TWI812234B - Foldable electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A foldable electronic device includes a first body, a second body and a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism includes a first link, a second link, a third link, a fourth link, a first gear and a second gear. The first link is disposed to the first body. The second link is pivoted to the first link. The third link is disposed to the second body and is pivoted to the second link. The fourth link is pivoted to the first link and the third link. The first gear is disposed to the third link. The second gear is disposed to the fourth link and meshes with the first gear. The second body is closed relative to the first body, and when the second body is forced to expand relative to the first body, the second body drives the first gear through the third link, the first gear drives the second gear to rotate, and the second gear drives the fourth link to rotate relative to the first link.

Description

Foldable electronic device

The present invention relates to a foldable electronic device, and in particular to a foldable electronic device with a lifting mechanism.

Foldable electronic devices, such as notebook computers, have a large number of users due to their advantages of portability and wide application. Traditional foldable electronic devices simply allow two bodies to be pivoted to each other through a pivot structure. Since foldable electronic devices are small in size, the height of the screen of the foldable electronic device after unfolding is not very high, which is not conducive to for users to view. Therefore, foldable electronic devices with lifting mechanisms appear on the market.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional foldable electronic device. As shown in FIG. 1 , the foldable electronic device 10 includes a first body 11 , a second body 12 and a lifting mechanism 13 . The second body 12 is movably disposed on the first body 11 through the lifting mechanism 13 . The lifting mechanism 13 is a four-link mechanism, including a first link 13a, a second link 13b, a third link 13c and a fourth link 13d that are pivoted in sequence, wherein the lifting mechanism 13 defines a A first pivot point P1, a second pivot point P2, a third pivot point P3 and a fourth pivot point P. The first link 13a is provided on the first body 11, the second link 13b is pivotally connected to the first link 13a through the first pivot point P1, and the third link 13c is pivotally connected to the second link 13b through the second pivot point P2. The fourth link 13d is pivotally connected to the first link 13a through the third pivot point P3, and the fourth link 13d is pivotally connected to the third link 13c through the fourth pivot point P4. However, under the premise of pursuing thinning and narrowing the frame of the foldable electronic device 10, the distance between the second pivot point P2 and the fourth pivot point P4 will be too close, and the second body 12 will be forced to move relative to the first pivot point P4. When the body 11 is opened to a specific angle, the external force F exerted by the second body 12 on the fourth link 13d will pass through the second pivot point P2 and the fourth pivot point P4 at the same time, causing the lifting mechanism 13 to be stuck and unable to operate. Therefore, the third The second body 12 cannot be further deployed relative to the first body 11 .

Therefore, when the existing foldable electronic device adopts the above-mentioned lifting mechanism 13, it is unable to simultaneously achieve the thinning of the foldable electronic device 10, the lifting of the second body 12, narrow frame and smooth opening.

The present invention provides a foldable electronic device, which not only achieves a narrow frame of the second body and thinning of the foldable electronic device, but also allows smooth lifting and smooth opening of the second body.

The foldable electronic device of the present invention includes a first body, a second body and a lifting mechanism. The second body is movably arranged on the first body through a lifting mechanism. The lifting mechanism includes a first connecting rod, a second connecting rod, a third connecting rod, a fourth connecting rod, a first gear and a second gear. The first connecting rod is arranged on the first body. One end of the second connecting rod is pivotally connected to one end of the first connecting rod. The third link is disposed on the second body, and one end of the third link is pivotally connected to the other end of the second link. One end of the fourth link is pivotally connected to the other end of the first link, and the other end of the fourth link is pivotally connected to the other end of the third link. The first gear is arranged on the third connecting rod. The second gear is disposed on the fourth connecting rod, and the second gear meshes with the first gear. The second body is closed relative to the first body. When the second body is forced to expand relative to the first body, the second body drives the first gear through the third connecting rod, and the first gear drives the second gear to rotate, and the second gear The gear drives the fourth connecting rod to rotate relative to the first connecting rod.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned lifting mechanism further includes a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, a third rotating shaft and a fourth rotating shaft. The second link is pivotally connected to the first link through the first rotating shaft, the third link is pivotally connected to the second link through the second rotating shaft, the fourth link is pivotally connected to the first link through the third rotating shaft, and the fourth link is pivotally connected to the first link through the third rotating shaft. The third connecting rod is pivoted through the fourth rotating shaft.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned first gear is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft, and the second rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the third connecting rod. The second gear is fixedly connected to the fourth rotating shaft, and the fourth rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the fourth connecting rod.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned first rotating shaft is a torsion rotating shaft structure.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned second rotating shaft is a torsion rotating shaft structure.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned lifting mechanism further includes an elastic member. The elastic member is arranged on the first rotating shaft, and two ends of the elastic member are connected to the first connecting rod and the second connecting rod respectively.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned second connecting rod has a first stopper, and the first rotating shaft has a second stopper corresponding to the first stopper.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned second connecting rod has a third stopper, and the second rotating shaft has a fourth stopper corresponding to the third stopper.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned lifting mechanism further includes a slot and a first elastic member. The first connecting rod has a slide groove, and the third rotating shaft is slidably installed in the slide groove. The first elastic component is disposed in the socket, and two ends of the first elastic component respectively contact the socket and the third rotating shaft.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned lifting mechanism further includes a slot and a second elastic member. The third rotating shaft is slidably installed in the slot, and two ends of the second elastic member respectively contact the slot and the third rotating shaft.

Based on the above, in the foldable electronic device of the present invention, the second body is closed relative to the first body. When the second body is forced to expand relative to the first body, the second body drives the first gear through the third link. , the first gear drives the second gear to rotate, and the second gear drives the fourth link to rotate relative to the first link. By actively forcing the fourth link to rotate relative to the first link, the lifting mechanism can be prevented from jamming. Dead and unable to move, in addition to achieving the ergonomic effect of raising the second body to a height and enabling the second body to be opened smoothly during its deployment relative to the first body, it can also be used with a shorter length. The third link reduces the volume occupied by the third link and helps to make the foldable electronic device thinner.

In order to make the above-mentioned features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, embodiments are given below and described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the foldable electronic device of FIG. 2 transitioning to another mode. Please refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 . The foldable electronic device 100 is, for example, a notebook computer or a dual-screen notebook computer. This embodiment is not limited. The foldable electronic device 100 includes a first body 110 , a second body 120 and a lifting mechanism 130 . The second body 120 is movably disposed on the first body 110 through the lifting mechanism 130 . The first body 110 has a storage slot 111 . When the second body 120 is closed relative to the first body 110 , the lifting mechanism 130 is stored in the storage slot 111 .

FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of the foldable electronic device of FIG. 3 . 5 to 8 are partial cross-sectional schematic diagrams of the process of converting the foldable electronic device in FIG. 2 to another mode in FIG. 3 . Please refer to Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. The lifting mechanism 130 includes a first link 131, a second link 132, a third link 133, a fourth link 134, and a first rotating shaft. 135. A second rotating shaft 136, a third rotating shaft 137, a fourth rotating shaft 138, a first gear 141 and a second gear 142.

The first connecting rod 131 is provided on the first body 110 . One end of the second link 132 is pivotally connected to one end of the first link 131 . The third link 133 is disposed on the second body 120 , and one end of the third link 133 is pivotally connected to the other end of the second link 132 . One end of the fourth link 134 is pivotally connected to the other end of the first link 131 , and the other end of the fourth link 134 is pivotally connected to the other end of the third link 133 . The first gear 141 is provided on the third link 133 . The second gear 142 is disposed on the fourth connecting rod 134 , and the second gear 142 meshes with the first gear 141 .

To put it another way, one end of the second link 132 is pivotally connected to one end of the first link 131 through the first rotating shaft 135, and one end of the third link 133 is pivotally connected to the other end of the second link 132 through the second rotating shaft 136. One end of the fourth link 134 is pivotally connected to the other end of the first link 131 through the third rotating shaft 137 , and the other end of the fourth link 134 is pivotally connected to the other end of the third link 133 through the fourth rotating shaft 138 . In addition, the first gear 141 is fixedly connected to the second rotating shaft 136 , and the second rotating shaft 136 is fixedly connected to the third connecting rod 133 . The second gear 142 is fixedly connected to the fourth rotating shaft 138 , and the fourth rotating shaft 138 is fixedly connected to the fourth connecting rod 134 .

When the second body 120 is closed relative to the first body 110 as shown in Figures 2 and 5, when the second body 120 is forced to expand relative to the first body 110 as shown in Figures 3 and 8, the second body 120 is 120 drives the first gear 141 through the third link 133, the first gear 141 drives the second gear 142 to rotate, and the second gear 142 drives the fourth link 134 to rotate relative to the first link 131, by actively forcing the third link 134 to rotate. The four-link 134 rotates relative to the first link 131 to prevent the lifting mechanism 130 from being stuck and unable to operate. In addition to achieving the ergonomic effect of raising the second body 120, it can also make the second body 120 In addition to being able to open smoothly during the unfolding process of the first body 110, a shorter third link 133 can also be used to reduce the volume occupied by the third link 133, which is helpful for folding electronic devices. 100% thinner.

Please refer to Figures 3, 4, 5 and 8. In order to facilitate that the second body 120 can be fixed at any position at any time during the unfolding process relative to the first body 110, one of the first rotating shaft 135 and the second rotating shaft 136 is One or both can adopt a torsion shaft structure. In addition, the lifting mechanism 130 further includes an elastic member 140. The elastic member 140 may be a torsion spring and is disposed on the first rotating shaft 135. The two ends of the elastic member 140 are respectively connected to the first connecting rod 131 and the second connecting rod 132.

On the other hand, the second link 132 has a first stopper 132a, the first rotating shaft 135 has a second stopper 135a corresponding to the first stopper 132a, and the second link 132 has a third stopper. The second rotating shaft 136 has a fourth stopper 136a corresponding to the third stopper 132b to effectively limit the maximum opening angle of the second body 120 relative to the first body 110 .

Please refer to Figures 4 and 5. In order to clearly illustrate the operating principle of the lifting mechanism 130, the lifting mechanism 130 is defined here as a first pivot point P1, a second pivot point P2, a third pivot point P3 and a fourth pivot point. Pivot point P4.

The first link 131 and the second link 132 are pivotally connected to each other through the first pivot point P1. The second link 132 and the third link 133 are pivotally connected to each other through the second pivot point P2. The third link 133 and the first link 133 are pivotally connected to each other through the second pivot point P2. The connecting rods 131 are pivotally connected to each other through the third pivot point P3, and the third connecting rod 133 and the fourth connecting rod 134 are pivotally connected to each other through the fourth pivot point P4.

Please refer to Figures 4, 5 and 6. The second body 120 is forced to expand from the mode shown in Figure 5 relative to the first body 110 to the mode shown in Figure 6. At this time, for example, the second body 120 is relative to the first body 110. When the machine body 110 expands to an angle range of 8 to 12 degrees, the lifting mechanism 130 will reach the dead center of the mechanism's operation, and the external force F will pass through the second pivot point P2 and the fourth pivot point P4 at the same time. During the process when the second body 120 is forced to expand relative to the first body 110 from the mode shown in FIG. 6 to the mode shown in FIG. 7 , the second body 120 drives the third connecting rod 133 and the second rotating shaft 136 . One gear 141 rotates, the first gear 141 drives the second gear 142 to rotate, and the second gear 142 drives the fourth link 134 to rotate relative to the first link 131 through the fourth shaft 138, by actively forcing the fourth link 134 to rotate. 134 rotates relative to the first link 131 to prevent the lifting mechanism 130 from being stuck and unable to operate.

In FIG. 6 , the second body 120 has been relatively expanded by an angle θ1, and the fourth link 134 of the lifting mechanism 130 has been relatively expanded by an angle θ2.

Please refer to Figures 4, 7 and 8. Since the lifting mechanism 130 in Figure 7 has overcome the problem of the dead center of the mechanism, when the second body 120 continues to be stressed and deployed relative to the first body 110, it can continue to deploy. In the mode shown in FIG. 8 , at this time, the fourth stopper 136a abuts against the third stopper 132b, and the first stopper 132a abuts against the second stopper 135a, so that the second body 120 is completely Expand.

9 to 10 are schematic diagrams of the operating principle of another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 . The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is that the lifting mechanism 230 further includes a slot 251 and a first elastic member 252 . The first connecting rod 231 has a sliding groove 253, and the third rotating shaft 237 is slidably disposed in the sliding groove 253. The first elastic member 252 is disposed in the slot 251, and the two ends of the first elastic member 252 respectively contact the slot 251 and the third rotating shaft 237. The first elastic member 252 may be a spring.

As shown in FIG. 9 , in terms of the direction in the figure, the longitudinal extension direction of the chute 253 is set to the left-right direction, and the length extension direction of the first elastic member 252 is also set to the left-right direction. When the fourth link 234 has not rotated, the third rotating shaft 237 is located on the left side of the slide groove 253 . Please further refer to FIG. 10 . When the fourth link 234 rotates relative to the first link 231 , the first elastic member 252 can push the third rotating shaft 237 to slide toward the right side of the slide groove 253 , leaving the fourth link 234 in this position. The movement margin can ensure that the lifting mechanism 230 will not get stuck at the dead center of the mechanism, which helps to increase the smoothness of the lifting mechanism 230's operation.

11 to 13 are schematic diagrams of the operating principle of yet another embodiment of the present invention. Please refer to Figures 11, 12 and 13. The difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment is that the lifting mechanism 330 further includes a slot 351 and a second elastic member 352. The third rotating shaft 337 is slidably installed in the groove base 351 . The second elastic member 352 is disposed in the slot 351, and the two ends of the second elastic member 352 respectively contact the slot 351 and the third rotating shaft 337. The second elastic member 352 may be a spring.

As shown in FIG. 11 , in terms of the direction in the figure, the length extension direction of the groove seat 351 is set to the up and down direction, and the length extension direction of the second elastic member 352 is also set to the up and down direction. When the fourth link 334 has not yet rotated, the third rotating shaft 337 is located on the upper side of the groove seat 351 . Please further refer to Figure 12. When the fourth link 334 rotates relative to the first link 331, the second elastic member 352 can push the third rotating shaft 337 to slide toward the bottom side of the groove seat 351, retaining the fourth link 334. This movement margin can ensure that the lifting mechanism 330 will not get stuck at the dead center of the mechanism, which helps to increase the smoothness of the lifting mechanism 330's operation. Please further refer to FIG. 13 . When the lifting mechanism 330 moves further, the second elastic member 352 will push the third rotating shaft 337 to move to the upper side of the groove seat 351 , for example, back to the original position.

To sum up, in the foldable electronic device of the present invention, the second body is closed relative to the first body. When the second body is expanded relative to the first body due to force, the second body drives the third body through the third link. A gear, the first gear drives the second gear to rotate, and the second gear drives the fourth connecting rod to rotate relative to the first connecting rod. By actively forcing the fourth connecting rod to rotate relative to the first connecting rod, lifting can be avoided. If the mechanism is stuck and unable to move, in addition to achieving the ergonomic effect of raising the second body to a height and enabling the second body to be opened smoothly during its deployment relative to the first body, the length can also be used The shorter third link reduces the volume occupied by the third link and helps to make the foldable electronic device thinner.

Although the present invention has been disclosed above through embodiments, they are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field may make some modifications and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, The protection scope of the present invention shall be determined by the appended patent application scope.

10: Foldable electronic devices 11:First body 12:Second body 13: Lifting mechanism 13a: First connecting rod 13b: Second connecting rod 13c:Third connecting rod 13d:Fourth connecting rod 100: Foldable electronic devices 110:First body 111:Storage slot 120:Second body 130: Lifting mechanism 131:First connecting rod 132:Second connecting rod 132a: first stop part 132b: Third stopper 133:Third connecting rod 134:Fourth connecting rod 135:First axis 135a: Second stopper 136:Second axis 136a: The fourth stopper 137:Third axis 138:The fourth axis 140: Elastic parts 141:First gear 142: Second gear 230, 330: Lifting mechanism 231, 331: first connecting rod 234, 334: Fourth connecting rod 237, 337: The third axis 251, 351: Slot seat 252:First elastic member 352: Second elastic member 253:Chute F: external force P1: The first pivot point P2: The second pivot point P3: The third pivot point P4: The fourth pivot point P5: The fifth pivot point θ1, θ2: angle

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional foldable electronic device. FIG. 2 is a schematic three-dimensional view of a foldable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the foldable electronic device of FIG. 2 transitioning to another mode. FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of the foldable electronic device of FIG. 3 . 5 to 8 are partial cross-sectional schematic diagrams of the process of converting the foldable electronic device in FIG. 2 to another mode in FIG. 3 . 9 to 10 are schematic diagrams of the operating principle of another embodiment of the present invention. 11 to 13 are schematic diagrams of the operating principle of yet another embodiment of the present invention.

100: Foldable electronic devices

110:First body

111:Storage slot

120:Second body

130: Lifting mechanism

131:First connecting rod

132:Second connecting rod

132a: first stop part

132b: Third stopper

133:Third connecting rod

134:Fourth connecting rod

135:First axis

135a: Second stopper

136:Second axis

136a: The fourth stopper

137:Third axis

138:The fourth axis

140: Elastic parts

141:First gear

142: Second gear

Claims (10)

A foldable electronic device including: a first organism; a second organism; and A lifting mechanism through which the second body is movably disposed on the first body. The lifting mechanism includes: a first connecting rod, arranged on the first body; a second connecting rod, one end of which is pivotally connected to one end of the first connecting rod; A third connecting rod is provided on the second body, and one end is pivotally connected to the other end of the second connecting rod; a fourth link, one end of which is pivotally connected to the other end of the first link, and the other end of which is pivotally connected to the other end of the third link; a first gear disposed on the third connecting rod; and a second gear, disposed on the fourth connecting rod and engaged with the first gear, The second body is closed relative to the first body. When the second body is expanded relative to the first body due to force, the second body drives the first gear through the third connecting rod. The first gear The second gear is driven to rotate, and the second gear drives the fourth connecting rod to rotate relative to the first connecting rod. The foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism further includes a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, a third rotating shaft and a fourth rotating shaft, and the second link is pivoted through the first rotating shaft. The first connecting rod, the third connecting rod are pivotally connected to the second connecting rod through the second rotating shaft, the fourth connecting rod is pivotally connected to the first connecting rod through the third rotating shaft, and the fourth connecting rod is connected through the third rotating shaft. The fourth rotating shaft is pivotally connected to the third connecting rod. The foldable electronic device according to claim 2, wherein the first gear is fixed to the second rotating shaft, the second rotating shaft is fixed to the third connecting rod, the second gear is fixed to the fourth rotating shaft, and the third rotating shaft is fixed to the third connecting rod. The four rotating shafts are fixedly connected to the fourth connecting rod. The foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first rotating shaft is a torsion rotating shaft structure. The foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second rotating shaft is a torsion rotating shaft structure. The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the lifting mechanism further includes an elastic member disposed on the first rotating shaft, and two ends of the elastic member are connected to the first link and the second link respectively. The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second link has a first stopper, and the first rotating shaft has a second stopper corresponding to the first stopper. The foldable electronic device of claim 2, wherein the second link has a third stopper, and the second rotating shaft has a fourth stopper corresponding to the third stopper. The foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lifting mechanism further includes a socket and a first elastic member, the first link has a slide groove, and the third rotating shaft is slidably disposed in the slide groove. , wherein the first elastic member is disposed in the slot, and the two ends of the first elastic member abut the slot and the third rotating shaft respectively. The foldable electronic device as claimed in claim 2, wherein the lifting mechanism further includes a socket and a second elastic member, the third rotating shaft is slidably located in the socket, and the two ends of the second elastic member are respectively Contacting the slot and the third rotating shaft.

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