US-12621378-B2 - Folding mechanism, support structure, and electronic device

US12621378B2US 12621378 B2US12621378 B2US 12621378B2US-12621378-B2

Abstract

A folding mechanism, a support structure, and an electronic device are provided. The folding mechanism includes a first screen supporting plate, a second screen supporting plate, a first housing base rotatably matching the first screen supporting plate, a second housing base rotatably matching the second screen supporting plate, and a base portion. The first housing base and the second housing base are rotatably connected to a plurality of first rotation portions of the base portion in a one-to-one correspondence manner by means of respective second rotation portions.

Inventors

Dongcun CHENG
Dongqin ZHAO
Wenhui ZENG
Jingwei Xu

Assignees

VIVO MOBILE COMMUNICATION CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230915
Priority Date: 20210319

Claims (19)

1 . A folding mechanism, comprising a first screen supporting plate, a second screen supporting plate, a first housing base, a second housing base, and a base portion, wherein the first housing base is arranged on the first screen supporting plate, and the first screen supporting plate rotatably matches the first housing base; the second housing base is arranged on the second screen supporting plate, and the second screen supporting plate rotatably matches the second housing base; the base portion is provided with a plurality of first rotation portions, and the first housing base and the second housing base are rotatably connected to the plurality of first rotation portions in a one-to-one correspondence manner by means of respective second rotation portions; the folding mechanism has an unfolded state and a folded state; in the unfolded state, respective first side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate are each located between respective second side edges, and a first surface of the first screen supporting plate and a first surface of the second screen supporting plate facing away from the base portion are flush; and in the folded state, a distance between the respective first side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate is greater than a distance between the respective second side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate; wherein the folding mechanism comprises rotation components, the first screen supporting plate is rotatably connected to the first housing base by means of the plurality of rotation components, the rotation component comprising a third rotation portion and a fourth rotation portion, one of the third rotation portion and the fourth rotation portion is connected to the first housing base, the other is connected to the first screen supporting plate, the third rotation portion comprises an insert block, the fourth rotation portion is provided with an insertion slot, the insertion block and the insertion slot are each provided with an arc-shaped matching surface, and the insertion block rotatably matches the insertion slot by means of the arc-shaped matching surfaces.
2 . The folding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the folding mechanism further comprises a lid, the lid is fixedly connected to a side of the base portion facing away from the first screen supporting plate, and in the folded state, a projection of the lid in a plane where a distribution direction of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate and a rotation axis direction of the second rotation portion are located covers the first housing base, the second housing base and the base portion.
3 . The folding mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the first housing base and/or the second housing base comprise/comprises an avoidance structure, the avoidance structure is provided with an avoidance groove, and in the unfolded state, side edges of the lid are accommodated into the avoidance groove.
4 . The folding mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein the first screen supporting plate and/or the second screen supporting plate are/is provided with an accommodating sink, and in the folded state, at least a part of the avoidance structure is accommodated in the accommodating sink.
5 . The folding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the base portion is provided with an accommodating slot, the first rotation portions are arranged in the accommodating slot, and at least a part of the second rotation portions of the first housing base and the second housing base are accommodated in the accommodating slot.
6 . The folding mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein one of the first rotation portion and the second rotation portion comprises a slider, the other is provided with a sliding groove, and the sliding groove slidably matches the slider.
7 . The folding mechanism according to claim 6 , wherein two opposite sides of the accommodating slot are each provided with the first rotation portion, and two opposite sides of the first housing base and the second housing base each are provided with the second rotation portions.
8 . The folding mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein in a rotation axis direction of the second rotation portion, the plurality of first rotation portions are arranged at intervals or staggered.
9 . The folding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth rotation portion comprises a limiting member and a matching member, the limiting member and the matching member form the insertion slot, and the matching member is provided with the arc-shaped matching surface; and in a rotation axis direction of the second rotation portion, the respective limiting members of the two fourth rotation portions in the plurality of fourth rotation portions are arranged opposite to each other, and at least two of the third rotation portions are limited between or outside the two limiting members.
10 . The folding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein in at least one of the rotation components, the third rotation portion comprises the plurality of insertion blocks arranged at intervals along the rotation axis direction of the second rotation portion, the fourth rotation portion is provided with the plurality of insertion slots arranged at intervals along the rotation axis direction of the second rotation portion, and the plurality of insertion blocks match the plurality of insertion slots in a one-to-one correspondence manner.
11 . The folding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein a number of the first housing bases and/or a number of the second housing base are/is plural, at least one of the first housing bases is rotatably connected to the first screen supporting plate, and at least one of the second housing bases is rotatably connected to the second screen supporting plate.
12 . The folding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein in the unfolded state, the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate are arranged at an interval along a direction perpendicular to a rotation axis direction of the second rotation portion.
13 . A support structure, comprising a first housing, a second housing, and a folding mechanism, wherein folding mechanism comprises a first screen supporting plate, a second screen supporting plate, a first housing base, a second housing base, and a base portion; the first housing base is arranged on the first screen supporting plate, and the first screen supporting plate rotatably matches the first housing base; the second housing base is arranged on the second screen supporting plate, and the second screen supporting plate rotatably matches the second housing base; the base portion is provided with a plurality of first rotation portions, and the first housing base and the second housing base are rotatably connected to the plurality of first rotation portions in a one-to-one correspondence manner by means of respective second rotation portions; the folding mechanism has an unfolded state and a folded state; in the unfolded state, respective first side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate are each located between respective second side edges, and a first surface of the first screen supporting plate and a first surface of the second screen supporting plate facing away from the base portion are flush; and in the folded state, a distance between the respective first side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate is greater than a distance between the respective second side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate; a first housing base is fixedly connected to the first housing, and a side of the first housing and a side of the first housing base facing a first screen supporting plate are each provided with an inclined avoidance supporting surface; a second housing base is fixedly connected to the second housing, and a side of the second housing and a side of the second housing base facing a second screen supporting plate are each provided with an inclined avoidance supporting surface; and in a folded state, the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate are respectively supported on the corresponding inclined avoidance supporting surface.
14 . The support structure according to claim 13 , wherein the folding mechanism further comprises a lid, the lid is fixedly connected to a side of the base portion facing away from the first screen supporting plate, and in the folded state, a projection of the lid in a plane where a distribution direction of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate and a rotation axis direction of the second rotation portion are located covers the first housing base, the second housing base and the base portion.
15 . The support structure according to claim 14 , wherein the first housing base and/or the second housing base comprise/comprises an avoidance structure, the avoidance structure is provided with an avoidance groove, and in the unfolded state, side edges of the lid are accommodated into the avoidance groove.
16 . The support structure according to claim 15 , wherein the first screen supporting plate and/or the second screen supporting plate are/is provided with an accommodating sink, and in the folded state, at least a part of the avoidance structure is accommodated in the accommodating sink.
17 . The support structure according to claim 13 , wherein the base portion is provided with an accommodating slot, the first rotation portions are arranged in the accommodating slot, and at least a part of the second rotation portions of the first housing base and the second housing base are accommodated in the accommodating slot.
18 . An electronic device, comprising a first display module and a support structure according to claim 13 , wherein the first display module comprises a flexible display screen, the first display module is mounted on the support structure, and the first display module is supportable on a first housing, a second housing, a first screen supporting plate a second screen supporting plate.
19 . The electronic device according to claim 18 , wherein a side of the first housing facing away from the first display module is provided with a second display module.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS The disclosure is a continuation application of International Application No. PCT/CN2022/080878 filed on Mar. 15, 2022, which claims the priority of Chinese patent application No. 202110297133.X, filed with China National Intellectual Property Administration on Mar. 19, 2021 and entitled “FOLDING MECHANISM, SUPPORT STRUCTURE, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE”, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD This application belongs to the technical field of communication devices, and specifically relates to a folding mechanism, a support structure, and an electronic device. BACKGROUND As technologies evolve, electronic devices such as phones are becoming more and more diversified, such as tablet type, sliding type and foldable type. Foldable electronic devices are increasingly favored by consumers because of their advantages such as large display area and high portability. Foldable electronic devices are generally classified into inward foldable type and outward foldable type. The inward foldable type can better protect the display screen, and thus, is used by more manufacturers. However, while the display screen is folded inward, it is prone to forming a crease on the display screen, causing a shorter service life of the display screen. SUMMARY This application discloses a folding mechanism, a support structure, and an electronic device. In a first aspect, an embodiment of this application discloses a folding mechanism, including a first screen supporting plate, a second screen supporting plate, a first housing base, a second housing base, and a base portion. The first housing base is arranged on the first screen supporting plate, and the first screen supporting plate rotatably matches the first housing base. The second housing base is arranged on the second screen supporting plate, and the second screen supporting plate rotatably matches the second housing base. The base portion is provided with a plurality of first rotation portions, and the first housing base and the second housing base are rotatably connected to the plurality of first rotation portions in a one-to-one correspondence manner by means of respective second rotation portions. The folding mechanism has an unfolded state and a folded state. In the unfolded state, respective first side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate are each located between respective second side edges, and a first surface of the first screen supporting plate and a first surface of the second screen supporting plate facing away from the base portion are flush. In the folded state, a distance between the respective first side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate is greater than a distance between the respective second side edges of the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate. In a second aspect, an embodiment of this application discloses a support structure, including a first housing, a second housing, and a folding mechanism described above. A first housing base is fixedly connected to the first housing, and a side of the first housing and a side of the first housing base facing a first screen supporting plate are each provided with an inclined avoidance supporting surface. A second housing base is fixedly connected to the second housing, and a side of the second housing and a side of the second housing base facing a second screen supporting plate are each provided with an inclined avoidance supporting surface. In a folded state, the first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate are respectively supported on the corresponding inclined avoidance supporting surface. In a third aspect, an embodiment of this application provides an electronic device, including a first display module and a support structure described above. The first display module includes a flexible display screen. The first display module is mounted on the support structure, and the first display module is supportable on a first housing, a second housing, a first screen supporting plate a second screen supporting plate. The embodiment of this application provides a folding mechanism, including the first screen supporting plate, the second screen supporting plate, the first housing base, the second housing base, and the base portion. The first screen supporting plate is rotatably connected to the first housing base, and the second screen supporting plate is rotatably connected to the second housing base. Both the first housing base and the second housing base are rotatably connected to the base portion. The first screen supporting plate and the second screen supporting plate can rotate relative to each other along with the first housing base and the second housing base. The first screen supporting plate can rotate relative to the first housing base, and the second screen supporting plate can rotate relat