CN112041915A - Supporting structure and flexible display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A support structure (10) and a flexible display device (100) are disclosed. The supporting structure (10) comprises a rotating shaft component (12), a supporting plate (14) and a transmission component (16), wherein the transmission component (16) is movably connected with the rotating shaft component (12) and the supporting plate (14). The supporting structure (10) can be switched between an unfolding state and a folding state, and when the unfolding state is switched to the folding state, the transmission assembly (16) is used for converting the rotation of the supporting plate (14) into the relative approaching movement of the rotating shaft assembly (12) and the supporting plate (14); when the folding state is switched to the unfolding state, the transmission assembly (16) is used for converting the rotation of the support plate (14) into the relative distance movement of the rotating shaft assembly (12) and the support plate (14).

Description

Supporting structure and flexible display deviceTechnical Field

The application relates to the technical field of flexible display, in particular to a supporting structure and a flexible display device.

Background

The mobile phone and the tablet device are common electronic products in life, are applied more and more widely in personal life and work, have different screens, and are suitable for different use scenes. Generally, the volume and the screen of the mobile phone are smaller than those of a tablet device, the tablet device has a large screen, and operations such as watching videos or working are convenient, but the mobile phone is inconvenient to carry due to the large volume; the mobile phone is small in size and convenient to carry, but the content displayed by the small screen is limited. How to combine the advantages of mobile phones and tablet devices together with a suitable structure without stretching and damaging the flexible display screen on the structure becomes a new technical challenge.

Disclosure of Invention

The application provides a supporting structure and a flexible display device.

The support structure of this application embodiment, including pivot subassembly, backup pad and drive assembly, drive assembly swing joint the pivot subassembly with the backup pad. The supporting structure can be switched between the unfolding state and the folding state, and when the unfolding state is switched to the folding state, the transmission assembly is used for converting the rotation of the supporting plate into the relative approaching movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the supporting plate; when the folded state is switched to the unfolded state, the transmission assembly is used for converting the rotation of the supporting plate into the relative far-away movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the supporting plate.

The flexible display device of the embodiment of the application comprises the supporting structure and the flexible display screen arranged on the supporting structure.

The supporting structure and the flexible display device of the embodiment of the application are folded to be in a mobile phone shape, the change of the length of the folding part of the supporting structure is offset by the relative close movement between the rotating shaft assembly and the supporting plate, so that the stretching damage to the flexible part installed on the supporting structure is avoided, and the service life of the flexible part is ensured. Meanwhile, when the supporting structure is in an unfolded state, the flexible parts can be tiled and switched to be in a flat equipment form, and form switching between the mobile phone and the flat equipment is completed.

Additional aspects and advantages of the present application will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present application.

Drawings

The above and/or additional aspects and advantages of the present application will become apparent and readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

fig. 1 is a schematic plan view of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present application when it is unfolded.

Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present application when folded.

Fig. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a flexible display device according to an embodiment of the present application, in which an unfolded state and a folded state are switched.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the support structure of the embodiment of the present application in an unfolded state.

Fig. 5 is a schematic plan view of a support structure of an embodiment of the present application in an expanded state.

Fig. 6 is a further schematic plan view of the support structure of the embodiments of the present application in an expanded state.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the support structure of the embodiment of the present application in a folded state.

Fig. 8 is a schematic plan view of the support structure of the present embodiment in a folded state.

Fig. 9 is a further schematic plan view of the support structure of the present embodiment in a folded state.

Fig. 10 is another plan view schematic view of the support structure of the present application in a folded state.

FIG. 11 is a further plan view of the support structure of the embodiments of the present application in a collapsed state.

Fig. 12 is a schematic plan view of the support structure of the present embodiment in a folded state.

Fig. 13 is a schematic plan view of a portion of a support structure according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 14 is a schematic plan view of a spindle assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 15 is an exploded schematic view of a spindle assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of a first plate according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 17 is a schematic plan view of a first plate of an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 18 is another schematic plan view of the first plate of the embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of a first rotating shaft according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the first transmission member according to the embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of a fifth transmission member according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view of a seventh transmission member according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 23 is a perspective view of a first sleeve according to an embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of a damping assembly according to an embodiment of the present application.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view of a protective shield according to an embodiment of the present application.

Description of the main element symbols: thesupport structure 10, therotation shaft assembly 12, thefirst rotation shaft 121, thefirst rod 1212, thesecond rod 1214, thefirst limit groove 1216, thesecond rotation shaft 122, thethird rod 1222, thefourth rod 1224, the second limit groove 1226, thethird rotation shaft 123, thesupport plate 14, thefirst plate 142, thefirst accommodation space 1422, thethird accommodation space 1424, thesecond plate 144, the second accommodation space 1442, the fourth accommodation space 1444, thetransmission assembly 16, thefirst transmission assembly 162, thefirst transmission member 1621, thesecond transmission member 1622, thefifth transmission member 1623, thetransmission portion 162c, the connectingportion 162d, theseventh transmission member 1624, thefirst transmission seat 162e, thesecond transmission seat 162f, thefirst sleeve 1625, thefirst portion 162g, thesecond portion 162h, thefirst collar 162a, thefirst projection 162b, thesecond transmission member 164, thethird transmission member 1641, thefourth transmission member 1642, thesixth transmission member 1643, theeighth transmission member 1644, and thesecond sleeve 1645, the second collar 164a, the second protrusion 164b, thedamping assembly 18, thefirst damping assembly 182, the first dampingspring 1822, thefirst fixing member 1824, thesecond damping assembly 184, thesecond damping spring 1842, thesecond fixing member 1844, theshielding member 19, thebending portion 192, the protrudingportion 194, theflexible display device 100, and theflexible display screen 20.

Detailed Description

Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present application, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar function throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are illustrative and are only for the purpose of explaining the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application.

In the description of the present application, it is to be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," and the like are used in the orientations and positional relationships indicated in the drawings for convenience in describing the present application and for simplicity in description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the referenced devices or elements must have a particular orientation, be constructed in a particular orientation, and be operated in a particular manner, and are not to be construed as limiting the present application. Furthermore, the terms "first", "second" and "first" are used for descriptive purposes only and are not to be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the described features. In the description of the present application, "a plurality" means two or more unless specifically limited otherwise.

In the description of the present application, it is to be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, e.g., as meaning either a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; may be mechanically connected, may be electrically connected or may be in communication with each other; either directly or indirectly through intervening media, either internally or in any other relationship. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present application can be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art as appropriate.

In this application, unless expressly stated or limited otherwise, the first feature "on" or "under" the second feature may comprise direct contact of the first and second features, or may comprise contact of the first and second features not directly but through another feature in between. Also, a first feature being "on," "above" and "over" a second feature includes the first feature being directly on and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. A first feature being "under," "below," and "beneath" a second feature includes the first feature being directly under and obliquely below the second feature, or simply meaning that the first feature is at a lesser elevation than the second feature.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different features of the application. In order to simplify the disclosure of the present application, specific example components and arrangements are described below. Of course, they are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present application. Moreover, the present application may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples, such repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. In addition, examples of various specific processes and materials are provided herein, but one of ordinary skill in the art may recognize applications of other processes and/or use of other materials.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, aflexible display device 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes asupport structure 10 and aflexible display screen 20 disposed on thesupport structure 10.

Theflexible display device 100 formed by disposing theflexible display panel 20 on the supportingstructure 10 can prevent theflexible display panel 20 from being damaged by being folded and stretched, and has a long service life and high product quality. In particular, theflexible display 20 may be fixedly disposed on thesupport structure 10, or movably disposed on thesupport structure 10.

In some embodiments, theflexible display 20 comprises an OLED display.

The OLED display screen has the advantages of self-luminous organic electroluminescent diode, no need of backlight source, high contrast, thin thickness, wide viewing angle, high reaction speed and the like, and can be used for flexible panels, and has wide use temperature range and simpler structure and manufacture procedure.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, in the embodiment of the present application, the supportingstructure 10 includes a rotatingshaft assembly 12, a supportingplate 14 and atransmission assembly 16, and thetransmission assembly 16 movably connects therotating shaft assembly 12 and the supportingplate 14. Thesupport structure 10 is switchable between an unfolded state and a folded state, and thetransmission assembly 16 is used for converting the rotation of thesupport plate 14 into the relative approaching movement of therotating shaft assembly 12 and thesupport plate 14 when the unfolded state is switched to the folded state; thetransmission assembly 16 is used for converting the rotation of thesupport plate 14 into the relative distance movement of therotating shaft assembly 12 and thesupport plate 14 when the folded state is switched to the unfolded state.

When thesupport structure 10 is folded into a mobile phone shape, the change of the length of the folded part of thesupport structure 10 is offset by the relative approaching movement between therotating shaft component 12 and thesupport plate 14, so that the stretching damage to the flexible part installed on thesupport structure 10 is avoided, and the service life of the flexible part is ensured. Meanwhile, when thesupport structure 10 is in the unfolded state, the flexible component can be tiled and switched to be in a tablet device form, and form switching between the mobile phone and the tablet device is completed.

Specifically, referring to fig. 5, when the supportingstructure 10 is in the unfolded state, the distance between therotating shaft assembly 12 and the supportingplate 14 is L, referring to fig. 9-12, when the supportingstructure 10 is in the folded state, the rotatingshaft assembly 12 and the supportingplate 14 are relatively close to each other and displaced, so that L is reduced to L1 until L is reduced to the minimum value (see fig. 12), and the reduction of L can provide an extra space for folding the flexible component (e.g., the flexible display 20), so that theflexible display 20 does not need to be stretched when the supportingstructure 10 is folded, thereby ensuring the quality and the service life of theflexible display 20. Fig. 12 shows the maximum angle at which thesupport structure 10 can be folded.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, in the embodiment of the present application, the rotatingshaft assembly 12 includes a firstrotating shaft 121, a secondrotating shaft 122 and a thirdrotating shaft 123, the supportingplate 14 includes afirst plate 142 and asecond plate 144, the firstrotating shaft 121 and the secondrotating shaft 122 are disposed at an end portion of the thirdrotating shaft 123, and thetransmission assembly 16 includes afirst transmission assembly 162 and asecond transmission assembly 164; thefirst transmission assembly 162 is movably connected with the firstrotating shaft 121 and thefirst plate 142, and thefirst transmission assembly 162 is used for converting the rotation of thefirst plate 142 into the relative movement of therotating shaft assembly 12 and thefirst plate 142; thesecond transmission assembly 164 is movably connected to the secondrotating shaft 122 and thesecond plate 144, and thesecond transmission assembly 164 is used for converting the rotation of thesecond plate 144 into the relative movement between therotating shaft assembly 12 and thesecond plate 144.

Specifically, the number of the firstrotating shafts 121 is two, the number of the secondrotating shafts 122 is two, each of the firstrotating shafts 121 and the secondrotating shafts 122 is arranged at one end of the thirdrotating shaft 123 side by side, similarly, the number of thefirst transmission assemblies 162 and the number of thesecond transmission assemblies 164 are also two, each of thefirst transmission assemblies 162 is movably connected with the firstrotating shaft 121 and thefirst plate 142, and each of thesecond transmission assemblies 164 is movably connected with the secondrotating shaft 122 and thesecond plate 144, so that smooth synchronous rotation of the two ends of the supportingstructure 10 can be ensured.

In the embodiment of the present application, thefirst transmission assembly 162 includes afirst transmission piece 1621 and asecond transmission piece 1622, and thesecond transmission assembly 164 includes athird transmission piece 1641 and afourth transmission piece 1642; thefirst transmission member 1621 is disposed on the firstrotating shaft 121, thethird transmission member 1641 is disposed on the secondrotating shaft 122, thesecond transmission member 1622 is rotatably connected to thefirst transmission member 1621 and movably connected to thefirst plate 142, and thefourth transmission member 1642 is rotatably connected to thethird transmission member 1641 and movably connected to thesecond plate 144.

Specifically, referring to fig. 20, taking thefirst transmission member 1621 as an example, thefirst transmission member 1621, thesecond transmission member 1622, thethird transmission member 1641 and thefourth transmission member 1642 are bevel gears having similar structures, and through holes are formed in the bevel gears, and a fastening member (not shown) can be inserted through the through holes to fix thefirst transmission member 1621, thesecond transmission member 1622, thethird transmission member 1641 and thefourth transmission member 1642 to other components. The bevel gear portions of thefirst transmission member 1621 and thesecond transmission member 1622, and thethird transmission member 1641 and thefourth transmission member 1642 are substantially vertical and engaged with each other, when the supportingstructure 10 is unfolded or folded, the relative rotation between thefirst transmission member 1621 and thesecond transmission member 1622 and the relative rotation between thethird transmission member 1641 and thefourth transmission member 1642 are not interfered with each other, it can be understood that the rotation between thefirst plate 142 and thesecond plate 144 is also not interfered with each other, so that more variable positions can be set between the folding and unfolding of the supportingstructure 10, and the experience feeling is enhanced.

Referring to fig. 14 and fig. 15, in the embodiment of the present application, the firstrotating shaft 121 includes afirst rod 1212 and asecond rod 1214 located on opposite sides of the firstrotating shaft 121, thefirst rod 1212 is disposed at an end of the thirdrotating shaft 123, and thefirst transmission element 1621 is disposed on thesecond rod 1214; thesecond shaft 122 includes athird rod 1222 and afourth rod 1224 located on opposite sides of thesecond shaft 122, thethird rod 1222 is disposed at an end of thethird shaft 123, and thethird transmission member 1641 is disposed on thefourth rod 1224.

Specifically, as shown in the figure, thefirst shaft 121 is taken as an example, thefirst rod 1212 and thethird rod 1222 are provided with blind holes, thethird shaft 123 is provided with through holes corresponding to the blind holes, and the through holes and the blind holes can be connected in series through fasteners (not shown) to fix thefirst rod 1212, i.e., thefirst shaft 121, and thethird rod 1222, i.e., thesecond shaft 122, to thethird shaft 123, so that thefirst shaft 121, thesecond shaft 122, and thethird shaft 123 are stably connected, the operation difficulty is low, and the assembly and disassembly are convenient. Of course, the connection between the firstrotating shaft 121, the secondrotating shaft 122 and the thirdrotating shaft 123 is not limited to the above-mentioned manner, and may be specifically selected in practical applications.

In an embodiment of the present application, thefirst transmission assembly 162 includes afifth transmission member 1623, thefifth transmission member 1623 is fixedly connected to thesecond transmission member 1622, and thefifth transmission member 1623 is movably connected to thefirst plate 142; thesecond transmission component 164 includes asixth transmission member 1643, thesixth transmission member 1643 is fixedly connected to thefourth transmission member 1642, and thesixth transmission member 1643 is movably connected to thesecond plate 144.

Referring to fig. 21, taking thefifth transmission member 1623 as an example, thefifth transmission member 1623 includes atransmission portion 162c and aconnection portion 162d, thetransmission portion 162c and theconnection portion 162d are substantially cylindrical, and thetransmission portion 162c is provided with a thread strip. Thesecond transmission piece 1622 is provided with a through hole through which a fastening member (not shown) can pass to fixedly connect the connectingportion 162d and thesecond transmission piece 1622. Thefifth transmission member 1623 may be formed by integral molding.Sixth drive member 1643 has a similar construction tofifth drive member 1623 and is therefore not expanded in detail.

In an embodiment of the present application, thefirst transmission assembly 162 comprises aseventh transmission member 1624, theseventh transmission member 1624 is fixed to thefirst plate 142, and thefifth transmission member 1623 is movably connected to theseventh transmission member 1624; thesecond transmission component 164 includes aneighth transmission member 1644, theeighth transmission member 1644 is fixed to thesecond plate 144, and thesixth transmission member 1643 is movably connected to theeighth transmission member 1644.

Specifically, referring to fig. 22, in the embodiment of the present application, theseventh transmission member 1624 includes afirst transmission seat 162e and asecond transmission seat 162f, thefirst transmission seat 162e and thesecond transmission seat 162f are located at two sides of thefifth transmission member 1623, and thefirst transmission seat 162e is disposed near the edge of thefirst plate 142. The inner walls of thefirst transmission seat 162e and thesecond transmission seat 162f are provided with a thread groove corresponding to the thread strip of thetransmission part 162c, the thread strip is matched with the thread groove, and thetransmission part 162c is at least partially rotatably arranged between thefirst transmission seat 162e and thesecond transmission seat 162 f. When thefifth transmission member 1623 rotates, the engagement between thefifth transmission member 1623 and theseventh transmission member 1624 may convert the rotation of thefifth transmission member 1623 into an axial sliding movement of thefirst plate 142 on thefifth transmission member 1623, thereby adjusting the distance between thefirst plate 142 and therotating shaft assembly 12. In other embodiments, theseventh transmission element 1624 may be integrally embedded in thefirst plate 142, and may be glued or screwed to enhance stability.

The following description will be made by taking the displacement change between thefirst plate 142 and thefirst transmission assembly 162 as an example: when the supportingstructure 10 is switched from the flat state to the folded state, thefirst plate 142 drives thesecond transmission member 1622 and thefifth transmission member 1623 to rotate relative to thefirst transmission member 1621 when rotating around the rotatingshaft assembly 12, and drives theseventh transmission member 1624 to also rotate around the rotatingshaft assembly 12. Since theseventh transmission member 1624 and thefifth transmission member 1623 are threadedly coupled, when theseventh transmission member 1624 rotates around the rotatingshaft assembly 12, thefifth transmission member 1623 slides in the axial direction of thefifth transmission member 1623, and the sliding of theseventh transmission member 1624 moves thefirst plate 142 in a direction approaching therotating shaft assembly 12. The same applies to the displacement change between thesecond plate 144 and thesecond transmission assembly 164, and thefirst plate 142 and thefirst transmission assembly 162, and thesecond plate 144 and thesecond transmission assembly 164 cooperate with each other to facilitate the unfolding and folding processes of thesupport structure 10.

In the embodiment of the present application, please refer to fig. 16 to 18, which illustrate an example of thefirst plate 142, thefirst plate 142 is provided with a firstaccommodating space 1422, and thesecond transmission piece 1622, thefifth transmission piece 1623, and theseventh transmission piece 1624 are at least partially located in the firstaccommodating space 1422; thesecond plate 144 has a second receiving space 1442, and thefourth transmission member 1642, thesixth transmission member 1643 and theeighth transmission member 1644 are at least partially disposed in the second receiving space 1442.

Thesecond transmission member 1622, thefifth transmission member 1623, and theseventh transmission member 1624 are at least partially accommodated in thefirst accommodation space 1422, so that the tightness and stability of the structure of thefirst transmission assembly 162 can be enhanced, the space utilization rate of thefirst board 142 can be improved, the surface of thefirst board 142 can be relatively flat, and the adhesion of the subsequent flexible component (such as the flexible display screen 20) is not affected. The effect of opening the second accommodating space 1442 on thesecond plate 144 is also the same.

In an embodiment of the present application, thefirst transmission assembly 162 includes afirst shaft sleeve 1625, thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 rotatably connects the firstrotating shaft 121 and thefifth transmission member 1623, and a transmission axis formed by the rotational connection of thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 and the firstrotating shaft 121 is different from a transmission axis formed by the rotational connection of thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 and thefifth transmission member 1623; thesecond transmission assembly 164 includes asecond sleeve 1645, thesecond sleeve 1645 rotatably connects thesecond shaft 122 and thesixth transmission member 1643, and a transmission axis formed by the rotational connection between thesecond sleeve 1645 and thesecond shaft 122 is different from a transmission axis formed by the rotational connection between thesecond sleeve 1645 and thesixth transmission member 1643. The first andsecond sleeves 1625, 1645 are configured to ensure structural stability of thesupport structure 100 when the first andsecond plates 142, 144 rotate.

Specifically, referring to fig. 23, thefirst sleeve 1625 is substantially L-shaped, thefirst sleeve 1625 includes afirst portion 162g and asecond portion 162h, thefirst portion 162g is a short portion of thefirst sleeve 1625, thesecond portion 162h is a long portion of thefirst sleeve 1625, thefirst portion 162g is substantially perpendicular to thesecond portion 162h, thefirst portion 162g is substantially perpendicular to and rotationally connected with thesecond rod 1214, i.e., the firstrotating shaft 121, and thesecond portion 162h is substantially perpendicular to and rotationally connected with thefifth transmission member 1623 and is located between thesecond transmission member 1622 and thetransmission portion 162c of thefifth transmission member 1623. Referring to fig. 13, it can be understood that, since thefirst sleeve 1625 is substantially L-shaped and thefirst portion 162g is substantially perpendicular to thesecond portion 162h, the transmission axis formed by the rotational connection of thefirst sleeve 1625 and the firstrotating shaft 121 is along the Y-axis direction, and the transmission axis formed by the fixed connection of thefirst sleeve 1625 and thefifth transmission member 1623 is along the X-axis direction, that is, the transmission axis formed by the rotational connection of thefirst sleeve 1625 and the firstrotating shaft 121 is also substantially perpendicular to the transmission axis formed by the rotational connection of thefirst sleeve 1625 and thefifth transmission member 1623. Thesecond boss 1645 has a similar structure to thefirst boss 1625 and thus is not expanded in detail.

Referring to fig. 16 and 18, taking thefirst plate 142 as an example, in an embodiment of the present application, thefirst plate 142 is provided with a thirdaccommodating space 1424, and thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 is at least partially located in the thirdaccommodating space 1424; thesecond plate 144 defines a fourth receiving space 1444, and thesecond sleeve 1645 is at least partially disposed in the fourth receiving space 1444.

Thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 and thesecond shaft sleeve 1645 are accommodated in the thirdaccommodating space 1424 and the fourth accommodating space 1444, so that the space utilization rate of thefirst plate 142 and thesecond plate 144 is improved, and thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 and thesecond shaft sleeve 1645 are protected from being damaged. When thesupport structure 10 is folded and unfolded, the first andsecond sleeves 1625, 1645 may exert a force on the first andsecond plates 142, 144 to facilitate the rotational process of thesupport structure 10 and to stabilize thesupport structure 10.

Specifically, taking thefirst plate 142 as an example, when thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 is accommodated in the thirdaccommodating space 1424, the rotation of thefirst plate 142 around theshaft assembly 12 can drive thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 to rotate around theshaft assembly 12 synchronously, and at this time, when thefirst plate 142 rotates, thesecond transmission member 1622 and thefifth transmission member 1623 are also driven to rotate relative to thefirst transmission member 1621. Since thefirst sleeve 1625 is rotatably connected to the firstrotating shaft 121 and thefirst sleeve 1625 is rotatably connected to thefifth transmission 1623, thefirst sleeve 1625 is not disposed to obstruct the rotation of thefirst plate 142 and the second andfifth transmission 1622, 1623. Thesecond sleeve 1645 is accommodated in the fourth accommodating space 1444.

In an embodiment of the present application, referring to fig. 23, which illustrates afirst shaft sleeve 1625 as an example, thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 includes afirst collar 162a, thefirst collar 162a is provided with afirst protrusion 162b, the firstrotating shaft 121 is provided with a first limitinggroove 1216, thefirst collar 162a is rotatably sleeved on the firstrotating shaft 121, and thefirst protrusion 162b is disposed in the first limitinggroove 1216; thesecond collar 1645 includes a second collar 164a, the second collar 164a has a second protrusion 164b, thesecond shaft 122 has a second limiting groove 1226, the second collar 164a is rotatably sleeved on thesecond shaft 122, and the second protrusion 164b is disposed in the second limiting groove 1226.

By designing thefirst protrusion 162b and the first limitinggroove 1216, and the second protrusion 164b and the second limiting groove 1226 to prevent therotating shaft assembly 12 from rotating excessively in the reverse direction, for example, the rotating shaft assembly can be prevented from being bent continuously in the unfolding direction in the fully unfolded or 0 degree state, so as to prevent thesupport structure 10 and even the flexible component from being damaged by misoperation.

In the embodiment of the present application, thesupport structure 10 includes a dampingassembly 18, the dampingassembly 18 connects therotating shaft assembly 12 and thetransmission assembly 16, and the dampingassembly 18 is used for maintaining the transmission stroke of thetransmission assembly 16 so that thesupport plate 14 can stay at any angle position between the unfolded state and the folded state.

In particular, the provision of the dampingassembly 18 between thespindle assembly 12 and thetransmission assembly 16 improves the space utilization of thespindle assembly 12. Thesupport plate 14 can be maintained at any angular position between the unfolded state and the folded state, so that thesupport structure 10 or theflexible display device 100 has more optional positions, and the operability and the practicability are improved.

Referring to fig. 24, in the embodiment of the present application, the dampingassembly 18 includes a first dampingassembly 182 and a second dampingassembly 184, the rotatingshaft assembly 12 includes a firstrotating shaft 121, a secondrotating shaft 122 and a thirdrotating shaft 123, the supportingplate 14 includes afirst plate 142 and asecond plate 144, the firstrotating shaft 121 and the secondrotating shaft 122 are disposed at an end of the thirdrotating shaft 123, thetransmission assembly 16 includes afirst transmission assembly 162 and asecond transmission assembly 164, the first dampingassembly 182 connects the firstrotating shaft 121 and thefirst transmission assembly 162, and the second dampingassembly 184 connects the secondrotating shaft 122 and thesecond transmission assembly 164;

thefirst transmission assembly 162 is movably connected with the firstrotating shaft 121 and thefirst plate 142, thefirst transmission assembly 162 is used for converting the rotation of thefirst plate 142 into the relative movement of therotating shaft assembly 12 and thefirst plate 142, and the first dampingassembly 182 is used for maintaining the transmission stroke of thefirst transmission assembly 162 so as to enable thefirst plate 142 to stay at any angle position between the unfolded state and the folded state; thesecond transmission assembly 164 is movably connected with the secondrotating shaft 122 and thesecond plate 144, thesecond transmission assembly 184 is configured to convert the rotation of thesecond plate 144 into the relative movement between therotating shaft assembly 12 and thesecond plate 144, and the second dampingassembly 184 is configured to maintain the transmission stroke of thesecond transmission assembly 164 so that thesecond plate 144 can stay at any angle position between the unfolded state and the folded state.

Specifically, the first dampingmember 182 is rotatably disposed on thesecond rod 1214 and spaces thefirst transmission member 1621 from thefirst sleeve 1625, and the second dampingmember 184 is rotatably disposed on thefourth rod 1224 and spaces thethird transmission member 1641 from thesecond sleeve 1645. It can be understood that the first dampingassembly 182 is disposed on the firstrotating shaft 121, the second dampingassembly 184 is disposed on the secondrotating shaft 122, the damping effects between the firstrotating shaft 121 and the secondrotating shaft 122 are not interfered with each other and are independent from each other, and the folding and unfolding processes between thefirst plate 142 and thesecond plate 144 are also independent from each other and are not interfered with each other, so that there are more position relationships between thefirst plate 142 and thesecond plate 144, that is, the supportingstructure 10 also has more optional shapes, thereby improving the experience of consumers.

In an embodiment of the present application, thesupport structure 10 includes afirst shaft sleeve 1625, one end of thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 is rotatably sleeved on the firstrotating shaft 121, the other end of thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 is connected to thefirst transmission component 162, thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 rotates synchronously with thefirst plate 142, the first dampingcomponent 182 includes a first dampingelastic sheet 1822 and afirst fixing member 1824, the first dampingelastic sheet 1822 and thefirst fixing member 1824 are disposed on the firstrotating shaft 121, the first dampingelastic sheet 1822 is located between thefirst fixing member 1824 and one end of thefirst shaft sleeve 1625, and a damping effect between the first dampingelastic sheet 1822 and one end of thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 is adjusted by adjusting a position of thefirst fixing member 1824 on the firstrotating shaft 121.

In the embodiment of the present application, thesupport structure 10 includes asecond shaft sleeve 1645, one end of thesecond shaft sleeve 1645 is rotatably sleeved on the secondrotating shaft 122, the other end of thesecond shaft sleeve 1645 is connected to thesecond transmission assembly 164, thesecond shaft sleeve 1645 rotates synchronously with thesecond plate 144, the second dampingassembly 184 includes a second dampingspring 1842 and asecond fixing member 1844, the second dampingspring 1842 and thesecond fixing member 1844 are disposed on the secondrotating shaft 122, the second dampingspring 1842 is located between thesecond fixing member 1844 and one end of thesecond shaft sleeve 1645, and the damping effect between the second dampingspring 1842 and the one end of thesecond shaft sleeve 1645 is adjusted by adjusting the position of thesecond fixing member 1844 on the secondrotating shaft 122.

Specifically, the first dampingelastic sheet 1822 and the second dampingelastic sheet 1842 have a plurality of elastic sheets stacked together, and a certain elasticity exists between the elastic sheets, and the respective compression amount between the first dampingelastic sheet 1822 and the second dampingelastic sheet 1842 is adjusted by adjusting the positions of thefirst fixing member 1824 and thesecond fastening member 1844 on the firstrotating shaft 121 and the secondrotating shaft 122, so as to adjust the friction force of the first dampingelastic sheet 1822 and the second dampingelastic sheet 1842 on thefirst shaft sleeve 1625 and thesecond shaft sleeve 1645 to limit the rotation effect on the firstrotating shaft 121 and the secondrotating shaft 122, thereby achieving the damping effect on thesupport structure 10 and further achieving the purpose of keeping the transmission stroke of thetransmission assembly 16. The closer the first andsecond securing members 1824, 1842 are to the first andthird rods 1212, 1222, the greater the dampening effect, and the more external force required to fold or flatten thesupport structure 10. Of course, the damping effect can be enhanced or reduced by increasing or decreasing the number of the first dampingdome 1822 and the second dampingdome 1842.

In one embodiment, thefirst fixing element 1824 and thesecond fixing element 1844 are screws, referring to fig. 15, thesecond rod 1214 and thefourth rod 1224 are respectively provided with threads corresponding to thefirst fixing element 1824 and thesecond fixing element 1844, and thefirst fixing element 1824 and thesecond fixing element 1844 can be respectively sleeved on thesecond rod 1214 and thefourth rod 1224. The screw is easily acquireed, convenient operation also can gain better fastening effect. Of course, thefirst fixing member 1824 and thesecond fixing member 1844 are not limited to screws, and the damping effect is not limited to the combination of the first dampingassembly 182 and the second dampingassembly 184, and an appropriate manner can be selected on the premise of having the same damping effect.

Referring to fig. 5, in an embodiment of the present application, the supportingstructure 10 includes aflexible shielding member 19, and the shieldingmember 19 is disposed at an edge of the supportingstructure 10 and connects thefirst plate 142 and thesecond plate 144.

Theprotection member 19 can support and fill up the gap between thesupport plates 14 of theflexible display 20, so as to make the connection between theflexible display 20 and thesupport structure 10 more tight, and prevent the fingers or some sundries from entering the gear rotating space due to the misoperation of the consumer, so as to ensure the smooth flattening and folding processes of thesupport structure 10, and prolong the service life of theflexible display 20.

In one embodiment, theshield 19 is made of soft glue.

The flexible glue is formed by plastic through injection molding, the hand feeling is softer at normal temperature, good thermal stability and electrical insulation are achieved, and the edge part of theflexible display screen 20 folded with the supportingstructure 10 can be effectively protected. Of course, theprotection member 19 is not limited to be made of soft rubber, and may be provided as needed in other embodiments.

Referring to fig. 25, in the embodiment of the present application, the shieldingelement 19 includes abent portion 192, and a plurality ofprotrusions 194 are formed on an inner side surface of thebent portion 192 at intervals.

Specifically, protrudingportion 194 is serrated, so that whensupport structure 10 is bent, shieldingmember 19 is easily bent to reduce damage, and protrudingportion 194 still leaves a space after being folded, so as to facilitate observation of relative rotation amongfirst transmission member 1621,second transmission member 1622,third transmission member 1641, andfourth transmission member 1642 even thoughfirst plate 142 andsecond plate 144 are stacked.

Referring to fig. 9-12, in the embodiment of the present application, the foldable angle of the supportingstructure 10 is 0-180 degrees, and can be stopped at any angle within the foldable angle, and referring to fig. 2 and 3, it can be understood that the foldable angle of theflexible display device 100 is also 0-180 degrees.

When the folding angle of thesupport structure 10 is 0 degrees (see fig. 6), it can be understood that thesupport structure 10 is in a flattened state, and thefirst plate 142 and thesecond plate 144 are substantially located on the same plane; when the folding angle of thesupport structure 10 is 90 degrees (as in fig. 9), thefirst panel 142 is substantially perpendicular to thesecond panel 144; when the folding angle of thesupport structure 10 is 180 degrees (see fig. 12), thefirst plate 142 and thesecond plate 144 are substantially stacked.

In the present embodiment, the outer profile of thesupport structure 10 in the unfolded or folded state is substantially rectangular parallelepiped.

In this way, the supportingstructure 10 is regular in shape, so as to support theflexible display screen 20 in regular shape, thereby forming theflexible display device 100 in regular shape. Of course, the shape of thesupport structure 10 is not limited to the embodiments discussed above, but may be provided as desired in other embodiments.

It is noted that theflexible display device 100 of the present application may comprise thesupport structure 10 of any of the embodiments described above.

In the description herein, references to the description of the terms "one embodiment," "certain embodiments," "an illustrative embodiment," "an example," "a specific example," or "some examples" or the like mean that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present application. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

While embodiments of the present application have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: numerous changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the application, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (17)

1. A supporting structure is characterized by comprising a rotating shaft assembly, a supporting plate and a transmission assembly, wherein the transmission assembly is movably connected with the rotating shaft assembly and the supporting plate;

   the supporting structure can be switched between an unfolding state and a folding state, and when the unfolding state is switched to the folding state, the transmission assembly is used for converting the rotation of the supporting plate into the relative approaching movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the supporting plate;

   when the folded state is switched to the unfolded state, the transmission assembly is used for converting the rotation of the supporting plate into the relative far-away movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the supporting plate.
2. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the rotation shaft assembly comprises a first rotation shaft, a second rotation shaft and a third rotation shaft, the support plate comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first rotation shaft and the second rotation shaft are disposed at an end portion of the third rotation shaft, and the transmission assembly comprises a first transmission assembly and a second transmission assembly;

   the first transmission assembly is movably connected with the first rotating shaft and the first plate and is used for converting the rotation of the first plate into the relative movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the first plate;

   the second transmission assembly is movably connected with the second rotating shaft and the second plate and used for converting the rotation of the second plate into the relative movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the second plate.
3. The support structure of claim 2, wherein the first transmission assembly comprises a first transmission member and a second transmission member, and the second transmission assembly comprises a third transmission member and a fourth transmission member;

   the first transmission piece is arranged on the first rotating shaft, the third transmission piece is arranged on the second rotating shaft, the second transmission piece is rotatably connected with the first transmission piece and movably connected with the first plate, and the fourth transmission piece is rotatably connected with the third transmission piece and movably connected with the second plate.
4. The support structure of claim 3, wherein the first shaft includes a first rod and a second rod at opposite sides of the first shaft, the first rod being disposed at an end of the third shaft, the first transmission member being disposed at the second rod;

   the second rotating shaft comprises a third rod and a fourth rod, the third rod and the fourth rod are located on two opposite sides of the second rotating shaft, the third rod is arranged at the end of the third rotating shaft, and the third transmission piece is arranged on the fourth rod.
5. The support structure of claim 3, wherein the first drive component comprises a fifth drive member, the fifth drive member being fixedly connected to the second drive member, the fifth drive member being movably connected to the first plate; the second transmission component comprises a sixth transmission piece, the sixth transmission piece is fixedly connected with the fourth transmission piece, and the sixth transmission piece is movably connected with the second plate.
6. The support structure of claim 5, wherein the first drive assembly includes a seventh drive member, the seventh drive member being fixed to the first plate, the fifth drive member being movably connected to the seventh drive member;

   the second transmission assembly comprises an eighth transmission member, the eighth transmission member is fixed on the second plate, and the sixth transmission member is movably connected with the eighth transmission member.
7. The supporting structure according to claim 6, wherein the first plate defines a first receiving space, and the second transmission member, the fifth transmission member and the seventh transmission member are at least partially disposed in the first receiving space;

   the second board is provided with a second accommodating space, and the fourth transmission piece, the sixth transmission piece and the eighth transmission piece are at least partially located in the second accommodating space.
8. The support structure of claim 5, wherein the first drive assembly includes a first bushing that rotatably couples the first shaft to the fifth drive member, the first bushing rotatably coupled to the first shaft defining a different drive axis than the first bushing rotatably coupled to the fifth drive member;

   the second transmission assembly comprises a second shaft sleeve, the second shaft sleeve is rotatably connected with the second rotating shaft and the sixth transmission piece, and a transmission axis formed by the rotary connection of the second shaft sleeve and the second rotating shaft is different from a transmission axis formed by the rotary connection of the second shaft sleeve and the sixth transmission piece.
9. The supporting structure of claim 8, wherein the first plate defines a third receiving space, and the first shaft sleeve is at least partially located in the third receiving space;

   the second plate is provided with a fourth accommodating space, and the second shaft sleeve is at least partially positioned in the fourth accommodating space.
10. The support structure of claim 8, wherein the first shaft sleeve comprises a first sleeve ring, the first sleeve ring is protruded with a first protrusion, the first shaft is opened with a first limiting groove, the first sleeve ring is rotatably sleeved on the first shaft, and the first protrusion is disposed in the first limiting groove;

    the second shaft sleeve comprises a second sleeve ring, a second lug is convexly arranged on the second sleeve ring, a second limiting groove is formed in the second rotating shaft, the second sleeve ring is rotatably sleeved on the second rotating shaft, and the second lug is arranged in the second limiting groove.
11. The support structure of claim 1, wherein the support structure includes a damping assembly connecting the rotating shaft assembly and the transmission assembly, the damping assembly being configured to maintain a transmission stroke of the transmission assembly to enable the support plate to stay at any angular position between the deployed state and the folded state.
12. The support structure of claim 11, wherein the damping assembly comprises a first damping assembly and a second damping assembly, the rotating shaft assembly comprises a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft and a third rotating shaft, the support plate comprises a first plate and a second plate, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are arranged at the end part of the third rotating shaft, the transmission assembly comprises a first transmission assembly and a second transmission assembly, the first damping assembly connects the first rotating shaft and the first transmission assembly, and the second damping assembly connects the second rotating shaft and the second transmission assembly;

    the first transmission assembly is movably connected with the first rotating shaft and the first plate, the first transmission assembly is used for converting the rotation of the first plate into the relative movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the first plate, and the first damping assembly is used for keeping the transmission stroke of the first transmission assembly so that the first plate can stay at any angle position between the unfolding state and the folding state;

    the second transmission assembly is movably connected with the second rotating shaft and the second plate, the second transmission assembly is used for converting the rotation of the second plate into the relative movement of the rotating shaft assembly and the second plate, and the second damping assembly is used for keeping the transmission stroke of the second transmission assembly so that the second plate can stay at any angle position between the unfolding state and the folding state.
13. The support structure of claim 12, wherein the support structure comprises a first shaft sleeve, the first damping assembly comprises a first damping spring and a first fixing member, one end of the first shaft sleeve is rotatably sleeved on the first rotating shaft, the other end of the first shaft sleeve is connected with the first transmission assembly, the first shaft sleeve and the first plate rotate synchronously, the first damping spring and the first fixing member are arranged on the first rotating shaft, the first damping spring is located between the first fixing member and one end of the first shaft sleeve, and the damping effect between the first damping spring and one end of the first shaft sleeve is adjusted by adjusting the position of the first fixing member on the first rotating shaft.
14. The support structure of claim 12, wherein the support structure comprises a second shaft sleeve, the second damping assembly comprises a second damping spring and a second fixing member, one end of the second shaft sleeve is rotatably sleeved on the second rotating shaft, the other end of the second shaft sleeve is connected with the second transmission assembly, the second shaft sleeve and the second plate rotate synchronously, the second damping spring and the second fixing member are arranged on the second rotating shaft, the second damping spring is located between the second fixing member and one end of the second shaft sleeve, and the damping effect between the second damping spring and one end of the second shaft sleeve is adjusted by adjusting the position of the second fixing member on the second rotating shaft.
15. The support structure of claim 2, wherein the support structure includes a flexible guard at an edge of the support structure connecting the first plate and the second plate.
16. The support structure of claim 15, wherein the guard comprises a bend formed on an inner side with a plurality of spaced projections.
17. A flexible display device, comprising:

    the support structure of any one of claims 1-16; and

    a flexible display screen disposed on the support structure.

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