KR20250179234A - Hinge device for mobile terminals capable of synchronizing arms - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hinge device for a portable terminal capable of synchronizing arms, and comprises a pair of arms for supporting both sides of a flexible display, and a base for supporting the arms so as to rotate the arms, the hinge device comprising: a pair of shafts coupled to the arms on both sides and rotating together; and a pair of link sliders arranged between the pair of shafts to move forward and backward toward the shafts, wherein the link sliders receive a rotational force from the shaft on one side and move horizontally to rotate the shaft on the other side, and the pair of link sliders slide in directions crossing each other, and by applying sliders that move in a horizontal direction, there is an effect of preventing synchronization failure and jamming failure due to assembly failure and backlash.

Description

Hinge device for mobile terminals capable of synchronizing arms

The present invention relates to a hinge device for a portable terminal capable of synchronizing arms, and more particularly, to an improved hinge device for a portable terminal capable of synchronizing arms, which is installed in a portable terminal with a flexible display and which enables a pair of arms equipped with a display to be stably folded and unfolded by synchronizing the arms.

In general, portable terminals such as cell phones, PDAs, laptops, and DMB phones are widely used to wirelessly use services such as communication and broadcasting while moving from a location other than a fixed location.

The above-mentioned mobile terminals have become one of the essential items that are essential for enjoying the convenience of life in the information age, and in particular, the target audience for mobile phones is very wide, ranging from elementary, middle, and high school students to the elderly.

As mentioned above, with the recent rapid increase in demand and user base for mobile terminals, consumers have come to expect products with continuously new designs and functions.

Early mobile terminals were composed of a main body equipped with a keypad and a cover equipped with a display panel that could be opened and closed, and were classified into folder type, sliding type, and swing type depending on the opening and closing structure of the cover relative to the main body.

Nowadays, with the advancement of touchscreen technology, bar-shaped smartphones that do not require a keypad are becoming mainstream. These bar-shaped devices feature displays that cover the entire front surface.

Meanwhile, in the next generation, foldable mobile terminals are expected to become mainstream due to the development of flexible display technology.

A mobile terminal with a flexible display can provide a display that is the same size as a conventional mobile terminal when carried, but is larger than a conventional mobile terminal when unfolded.

However, flexible displays change in length when folded, so the hinge device used in conventional folder portable terminals cannot be used.

Accordingly, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of foldable hinge device that can respond to changes in length while allowing both ends of the flexible display to be folded uniformly at the same angle.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge device for a conventional foldable portable terminal. (a) and (b) each show different cross-sections. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a pair of arms of a hinge device for a conventional foldable portable terminal in a folded state.

A pair of arms (10) on which different parts of a flexible display are mounted are provided, and each shaft (20) connected to each arm (10) in a D-cut structure is installed to be rotatable on a base (40). In addition, the pair of shafts (20) are installed to be interlocked with a pair of idler gears (30) in a gear manner.

By means of such a hinge device, the arms (10) supporting both sides of the flexible display can rotate at the same angle simultaneously.

Meanwhile, conventional hinge devices employ gear components to achieve forward-reverse rotation synchronization, requiring sophisticated machining and increasing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, conventional gear-type connection structures have been plagued by problems such as poor gear tooth assembly and backlash, resulting in poor synchronization and engagement.

Republic of Korea Publication Patent No. 10-2021-0100717

The present invention is intended to solve the above-mentioned problem, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a hinge device that does not cause synchronization failure and jamming failure due to assembly failure and backlash by applying a slider that moves horizontally as a structure for linking arms that support both ends of a flexible display.

In order to achieve the above purpose, the present invention,

A hinge device for a portable terminal having a pair of arms for supporting both sides of a flexible display and a base for supporting the arms so as to rotate by a hinge,

A pair of shafts connected to the arms on both sides and rotating together; and

A pair of link sliders are disposed between the pair of shafts to move forward and backward toward the shafts,

The above link slider receives the rotational force of the shaft or the arm on one side and moves horizontally to rotate the shaft or the arm on the other side, and the pair of link sliders slide in an intersecting direction to provide a hinge device for a portable terminal capable of synchronizing arms.

Each of the above shafts or each of the above arms has a pair of curved protrusions formed at symmetrical positions about the center of rotation for pushing the link slider,

On both sides of the above link slider, a flat protrusion that comes into contact with the above curved protrusion and a curved groove for avoiding the above curved protrusion are respectively formed.

On one side of the above link slider, the flat protrusion is positioned at the top and the curved groove is positioned at the bottom, and on the other side of the above link slider, the curved groove is positioned at the top and the flat protrusion is positioned at the bottom.

On one side of the other link slider, the flat protrusion is positioned at the bottom and the curved groove is positioned at the top, and on the other side of the link slider, the curved groove is positioned at the bottom and the flat protrusion is positioned at the top.

The foldable hinge device of the present invention as described above is a structure for linking arms supporting both ends of a flexible display, and has the effect of preventing synchronization failure and jamming failure due to assembly defects and backlash by applying a slider that moves horizontally.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge device for a conventional mobile terminal in an unfolded state.
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a hinge device for a conventional mobile terminal in a folded state.
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge device for a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of Fig. 3;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge device shown in Figure 3 in an unfolded state;
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge device shown in Figure 5 in a folded state.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a hinge device for a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The following detailed description of the present invention refers to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present invention. It should be understood that the various embodiments of the present invention, while different from each other, are not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, specific shapes, structures, and characteristics described herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, it should be understood that the positions or arrangements of individual components within each disclosed embodiment may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the following detailed description is not intended to be limiting, and the scope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled, if properly described. Like reference numerals in the drawings designate the same or similar functionality throughout the several aspects.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

A flexible display is a device that can be folded in half and unfolded by making the central part of the display out of a flexible material. This allows the display to be folded to make it smaller and easier to store when not in use, and the display to be unfolded to use a larger screen when in use.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a hinge device for a mobile terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of FIG. 3.

The present embodiment is applied to a hinge device for a portable terminal having a pair of arms (110) for supporting both sides of a flexible display and a base (120) for supporting the arms (110) so as to be hingedly rotated. The pair of arms (110) are hingedly connected to the base (120) so as to be rotated 90° at opposing positions. Since this structure is not the gist of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The hinge device of the present embodiment includes a pair of shafts (130) that are coupled to arms (110) on both sides and rotate together, and a pair of link sliders (140) that are arranged between the pair of shafts (130) to move forward and backward toward the shafts (130).

The shaft (130) has a D-cut structure and is fixed to rotate integrally with the arm (110).

The link slider (140) receives the rotational force of the shaft (130) on one side and moves horizontally to rotate the shaft (130) on the other side, and a pair of link sliders (140) slide in an intersecting direction.

A bracket (150) is fixed to the base (120) to guide the shaft (130) and the link slider (140). The bracket (150) is provided with a through hole (154) for passing the shaft (130) through, and a guide (152) for guiding the link slider (140) from above and below.

Each shaft (130) has a pair of curved protrusions (132) formed at symmetrical positions with respect to the center of rotation for pushing the link slider (140), and on both sides of the link slider (140), a flat protrusion (142) that comes into contact with the curved protrusion (132) and a curved groove (144) for avoiding the curved protrusion (132) are formed.

On one side of a link slider (140), a flat protrusion (142) is positioned at the top and a curved groove (144) is positioned at the bottom, and on the other side of the link slider (140), a curved groove (144) is positioned at the top and the flat protrusion (142) is positioned at the bottom.

And, on one side of another link slider (140), a flat protrusion (142) is positioned at the bottom and a curved groove (144) is positioned at the top, and on the other side of the link slider (140), a curved groove (144) is positioned at the bottom and a flat protrusion (142) is positioned at the top.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a hinge device for a mobile terminal according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In another embodiment, a pair of curved protrusions (112) for pushing a link slider (140) on a rock (110) are formed at symmetrical positions with respect to the center of rotation, and a flat protrusion (142) that comes into contact with the curved protrusion (112) and a curved groove (144) for avoiding the curved protrusion (112) are formed on both sides of the link slider (140).

Below, the operation when using a mobile terminal equipped with a hinge device having the above configuration is described.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge device shown in Figure 3 in an unfolded state.

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the hinge device shown in Figure 5 in a folded state.

When a user folds up one or both sides of the display to fold the unfolded display, the arm (110) coupled to the display rotates together with respect to the base (120).

When the arm (110) on the right side of the drawing rotates the shaft (130), the curved protrusion (132) of the shaft (130) pushes the flat protrusion (142) of the link slider (140). At this time, the other curved protrusion (132) of the shaft (130) rotates in the curved groove (144) of the link slider (140).

Accordingly, the link slider (140) slides to the left, and the left flat protrusion (142) of the link slider (140) pushes the curved protrusion (132) of the left shaft (130) to rotate the left shaft (130). At this time, the other curved protrusion (132) of the left shaft (130) rotates in the curved groove (144) of the link slider (140).

And, when the user unfolds the display to unfold the folded display, the operations of the shaft (130) and link slider (140) described above are reversed.

And, another link slider (140) having a shape symmetrical to the link slider (140) above performs an operation symmetrical to the operation of the link slider (140) described above.

In this way, the present invention can implement perfect synchronization in which the arms (110) on both sides rotate at the same angle simultaneously by introducing a horizontally movable link slider (140) structure.

Therefore, it solves problems such as reduced productivity and breakage that occur in the existing connection structure using gears, and adopts a stable two-axis structure instead of a four-axis structure, which has the effects of reducing backlash and reducing management points.

The present invention is not limited thereto, and may be modified and implemented in various forms by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims below, and therefore such modifications should be construed as falling within the scope of the present invention.

110: Female 112: Curved protrusion
120: Base
130: Shaft 132: Curved protrusion
140: Link slider 142: Flat projection
144: Curved groove
150: Bracket 152: Guide
154: Penetration hole

Claims (3)

A hinge device for a portable terminal having a pair of arms for supporting both sides of a flexible display and a base for supporting the arms so as to rotate by a hinge,
A pair of shafts connected to the arms on both sides and rotating together; and
A pair of link sliders are disposed between the pair of shafts to move forward and backward toward the shafts,
A hinge device for a portable terminal capable of synchronizing arms, wherein the link slider receives the rotational force of the shaft or the arm on one side and moves horizontally to rotate the shaft or the arm on the other side, and the pair of link sliders slide in an intersecting direction.
In the first paragraph,
Each of the above shafts or each of the above arms has a pair of curved protrusions formed at symmetrical positions about the center of rotation for pushing the link slider,
A hinge device for a portable terminal capable of synchronizing arms, characterized in that a flat protrusion that comes into contact with the curved protrusion and a curved groove for avoiding the curved protrusion are formed on both sides of the link slider.
In claim 2,
On one side of the above link slider, the flat protrusion is positioned at the top and the curved groove is positioned at the bottom, and on the other side of the above link slider, the curved groove is positioned at the top and the flat protrusion is positioned at the bottom.
A hinge device for a portable terminal capable of synchronizing arms, characterized in that on one side of the other link slider, the flat protrusion is positioned at the bottom and the curved groove is positioned at the top, and on the other side of the link slider, the curved groove is positioned at the bottom and the flat protrusion is positioned at the top.