CN101370369A - Folding electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A foldable electronic device includes a first body, a second body, a first link member and a second link member. The first link member has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are respectively pivotally connected to one side of the first body and the second body. The second link member has a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end and the fourth end are respectively pivotally connected to the other side of the first body and the second body. The first link member is suitable for rotating along a first pivot, and the second link member is suitable for rotating along a second pivot, and the first pivot and the second pivot are not coaxial.

Description

foldable electronic device

technical field

The present invention relates to a foldable electronic device, and in particular to a foldable electronic device assembled using the principle of four links.

Background technique

Handheld electronic devices, such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs), have gradually become indispensable tools in daily life due to their convenience and portability. As far as the mobile phone is concerned, in order to protect its keyboard panel or screen, in addition to the traditional leather cover, a shell with a lifting cover structure has also been developed, and even a sliding cover with a sliding cover structure has been further developed. shell. Therefore, the mobile phone can be protected by the flip cover structure or the slide cover structure to prevent the user from accidentally touching the keyboard to dial a number or prevent damage caused by external impact.

1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a known slide-type mobile phone when it is closed and opened. Please refer to FIGS. 1A and 1B , the traditional slide phone 100 uses the same screen 110 for opening and closing, which will help reduce the production cost of the slide phone 100 . However, limited by the volume occupied by the sliding mechanism that can relatively slide between the screen and the keyboard, the keyboard area 120 of the slide phone 100 is relatively small, so the area occupied by each key 122 will also be reduced, which will cause Inconvenience for users to operate.

2A and 2B are schematic views of a known clamshell mobile phone when it is closed and opened. 2A and 2B, the traditional clamshell mobile phone 200 has a larger keyboard area 220. However, for the convenience of use, screens 212 and 214 need to be installed inside and outside the mobile phone to facilitate the user to open the cover. When the mobile phone 200 is turned off, it is still possible to know whether there is a missed call or a new text message is received...etc. However, the configuration of dual screens will increase the appearance thickness and cost.

Contents of the invention

The present invention provides a foldable electronic device. The foldable electronic device utilizes the principle of a four-bar linkage mechanism to pivotally connect two connecting rods to the left and right sides of a first body and a second body, so that two The movement track of the connecting rod restricts the movement of the first body, so that the screen of the foldable electronic device faces the user when the cover is flipped. In this way, the foldable electronic device of the present invention can combine the advantages of a clamshell phone with a large keyboard area and a slide phone with a single screen.

The invention provides a foldable electronic device, which includes a first body, a second body, a first link and a second link. The first connecting rod has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are respectively pivotally connected to one side of the first body and the second body, and the second end is pivoted by the first pivot Connected to the pivot of the second body, the first link can rotate along the first pivot. The second connecting rod has a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end and the fourth end are respectively pivotally connected to the other side of the first body and the second body. The fourth end is pivotally connected to the second body by a second pivot, the second link member can rotate along the second pivot, and the first pivot and the second pivot are not coaxial.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first body, the second body, the first link and the second link form a four-link mechanism.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the pivots of the first end of the first link and the third end of the second link are not coaxial.

In an embodiment of the invention, the second body further includes a stopper. When the first body is opened relative to the second body, the stopper is adapted to support the first body.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the foldable electronic device further includes an elastic hinge disposed at the place where the first link member is pivotally connected to the second body.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the foldable electronic device further includes an elastic hinge disposed at the place where the second link member is pivotally connected to the second body.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the first body includes a display.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the second body includes a keyboard area.

In the folding electronic device of the present invention, two connecting rods are pivotally connected to the left and right sides of the first body and the second body to form a four-link mechanism, and the two connecting rods are designed asymmetrically. When the first body is opened relative to the second body, the movement of the first body is limited by the movement tracks of the two connecting rods, so that the screen of the foldable electronic device faces the user during the flipping process. In this way, the foldable electronic device of the present invention can combine the advantages of a clamshell phone with a large keyboard area and a slide phone with a single screen.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more comprehensible, preferred embodiments will be described in detail below together with the accompanying drawings and descriptions.

Description of drawings

1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a known slide-type mobile phone when it is closed and opened;

2A and 2B are schematic diagrams of a known clamshell mobile phone when it is closed and opened;

3A and 3B are schematic perspective views of a foldable electronic device when it is closed and opened according to an embodiment of the present invention;

4A-4D are three-dimensional schematic diagrams of the foldable electronic device of the present invention from closed to fully opened;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the action tracks of the first link and the second link when the first body of the foldable electronic device shown in FIGS. 4A-4D is opened relative to the second body;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of adding a stopper to the second body of the foldable electronic device of the present invention.

Detailed ways

In the following embodiments, the foldable electronic device of the present invention will be described by taking a mobile phone as an example. However, the foldable electronic device can also be a palmtop computer (Palmtops), a super mobile computer (UMPC), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a translation machine, etc., and the present invention does not impose any limitation on this. 3A and 3B are schematic perspective views of a foldable electronic device when it is closed and opened according to an embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIGS. 3A and 3B , the foldable electronic device 300 of the present invention mainly includes a first body 310 , a second body 320 , a first link 330 and a second link 340 . The components included in the foldable electronic device 300 and the connection relationship between the components will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A display 312 is disposed on the first body 310 ; and the host is disposed in the second body 320 , and the second body 320 has a keyboard area 322 . The host is the main component for processing electronic data in the entire foldable electronic device 300. For example, when the user inputs the phone number to be dialed, the text message to be transmitted, or the setting of certain functions in the mobile phone, All calculations and processing of all electronic data need to be performed through the host computer. The keyboard area 322 is provided for the user to input the phone number to be dialed, the text message to be transmitted, or the settings to execute certain functions. The processing result of the electronic data processed by the host computer will be displayed on the display 312 on the first body 310, so that the user can understand the result of the executed function.

The first link member 330 and the second link member 340 are respectively used to connect the left and right sides of the first body 310 and the second body 320 . The first connecting rod 330 has a first end 332 and a second end 334, the first end 332 and the second end 334 are pivotally connected to the left sides of the first body 310 and the second body 320 respectively, and the second end is connected to the left side of the second body 320. A pivot L1 is pivotally connected to the second body. The second link member 340 has a third end 342 and a fourth end 344, the third end 342 and the fourth end 344 are respectively pivotally connected to the right sides of the first body 310 and the second body 320, and the fourth end is connected to the right side of the second body 320. The two pivots L2 are pivotally connected to the second body. In this way, the first body 310, the second body 320, the first link 330 and the second link 340 constitute a four-link mechanism, wherein the pivots of the first end 332 and the third end 342 are not the same. axis, and the pivots of the second end 334 and the fourth end 344 are not coaxial, that is, the first link 330 and the second link 340 are designed asymmetrically. The first link 330 and the second link 340 rotate along the first pivot L1 and the second pivot L2 shown in FIG. 3B respectively, thereby driving the first body 310 to open and close relative to the second body 320 .

4A-4D are three-dimensional schematic views of the foldable electronic device of the present invention from closed to fully opened. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the action tracks of the first link and the second link when the first body of the foldable electronic device shown in FIGS. 4A-4D is opened relative to the second body. Please refer to Fig. 4A-4D and Fig. 5 at the same time. During the opening process of the first body 310 relative to the second body 320, the movement of the first body 310 will be affected by the first link 330 and the second link. 340 motion trajectory is limited. First, as shown in FIG. 4B , the first body 310 will translate upwards first. Afterwards, as shown in FIG. 4C , the first link member 330 and the second link member 340 will rotate backward, and then drive the first body 310 to move backward, and finally reach the position shown in FIG. 4D . The position and length of the first link 330 and the second link 340 will affect the position of the first body 310 after it is opened. It can be seen from FIGS. 4A-4D that when the first body 310 of the foldable electronic device 300 is opened, its display 312 faces the user. In this way, it can be combined with a known slide machine to use a single The screen as well as the clamshell have the advantage of a large keyboard area. In addition, in FIG. 5 , reference sign M indicates the movement locus of the first link, and sign N indicates the movement trajectory of the second link.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 6 , a stopper 324 can be optionally provided on the second body 320 , so that when the first body 310 is opened to a position, the first body 310 can be supported by the stopper 324 . Furthermore, an elastic hinge can be selectively set at the place where the first link member 330 is pivotally connected to the second body 320 and/or the second link member 340 is pivotally connected to the second body 320, so that when the first body When the first body 310 is opened or closed to a certain extent, the elastic force provided by the elastic hinge can make the first body 310 open to the position shown in FIG. 4D or close to the state shown in FIG. 4A .

To sum up, in the foldable electronic device of the present invention, two connecting rods are pivotally connected to the left and right sides of the first body and the second body to form a four-bar linkage mechanism, and the two connecting rods are along the Rotates about two pivots that are not coaxial. When the first body is opened relative to the second body, the movement of the first body is limited by the movement tracks of the two connecting rods, so that the screen of the foldable electronic device faces the user during the flipping process. In this way, the foldable electronic device of the present invention can combine the advantages of a clamshell phone with a large keyboard area and a slide phone with a single screen.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above with preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field may make some modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Modification, therefore, the protection scope of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims (8)

1. A foldable electronic device, characterized in that it comprises: a first organism; a second organism; A first connecting rod has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end are respectively pivotally connected to one side of the first body and the second body, and the second end pivotally connected to the second body by a first pivot, the first link member can rotate along the first pivot; and A second connecting rod has a third end and a fourth end, wherein the third end and the fourth end are pivotally connected to the other side of the first body and the second body respectively, and the fourth end The end is pivotally connected to the second body by a second pivot, the second link member can rotate along the second pivot, and the first pivot and the second pivot are not coaxial. 2 . The foldable electronic device according to claim 1 , wherein the first body, the second body, the first link and the second link form a four-bar linkage. 3 . 3. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the pivots of the first end and the third end are not coaxial. 4. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second body further comprises a stopper, and when the first body is opened relative to the second body, the stopper is suitable for The above-mentioned first body is supported. 5 . The foldable electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic hinge disposed at the place where the first link member is pivotally connected to the second body. 6 . 6 . The foldable electronic device according to claim 1 , further comprising an elastic hinge disposed at the place where the second link member is pivotally connected to the second body. 7 . 7. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the first body comprises a display. 8. The foldable electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the second body includes a keyboard area.

Images