EP-4741672-A1 - ROTATING SHAFT MECHANISM AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

Abstract

This application provides a hinge mechanism and an electronic device, and relates to the technical field of electronic products, to ensure structural strength of a connecting portion between a swing arm and a hinge base while satisfying a demand for overall thinning of the device. The hinge mechanism includes a hinge base and a first swing arm. The hinge base includes a first mating portion, a second mating portion, and a third mating portion sequentially disposed along an extension direction of a hinge axis. A front side surface of the first mating portion is a first concave arc surface, a rear side surface of the second mating portion is a first convex arc surface, and a front side surface of the third mating portion is a second concave arc surface. The first swing arm includes a fourth mating portion, a fifth mating portion, and a sixth mating portion, the fourth mating portion is located on a front side of the first mating portion, the fifth mating portion is located on a rear side of the second mating portion, and the sixth mating portion is located on a front side of the third mating portion. The fourth mating portion, the fifth mating portion, and the sixth mating portion are slidable respectively along the first concave arc surface, the first convex arc surface, and the second concave arc surface, so that the first swing arm is rotatable relative to the hinge base around the hinge axis.

Inventors

• ZHANG, Yaolei
• LI, Qiancheng
• LU, YILIN
• LI, Houcun
• YAN, Bin

Assignees

• Honor Device Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date

20260513

Application Date

20240805

Claims (20)

1. A hinge mechanism, comprising: a hinge base, comprising a first mating portion, a second mating portion, and a third mating portion sequentially disposed along an extension direction of a hinge axis, wherein a front side surface of the first mating portion is a first concave arc surface, a rear side surface of the second mating portion is a first convex arc surface, and a front side surface of the third mating portion is a second concave arc surface; and a center line of the first concave arc surface, a center line of the first convex arc surface, and a center line of the second concave arc surface are collinear with the hinge axis; and a first swing arm, comprising a rotation end, wherein the rotation end comprises a fourth mating portion, a fifth mating portion, and a sixth mating portion, wherein the fourth mating portion is located on a front side of the first mating portion, the fifth mating portion is located on a rear side of the second mating portion, and the sixth mating portion is located on a front side of the third mating portion, and the fourth mating portion, the fifth mating portion, and the sixth mating portion are slidable respectively along the first concave arc surface, the first convex arc surface, and the second concave arc surface, so that the first swing arm is slidable relative to the hinge base around the hinge axis between an unfolded position and a folded position.
2. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein a rear side surface of the fourth mating portion is a second convex arc surface, and the second convex arc surface is in mating contact with the first concave arc surface; a front side surface of the fifth mating portion is a third concave arc surface, and the third concave arc surface is in mating contact with the first convex arc surface; and a rear side surface of the sixth mating portion is a third convex arc surface, and the third convex arc surface is in mating contact with the second concave arc surface.
3. The hinge mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a radius of the first concave arc surface is equal to a radius of the second concave arc surface.
4. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hinge base further comprises a first limiting portion; at least part of the first limiting portion is disposed on a front side of the fourth mating portion; a rear side surface of the first limiting portion is a fourth convex arc surface, and a front side surface of the fourth mating portion is a fourth concave arc surface; and a center line of the fourth convex arc surface and a center line of the fourth concave arc surface are collinear with the hinge axis, and the fourth convex arc surface and the fourth concave arc surface face each other.
5. The hinge mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the fourth convex arc surface and the fourth concave arc surface are spaced apart.
6. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the hinge base further comprises a second limiting portion; at least part of the second limiting portion is disposed on a rear side of the fifth mating portion; a front side surface of the second limiting portion is a fifth concave arc surface, and a rear side surface of the fifth mating portion is a fifth convex arc surface; and a center line of the fifth concave arc surface and a center line of the fifth convex arc surface are collinear with the hinge axis, and the fifth concave arc surface and the fifth convex arc surface face each other.
7. The hinge mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the fifth concave arc surface and the fifth convex arc surface are spaced apart.
8. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the hinge base further comprises a fixing portion, and the first mating portion, the second mating portion, and the third mating portion are disposed on the same side of the fixing portion; the first swing arm further comprises a swing arm body, and the rotation end is disposed on one end of the swing arm body; and when the first swing arm is in the unfolded position, the swing arm body and the fixing portion are respectively located on opposite sides of the rotation end.
9. The hinge mechanism according to claim 8, wherein a width of the swing arm body along the extension direction of the hinge axis is less than a spacing between the first mating portion and the third mating portion along the extension direction of the hinge axis; an end portion of the first mating portion away from the fixing portion is a first end portion, and an end portion of the third mating portion away from the fixing portion is a second end portion; and when the first swing arm is in the unfolded position, the swing arm body is located between the first end portion and the second end portion.
10. The hinge mechanism according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the hinge base is provided with at least one clearance hole, and the at least one clearance hole penetrates through a front side surface of the hinge base; and when the first swing arm is in the unfolded position, an end portion of the fourth mating portion away from the swing arm body, an end portion of the fifth mating portion away from the swing arm body, and an end portion of the sixth mating portion away from the swing arm body are accommodated within the at least one clearance hole.
11. The hinge mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the hinge base further comprises a first connecting portion, and the first connecting portion is connected between the second mating portion and the fixing portion; the end portion of the fifth mating portion away from the swing arm body is a third end portion, and the third end portion is provided with a clearance notch; and when the first swing arm is in the unfolded position, the first connecting portion is accommodated within the clearance notch.
12. The hinge mechanism according to claim 11, wherein an inner wall surface of the clearance notch away from the third end portion is a first inner wall surface; and when the first swing arm is in the unfolded position, the first inner wall surface is in contact with a rear side surface of the first connecting portion.
13. The hinge mechanism according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the at least one clearance hole comprises a first clearance hole and a second clearance hole that are spaced apart; an arrangement direction of the first clearance hole and the second clearance hole is parallel to the extension direction of the hinge axis, and the first clearance hole and the second clearance hole are respectively located on opposite sides of the first connecting portion; and when the first swing arm is in the unfolded position, the end portion of the fourth mating portion away from the swing arm body is accommodated within the first clearance hole, and the end portion of the sixth mating portion away from the swing arm body is accommodated within the second clearance hole.
14. The hinge mechanism according to claim 13, wherein a width of the clearance notch along the extension direction of the hinge axis is less than a width of the fifth mating portion along the extension direction of the hinge axis; part of the fifth mating portion between the fourth mating portion and the clearance notch is a first sub-portion, and part of the fifth mating portion between the sixth mating portion and the clearance notch is a second sub-portion; and when the first swing arm is in the unfolded position, an end portion of the first sub-portion away from the swing arm body is accommodated within the first clearance hole, and an end portion of the second sub-portion away from the swing arm body is accommodated within the second clearance hole.
15. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the rotation end further comprises a second connecting portion, and the second connecting portion is disposed between the fourth mating portion and the fifth mating portion.
16. The hinge mechanism according to claim 15, wherein the rotation end further comprises a first support portion, the first support portion is disposed between the fourth mating portion and the second connecting portion, an end portion of the first support portion away from the swing arm body is a first support end, and a rear side surface of the first support end is provided with a first stop protrusion; the hinge base further comprises a second support portion, the second support portion is located on a rear side of the first support portion, the second support portion is disposed between the first mating portion and the third mating portion, an end portion of the second support portion away from the fixing portion is a second support end, and a front side surface of the second support end is provided with a second stop protrusion; and when the first swing arm is in the folded position, the first stop protrusion is located on a side of the second stop protrusion facing the fixing portion, and is in contact with the second stop protrusion.
17. The hinge mechanism according to claim 16, wherein the hinge base is provided with an accommodating groove, and the accommodating groove penetrates through the front side surface of the hinge base; and at least one of the fourth mating portion, the first support portion, or the second connecting portion is accommodated within the accommodating groove.
18. The hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the hinge base comprises an upper base and a lower base located on a rear side of the upper base, and the upper base is fixedly connected to the lower base; and the second mating portion constitutes part of the upper base, and the first mating portion and the third mating portion constitute part of the lower base.
19. An electronic device, comprising: a first structural member; and the hinge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein a first swing arm of the hinge mechanism is in transmission connection with the first structural member.
20. The electronic device according to claim 19, further comprising: a foldable screen, wherein the foldable screen comprises a first display region and a second display region; and the first structural member carries the first display region, the hinge mechanism carries the second display region, and the second display region is located on a front side of the hinge mechanism.

Description

This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202311468979.0, filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration on November 6, 2023 and entitled "HINGE MECHANISM AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE", which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to the technical field of electronic products, and in particular, to a hinge mechanism and an electronic device. BACKGROUND In an electronic device such as a foldable mobile phone, a notebook computer, or a watch, a hinge mechanism is disposed to implement a rotatable connection between two adjacent portions. In the hinge mechanism, structural strength of a connecting portion between a swing arm and a hinge base affects overall structural strength of the device. As the electronic device becomes thinner, a design thickness of the hinge base gradually decreases, and a thickness of a sliding groove in the hinge base for mating with the swing arm also decreases accordingly. Consequently, a thickness of a sliding member on the swing arm for mating with the sliding groove also becomes increasingly thin, resulting in a progressive reduction in the structural strength of the connecting portion and a higher risk of fracture. Therefore, in the related art, the electronic device generally cannot ensure the structural strength of the connecting portion between the swing arm and the hinge base in the hinge mechanism while satisfying a demand for overall thinning of the device. SUMMARY This application provides a hinge mechanism and an electronic device, which can ensure structural strength of a connecting portion between a swing arm and a hinge base in the hinge mechanism while satisfying a demand for overall thinning of the device. To achieve the foregoing objective, the following technical solutions are used in embodiments of this application. According to a first aspect, a hinge mechanism is provided. The hinge mechanism includes a hinge base and a first swing arm. The hinge base includes a first mating portion, a second mating portion, and a third mating portion sequentially disposed along an extension direction of a hinge axis. A front side surface of the first mating portion is a first concave arc surface, a rear side surface of the second mating portion is a first convex arc surface, and a front side surface of the third mating portion is a second concave arc surface. A center line of the first concave arc surface, a center line of the first convex arc surface, and a center line of the second concave arc surface are collinear with the hinge axis. The first swing arm includes a rotation end, where the rotation end includes a fourth mating portion, a fifth mating portion, and a sixth mating portion. The fourth mating portion is located on a front side of the first mating portion, the fifth mating portion is located on a rear side of the second mating portion, and the sixth mating portion is located on a front side of the third mating portion. The fourth mating portion, the fifth mating portion, and the sixth mating portion are slidable respectively along the first concave arc surface, the first convex arc surface, and the second concave arc surface, so that the first swing arm is rotatable relative to the hinge base around the hinge axis between an unfolded position and a folded position. In this way, the first concave arc surface, the first convex arc surface, and the second concave arc surface form a virtual sliding groove, where the first convex arc surface forms an upper arc surface of the virtual sliding groove, and the first concave arc surface and the second concave arc surface form a lower arc surface of the virtual sliding groove. The rotation end is disposed within the virtual sliding groove, and is slidable along the virtual sliding groove relative to the hinge base, to implement rotation between the unfolded position and the folded position. Based on this, the first concave arc surface, the first convex arc surface, and the second concave arc surface are also staggered along the extension direction of the hinge axis. The fourth mating portion is not limited by the upper arc surface, allowing for a larger thickness. The fifth mating portion is not limited by the lower arc surface, allowing for a larger thickness. The sixth mating portion is not limited by the upper arc surface, allowing for a larger thickness. Therefore, a thickness of the rotation end can be increased, thereby improving structural strength of the rotation end, ensuring connection strength between the rotation end and the hinge base, and preventing fracture. In addition, a spacing between the first convex arc surface and the first concave arc surface in a radial direction of the first concave arc surface and a spacing between the first convex arc surface and the second concave arc surface in a radial direction of the second concave arc surface can be designed to be smaller, so that a height of the hinge base can be redu