US-12621377-B2 - Hinge assembly and foldable electronic device

US12621377B2US 12621377 B2US12621377 B2US 12621377B2US-12621377-B2

Abstract

This application provides a hinge assembly and a foldable electronic device. The hinge assembly includes a pivot mechanism and an elastic mechanism disposed on the pivot mechanism. One of the elastic mechanism and a rotation mechanism is fixed to the pivot mechanism, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is rotatably connected to the pivot mechanism. One of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of grooves that match the plurality of protrusions. When the rotation mechanism rotates to a preset location, at least one of the plurality of protrusions is received by at least one of the plurality of grooves, and remaining protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism.

Inventors

Hansen ZHENG
Wei Zhang
Lei Feng
Handong ZHANG

Assignees

HONOR DEVICE CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220916
Priority Date: 20211112

Claims (20)

1 . A hinge assembly, comprising a pivot mechanism and an elastic mechanism and a rotation mechanism that are disposed on the pivot mechanism, wherein one of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is fixed to the pivot mechanism, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is rotatably connected to the pivot mechanism; one of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of grooves that match the plurality of protrusions; when the rotation mechanism rotates to a preset location, at least one of the plurality of protrusions is received by at least one of the plurality of grooves, and remaining protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism; and when the rotation mechanism rotates to another preset location, at least one of the other protrusions in the plurality of protrusions is received by at least one of the other grooves in the plurality of grooves, and remaining protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the elastic mechanism and rotation mechanism, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a first swing arm and a second swing arm that are disposed at two sides of the pivot mechanism, the elastic mechanism comprises a plurality of elastic pieces, a first end of each elastic piece is provided with a first protrusion, and a second end of the elastic piece is provided with a second protrusion, the pivot mechanism comprises a first support rod and a second support rod, an orthographic projection for at least one of the first protrusions provided on the plurality of elastic pieces is alternately distributed on an axis of the first support rod along a circumference of the first support rod, and an orthographic projection for at least one of a second protrusions provided on the plurality of elastic pieces is alternately distributed on an axis of the second support rod along a circumference of the second support rod.
2 . The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic mechanism is disposed between the first swing arm and the second swing arm; one of the first swing arm and a first end of the elastic mechanism is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the other of the first swing arm and the first end of the elastic mechanism is provided with a plurality of grooves that match the plurality of protrusions; and one of the second swing arm and a second end of the elastic mechanism is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the other of the second swing arm and the second end of the elastic mechanism is provided with a plurality of grooves that match the plurality of protrusions.
3 . The hinge assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the protrusion disposed on the first end of the elastic mechanism is a first protrusion, the protrusion disposed on the second end of the elastic mechanism is a second protrusion, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion are symmetrically disposed along an axis of the pivot mechanism; and the groove disposed on the first swing arm is a first groove, the groove disposed on the second swing arm is a second groove, and the first groove and the second groove are symmetrically disposed along the axis of the pivot mechanism.
4 . The hinge assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the first end of the elastic mechanism is passed through by the first support rod, the second end of the elastic mechanism is passed through by the second support rod, and the elastic mechanism is rotatably connected to the first support rod and the second support rod; one end of the first swing arm is passed through by the first support rod, the end of the first swing arm corresponds to the first end of the elastic mechanism, and the first swing arm is fixed to the first support rod; and one end of the second swing arm is passed through by the second support rod, the end of the second swing arm corresponds to the second end of the elastic mechanism, and the second swing arm is fixed to the second support rod.
5 . The hinge assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the first end of the elastic piece is passed through by the first support rod, the second end of the elastic piece is passed through by the second support rod, and the elastic piece is rotatably connected to the first support rod and the second support rod; the first swing arm is provided with a first connection part on which the first groove is disposed; the second swing arm is provided with a second connection part on which the second groove is disposed; and the plurality of elastic pieces are disposed between the first connection part and the second connection part.
6 . The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein orthographic projections for a plurality of first grooves disposed on the first swing arm are overlapped on the axis of the first support rod; and orthographic projections for a plurality of second grooves disposed on the second swing arm are overlapped on the axis of the second support rod.
7 . The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein a first connection part comprises a plurality of first connection subparts that are alternately distributed and passed through by the first support rod, and a second connection part comprises a plurality of second connection subparts that are alternately distributed and passed through by the second support rod; and a first end of at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces is disposed between two adjacent first connection subparts, and a second end of at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces is disposed between two adjacent second connection subparts.
8 . The hinge assembly according to claim 7 , wherein respective quantities of first connection subparts and second connection subparts equal a quantity of elastic pieces; a first end of at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces is disposed between two adjacent first connection subparts, and a second end of at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces is disposed between two adjacent second connection subparts; a first end of at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces is disposed at an outside of an outermost first connection subpart, and a second end of at least one of the plurality of elastic pieces is disposed at an outside of an outermost second connection subpart; each of the plurality of first connection subparts is provided with a first groove, and orthographic projections for first grooves provided on the plurality of first connection subparts are overlapped on the axis of the first support rod; and each of the plurality of second connection subparts is provided with a second groove, and orthographic projections for second grooves provided on the plurality of second connection subparts are overlapped on the axis of the second support rod.
9 . The hinge assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the elastic mechanism further comprises a limiting structure that touches the elastic piece, wherein the limiting structure comprises a limiting member and two springs that are disposed at two ends of the limiting member, wherein one end of the spring touches the elastic piece and the other end of the spring touches the limiting member.
10 . The hinge assembly according to claim 9 , wherein one limiting structure is provided, the limiting structure is disposed at outsides of a first swing arm and a second swing arm, one side of the limiting member touches a first support rod and a second support rod, and the other side of the limiting member touches the spring.
11 . The hinge assembly according to claim 9 , wherein a plurality of limiting structures are provided, wherein at least one of the limiting structures is disposed at outsides of a first swing arm and a second swing arm, one side of the limiting member touches a first support rod and a second support rod, and the other side of the limiting member touches the spring; and at least one of the other limiting structures is disposed between two adjacent first connection subparts and two adjacent second connection subparts, one side of the limiting member touches the first connection subpart and the second connection subpart, and the other side of the limiting member touches the spring.
12 . The hinge assembly according to claims 9 , wherein a first through hole and a second through hole are disposed at two ends of the limiting member, the first through hole is passed through by a first support rod, and the second through hole is passed through by a second support rod so that the limiting bracket is rotatably connected to the first support rod and the second support rod; and at least one spring is disposed on each of the first support rod and the second support rod.
13 . The hinge assembly according to claim 9 , wherein a first connection part is provided with a first mounting hole and a second connection part is provided with a second mounting hole; a first end of the elastic piece is provided with a first connection hole and a second end of the elastic piece is provided with a second connection hole; the first mounting hole and the first connection hole are passed through by the first support rod; a first support rod is fixed to a first swing arm and rotatably connected to the first end of the elastic piece; the second mounting hole and the second connection hole are passed through by a second support rod; and the second support rod is fixed to a second swing arm and rotatably connected to the second end of the elastic piece.
14 . The hinge assembly according to claim 13 , wherein a first gear is fixed to one end of the first support rod and a second gear is fixed to one end of the second support rod; and two mutually engaged third gears that each are separately engaged with the first gear and the second gear are disposed between the first swing arm and the second swing arm.
15 . The hinge assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the hinge assembly further comprises a gear bracket, wherein a first assembly hole and a second assembly hole are disposed at two ends of the gear bracket; the first assembly hole is passed through by the first support rod, and the second assembly hole is passed through by the second support rod so that the gear bracket is rotatably connected to the first support rod and the second support rod; the gear bracket is disposed at the outsides of the first swing arm and the second swing arm; and one side of the gear bracket touches the first, second, and third gears, and the other side of the gear bracket touches the first swing arm and the second swing arm.
16 . The hinge assembly according to claim 15 , wherein a retaining part is disposed at an end that is of the first swing arm that is connected to the gear bracket, wherein the retaining part extends outwards along outermost end faces of the first connection part and the second connection part; the retaining part touches the gear bracket; and the gear bracket is provided with a limiting part that matches the retaining part, the retaining part is disposed at a side that is of the gear bracket and that is close to the first swing arm and the second swing arm, two limiting parts are located at two ends of the gear bracket, and the limiting parts extend on a surface of the gear bracket along directions that are close to the first swing arm and the second swing arm.
17 . The hinge assembly according to claim 16 , wherein the limiting part is an arc-shaped wall; the retaining part is an arc-shaped wall; and the retaining part and the limiting part are connected in a fitting manner, and the limiting part can rotate in relation to the retaining part.
18 . A foldable electronic device, comprising: a hinge assembly, the hinge assembly including: a pivot mechanism and an elastic mechanism and a rotation mechanism that are disposed on the pivot mechanism, wherein one of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is fixed to the pivot mechanism, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is rotatably connected to the pivot mechanism; one of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of grooves that match the plurality of protrusions; when the rotation mechanism rotates to a preset location, at least one of the plurality of protrusions is received by at least one of the plurality of grooves, and remaining protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism; and when the rotation mechanism rotates to another preset location, at least one of the other protrusions in the plurality of protrusions is received by at least one of the other grooves in the plurality of grooves, and remaining protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the elastic mechanism and rotation mechanism, wherein the rotation mechanism comprises a first swing arm and a second swing arm that are disposed at two sides of the pivot mechanism, the elastic mechanism comprises a plurality of elastic pieces, a first end of each elastic piece is provided with a first protrusion, and a second end of the elastic piece is provided with a second protrusion, the pivot mechanism comprises a first support rod and a second support rod, an orthographic projection for at least one of the first protrusions provided on the plurality of elastic pieces is alternately distributed on an axis of the first support rod along a circumference of the first support rod, and an orthographic projection for at least one of a second protrusions provided on the plurality of elastic pieces is alternately distributed on an axis of the second support rod along a circumference of the second support rod.
19 . The foldable electronic device according to claim 18 , further comprising a foldable first display, a battery cover, a first structure, and a second structure, wherein the first structure and the second structure are located at two sides of the hinge assembly and rotatably connected to a rotation mechanism in the hinge assembly; and the battery cover and the first display are located on surfaces at two sides of the hinge assembly, first structure, and second structure.
20 . The foldable electronic device according to claim 19 , further comprising a second display, wherein the first display is located on surfaces at one side of the hinge assembly, first structure, and second structure; and the second display and the battery cover are located on surfaces at the other side of the first structure and second structure.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a national stage of International Application No. PCT/CN2022/119450 filed on Sep. 16, 2022, which claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202111339253.8 filed on Nov. 12, 2021. The disclosures of both of the aforementioned application are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD This application relates to the field of terminal technologies, and in particular, to a hinge assembly and a foldable electronic device. BACKGROUND With the continuous development of mobile devices such as mobile phones, large-screen phones are becoming increasingly popular among users. However, large-screen phones are unportable. To resolve this issue, foldable electronic devices, such as foldable phones, are mainly developed to improve the portability. Foldable phones with in-folding and out-folding screens emerge to adapt to differentiated needs of various users. Currently, a foldable phone usually includes two mechanical parts that are connected by a hinge assembly. In this way, the two mechanical parts can rotate in relation to each other to be open or folded. To enable a folding process of the foldable phone to suspend at all angles, the hinge assembly is usually provided with a damping mechanism that includes a swing arm, a spring, an upper cam, and a lower cam. The upper cam is fixed to the swing arm, and the lower cam is engaged with the upper cam. One end of the spring is fixed, and the other end of the spring touches the lower cam. The spring is configured to support the lower cam. In the folding process, the swing arm rotates and drives the upper cam to rotate. Then, the lower cam is pressed by the upper cam to move downwards and press the spring. When a proper folding angle is reached, the swing arm stops rotating and suspends at the angle due to friction between the upper and lower cams and support from the spring. However, in the preceding folding process, suspension of the folding process for the foldable phone depends on the friction between the upper and lower cams. Therefore, abrasions may be easily caused to the upper and lower cams. As a result, the life span of the foldable phone is greatly reduced. SUMMARY Embodiments of this application provide a hinge assembly and a foldable electronic device. This allows a folding process of the electronic device to suspend at a fixed angle. In addition, the structure is simple, and the issue that abrasions easily occur between an upper cam and a lower cam is resolved. According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a hinge assembly is provided. The hinge assembly includes a pivot mechanism and an elastic mechanism and a rotation mechanism that are disposed on the pivot mechanism. One of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is fixed to the pivot mechanism, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is rotatably connected to the pivot mechanism. One of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of protrusions, and the other of the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism is provided with a plurality of grooves that match the plurality of protrusions. When the rotation mechanism rotates to a preset location, at least one of the plurality of protrusions is received by at least one of the plurality of grooves, and remaining protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the elastic mechanism and the rotation mechanism. When the rotation mechanism rotates to another preset location, at least one of the other protrusions in the plurality of protrusions is received by at least one of the other grooves in the plurality of grooves, and remaining protrusions in the plurality of protrusions are interposed between the elastic mechanism and rotation mechanism. In this embodiment of this application, the hinge assembly is provided with an elastic mechanism. A plurality of protrusions are disposed on one of the elastic mechanism and rotation mechanism, and a plurality of grooves that match the plurality of protrusions are provided on the other of the elastic mechanism and rotation mechanism. The protrusion and the groove that match each other allow the hinge assembly to suspend a folding process at a fixed angle. In a suspension state, the protrusion is received by the groove. Therefore, suspension stability can be ensured. To suspend a folding process of the hinge assembly by using a protrusion and a groove that match each other can avoid usage of a spring, an upper cam, and a lower cam. Therefore, abrasions between the upper cam and the lower cam can be reduced. In addition, less springs require less installation space along an axis of the pivot mechanism. Therefore, the hinge assembly is simplified and costs are reduced. By the way, the folding process of a foldable terminal usually does not need to be suspended at all angles during usage. There are greater demands for suspens