the situation that the support member 30 is stretched or compressed due to a large acting force in the bending process is reduced or avoided, the situation that the flexible screen 10 attached to the support member 30 is stretched or compressed is further reduced or prevented, the service life of the flexible screen 10 can be prolonged, and the service life of the foldable display device 100 can be prolonged.

In this embodiment, referring to fig. 4, the connecting member 53 is connected to two ends of the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521. It is understood that the connecting member 53 can also be connected to the middle position of the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521. In this embodiment, the connecting member 53 includes a damping member, and the rotating shaft assembly 50 generates rotational damping during bending, so that the rotating shaft assembly 50 can be positioned at any rotational position. Specifically, the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521 are both cylindrical shafts, the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521 both include a first end and a second end opposite to each other and a middle section located between the first end and the second end, and the diameters of the first end and the second end are smaller than the diameter of the middle section, so that the first step structure 512 is formed at both ends of the first rotating shaft 511, and the second step structure 522 is formed at both ends of the second rotating shaft 521. The damping plate 53 includes a first end 53a connected to the first rotating shaft 511 and a second end 53b connected to the second rotating shaft 521, the first end 53a and the second end 53b are both formed with an opening, and the size of the opening at the first end 53a is the same as the diameter of the first end or the second end of the first rotating shaft 511, so that the first step structure 512 blocks the damping plate 53 from moving toward the middle section. The aperture of the opening at the second end 53b is the same as the diameter of the first end or the second end of the second rotating shaft 521, so that the second step structure 522 blocks the damping plate 53 from moving toward the middle section. The first end or the second end of the first rotating shaft 511 is inserted into the opening of the first end 53a, so that the damping plate 53 is rotatably connected with the first rotating shaft 511. Similarly, the first end or the second end of the second rotating shaft 521 is inserted into the opening of the second end 53b, so that the damping plate 53 is rotatably connected to the second rotating shaft 521. Fixing parts 54 are disposed on the sides of the damping fins 53 at the first end and the second end of the first rotating shaft 511, which are away from the first stepped structure 512, so as to press the damping fins 53 connected to the first rotating shaft 511 between the first stepped structure 512 and the fixing parts 54. Similarly, fixing parts 54 are disposed on the sides of the damping fins 53 at the first end and the second end of the second rotating shaft 521, which are away from the second step structure 522, so as to press the damping fins 53 connected to the second rotating shaft 521 between the second step structure 522 and the fixing parts 54. In this embodiment, the fixing element 54 is a nut, and the first end and the second end of the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521 are both provided with threads, so that the fixing element 54 is in threaded connection with the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521.

Further, referring to fig. 4, in this embodiment, the damping pieces 53 connecting the first rotating shaft 511 and two second rotating shafts 521 closest to the first rotating shaft 511 are divided into a plurality of first damping pieces 531 and a plurality of second damping pieces 532, the first damping pieces 531 are connected to the first rotating shaft 511 and one second rotating shaft 521, the second damping pieces 532 are connected to the first rotating shaft 511 and the other second rotating shaft 521, the first damping pieces 531 and the second damping pieces 532 connected to the same first rotating shaft 511 are alternately arranged, and similarly, the first damping pieces 531 and the second damping pieces 532 connected to the same second rotating shaft 521 are also alternately arranged. The first damping piece 531 and the second damping piece 532 are in interference fit with the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521, so that when the rotating shaft assembly 50 rotates, the first damping piece 531 and the second damping piece 532 rotate relatively, and the force required for rotating the rotating shaft assembly 50 can be controlled by controlling the friction force between the first damping piece 531 and the second damping piece 532 and between the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521, so that the problem that when the friction force is too small, the rotating shaft assembly 50 is easy to rotate, and is not easy to be fixed at a certain folding angle is solved; meanwhile, the problem that the folding angle of the rotating shaft assembly 50 is not easy to change when the folding angle is too large can be avoided. In the embodiment of the present invention, the damping sheet connects the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521, which not only can play a role of movable connection, but also can play a role of controlling the rotation damping of the rotating shaft assembly 50 as a whole. Of course, it is understood that the present invention may also adopt other connecting members to connect the adjacent rotating shafts, that is, the connecting members may also have no damping function and only serve as connecting members to movably connect the adjacent rotating shafts.

When the rotating shaft assembly is bent, under the pulling of the supporting sheet 30, each first rotating shaft 511 moves towards the adjacent first rotating shaft 511 (in practical terms, there may be a case where two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 move towards each other, or there may be a case where two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 both move towards a certain direction, but the moving distance of one first rotating shaft 511 is smaller than that of the other first rotating shaft 511, so it can be considered that one first rotating shaft 511 moves towards the adjacent other first rotating shaft 511), that is, each first rotating shaft 511 approaches the adjacent first rotating shaft 511, so that the distance between the two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 becomes smaller. At this time, the portion of the support sheet 30 between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 is arched and deformed to form a convex arc shape, but the length thereof is maintained. The two adjacent first rotating shafts 511, due to being close to each other, drive the respective connecting members 53 to rotate, so that the included angle between the two connecting members 53 connected to the same second rotating shaft 521 and respectively connected to the two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 becomes smaller, and the second rotating shafts 521 connected to the two connecting members 53 together are pushed to move in the direction away from the supporting sheet 30. The shaft assembly 30 can be positioned at any position during the bending process due to the damping effect of the damping fin.

The bending of the rotating shaft assembly 30 can be realized only by the rotating shafts (including the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521) and the connecting piece 53, so that the whole structure is simple, and the popularization and the application in the industry are facilitated. Furthermore, the pivot assembly 30 can reduce or avoid tension or compression on the flexible screen 10, and can ensure the stability of the flexible screen 10 during use.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the rotational damping may also be controlled by the friction between the adjacent damping fins, and at this time, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft may be in loose fit with the damping fins. In this embodiment, the first damping fins 531 and the second damping fins 532 connected to the same first rotating shaft 511 and the same second rotating shaft 521 are alternately arranged, so that when the rotating shaft assembly 50 is bent, the adjacent first damping fins 531 and second damping fins 532 rotate relatively to each other, thereby generating friction. The magnitude of the frictional force between the first damper 531 and the second damper 532 is controlled by controlling the magnitude of the pressing force of the fixing member 54 pressing the damper 53 connected to the first rotating shaft 511 and the magnitude of the pressing force of the fixing member 55 pressing the damper 53 connected to the second rotating shaft 521, thereby controlling the magnitude of the rotational damping. Further, a friction member (not shown) may be disposed between two adjacent damping fins 53 connected to either the first rotating shaft 511 or the second rotating shaft 521, so as to increase the friction force between two adjacent damping fins 53 connected to the first rotating shaft 511 or the second rotating shaft 521 (i.e. the magnitude of the friction force between the first damping fin 531 and the second damping fin 532 in the embodiment of fig. 2). The friction member has a structure having a higher surface friction coefficient than the damping fin 53 and a higher strength. Further, the friction member has the same structure as the damping plate 53, and is also connected to the first rotating shaft 511 and the second rotating shaft 521. In other embodiments of the present invention, the damping fin 53 may be further surface-treated to increase a friction coefficient of a surface of the damping fin 53. For example, grooves or protrusions are formed on the surface of the damping fin 53 by a process such as laser processing, thereby increasing the friction coefficient of the surface thereof.

In the rotating shaft assembly 50 provided by the invention, two layers of rotating shafts are arranged, and each first rotating shaft 511 is connected with two second rotating shafts 521 closest to the first rotating shaft 511 through a plurality of damping fins 53, so that the first rotating shaft 511 can rotate relative to the second rotating shafts 521. When the rotating shaft assembly 50 is bent to fold or unfold the foldable display device 100, the distance between two adjacent first rotating shafts 511 is not changed, and only the distance between two adjacent second rotating shafts 521 is changed along with the bending degree of the rotating shaft assembly 50, so that when the foldable display device 100 is folded or unfolded, the bending position of the flexible screen 10 arranged on one side of the first rotating shaft 511 is not stretched or compressed, thereby prolonging the service life of the foldable display device 100.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

The rotating shaft assembly is characterized by comprising a supporting sheet, a plurality of first rotating shafts, a plurality of second rotating shafts and a plurality of connecting pieces, wherein the first rotating shafts are fixed on the supporting sheet at intervals, and the two adjacent first rotating shafts are movably connected with the same second rotating shaft through the respective connecting pieces.
The spindle assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the connectors is rotatably coupled to the first spindle and the second spindle.
The shaft assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein adjacent first shafts move relatively toward each other during bending of the shaft assembly.
The rotary shaft assembly according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an angle formed between two of said connecting members connecting the same second rotary shaft and respectively connecting two of said first rotary shafts adjacent to each other is gradually reduced when said rotary shaft assembly is bent.
The rotary shaft assembly of claim 1, wherein a distance between two adjacent first rotary shafts is gradually reduced when the rotary shaft assembly is bent.
The rotary shaft assembly according to claim 1 or 5, wherein when the rotary shaft assembly is bent, a portion of the support piece between two adjacent first rotary shafts is arched to form an arc.
The pivot assembly of claim 1 wherein the second pivot moves away from the support plate when the pivot assembly is bent.
The rotary shaft assembly according to claim 1 or 7, wherein adjacent two of the second rotary shafts approach each other when the rotary shaft assembly is bent.
The pivot assembly of claim 1 wherein each connector includes a damper, the pivot assembly being rotationally damped during bending.
The pivot assembly of claim 9 wherein each of the first and second pivot shafts has an interference fit with the damper of the respective connector such that rotational damping occurs between the first and second pivot shafts and the damper.
The rotary shaft assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the damping members connected to the same second rotary shaft and respectively connected to two adjacent first rotary shafts are alternately disposed on the second rotary shaft, so that rotational damping is generated between two adjacent damping pieces during bending of the rotary shaft assembly.
The rotary shaft assembly of claim 10 or 11, wherein each of the connecting members includes a friction member provided between adjacent ones of the damper pieces to increase frictional resistance between the adjacent damper pieces.
The spindle assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first spindles is staggered from each of the second spindles.
The spindle assembly of claim 13, wherein a projection of each of the second spindles on a layer of the first spindles is located between two adjacent first spindles.
The rotary shaft assembly of claim 1, wherein during bending of the rotary shaft assembly, the distance between two adjacent first rotary shafts is greater than the distance between two adjacent second rotary shafts.
The pivot assembly of claim 2 wherein the connecting member includes a first end and a second end opposite to each other, the first end and the second end each having an opening, the first pivot being inserted into the opening of the first end, the second pivot being inserted into the opening of the second pivot, such that the first pivot and the second pivot are rotatably connected to each other.
The spindle assembly of claim 1 wherein the support member is a steel plate.
The spindle assembly of claim 1, wherein the number of first spindles is greater than the number of second spindles.
A foldable display device comprising a flexible screen, a first housing, a second housing, and the hinge assembly of any of claims 1-17, the hinge assembly being positioned between and connected to the first housing and the second housing, the flexible screen being disposed on and covering the first housing and the second housing.
The foldable display device of claim 19, further comprising an overmold covering the elastomeric material of the hinge assembly.
The foldable display device of claim 19, wherein the support piece is curved in a circular arc shape when the hinge assembly is bent.