Bendable mobile terminal

• US 10,429,894 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2015
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co. Ltd
• Original Assignee: Shenzhen Royole Technologies Co. Ltd
• Inventors: Xia, Xinyuan, Yang, Songling, Jiang, Chao, Liu, Zihong
• Primary Examiner(s): Cunningham, Xanthia C
• Application Number:
  US15/769,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20180314299A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1641 the display being formed by a plurality of foldable display components G06F1/1647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1649 the additional display being independently orientable, e.g. for presenting information to a second user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1652 the display being flexible, e.g. mimicking a sheet of paper, or rollable
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1681 Details related solely to hinges hinge details related to the transmission of signals or power are classified in G06F1/1683
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3218 of display devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3265 Power saving in display device
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 9/30 in which the desired character or characters are formed by combining individual elements panels comprising a number of electrodes in a single cell controlling light arriving from an independent light source, e.g. electro-optical or magneto-optical cell, G02F1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/022 The hinge comprising two parallel pivoting axes
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0268 including a flexible display panel
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/16 including more than one display unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A bendable mobile terminal includes two bendable mechanisms. The bendable mobile terminal is capable of being bent at the locations of the two bendable mechanisms. One of the bendable mechanisms is located at a middle portion between two opposite ends of the bendable mobile terminal, and the other bendable mechanism is located at a middle portion between the one bendable mechanism and one end of the bendable mobile terminal. By employing the two bendable mechanisms, the bendable mobile terminal is able to stay in arbitrary position after being bent, and provide support by its own bending, thereby reducing unnecessary components, and improving the portability of the mobile terminal.

Claims

1. A bendable mobile terminal comprising two bendable mechanisms, and the bendable mobile terminal being capable of being bent at the locations of the two bendable mechanisms;

wherein one of the bendable mechanisms is located at a middle portion between two opposite ends of the bendable mobile terminal, and the other bendable mechanism is located at a middle portion between the one bendable mechanism and one end of the bendable mobile terminal;

wherein the bendable mechanism comprises n bending portions and n−

1 connecting portions, where n is an integer greater than or equal to two;

two adjacent bending portions are rotatably connected through the connecting portion;

the bendable mechanism is bent toward a first direction in an arc shape and positioned through the frictional force between the bending portions and the connecting portions;

one side of the bendable mechanism opposite to the first direction forms a support surface;

wherein two opposite sides of the bending portion respectively define a groove, and two opposite sides of the connecting portion connected to the first end where the second hinge portions are located are received in two opposite grooves on two adjacent bending portions.

2. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein two opposite edges of a first end of the bending portion are respectively provided with a first hinge portion, two opposite edges of one end of the connecting portion are respectively provided with a second hinge portion, each bending portion is connected with the adjacent bending portions through hinging the first hinge portion and the second hinge portion.

3. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the first hinge portions are arranged on two opposite walls of the groove.

4. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 2, wherein the bending portion is further provided with two first abutting portions at two sides of its second end opposite to the first end, wherein when the first abutting portions of two adjacent bending portions abut against each other, the bendable mechanism is in a first bending state.

5. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 1, wherein the bendable mobile terminal further comprises a first body, a second body, and a third body which are sequentially connected, wherein the first body is connected to the second body through one of the bendable mechanisms, and the second body is connected to the third body through the other one of the bendable mechanisms.

6. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 5, further comprising a display screen, wherein at least the first body and the second body are configured to bear against the display screen.

7. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 5, wherein the first body is provided with a first bearing surface, the second body is provided with a second bearing surface, and the third body is provided with a third bearing surface;

wherein the area of the second bearing surface and the area of the third bearing surface are both smaller than the area of the first bearing surface.

8. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 7, wherein the area of the first bearing surface is larger than the sum of the areas of the second bearing surface and the third bearing surface.

9. A bendable mobile terminal comprising two bendable mechanisms, and the bendable mobile terminal being capable of being bent at the locations of the two bendable mechanisms;

wherein one of the bendable mechanisms is located at a middle portion between two opposite ends of the bendable mobile terminal, and the other bendable mechanism is located at a middle portion between the one bendable mechanism and one end of the bendable mobile terminal;

wherein the bendable mechanism comprises n bending portions and n−

1 connecting portions, where n is an integer greater than or equal to three;

wherein the bending portion is a rod, and n bending portions are arranged side by side;

the connecting portion is sleeved on two adjacent bending portions and thus making the two adjacent bending portions closely fitted with each other;

wherein each of the bending portions defines a plurality of first external gears and a plurality of second external gears on its outer surface along its axial direction;

the first external gears on one of the bending portions mesh with the first external gears on the other bending portion adjacent to one side of the one bending portion, and the second external gears on the one bending portions mesh with the second external gears on the other bending portion adjacent to the other side of the one bending portion;

wherein the support surface is formed by the surfaces composed by the bending portions arranged side by side.

10. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 9, wherein the bendable mobile terminal further comprises a first body, a second body, and a third body which are sequentially connected, wherein the first body is connected to the second body through one of the bendable mechanisms, and the second body is connected to the third body through the other one of the bendable mechanisms.

11. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 10, further comprising a display screen, wherein at least the first body and the second body are configured to bear against the display screen.

12. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 10, wherein the first body is provided with a first bearing surface, the second body is provided with a second bearing surface, and the third body is provided with a third bearing surface;

wherein the area of the second bearing surface and the area of the third bearing surface are both smaller than the area of the first bearing surface.

13. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 12, wherein the area of the first bearing surface is larger than the sum of the areas of the second bearing surface and the third bearing surface.

14. A bendable mobile terminal comprising:

two bendable mechanisms, and the bendable mobile terminal being capable of being bent at the locations of the two bendable mechanisms;

wherein one of the bendable mechanisms is located at a middle portion between two opposite ends of the bendable mobile terminal, and the other bendable mechanism is located at a middle portion between the one bendable mechanism and one end of the bendable mobile terminal;

a first body, a second body, and a third body which are sequentially connected, wherein the first body is connected to the second body through one of the bendable mechanisms, and the second body is connected to the third body through the other one of the bendable mechanisms;

wherein the first body is provided with a first bearing surface, the second body is provided with a second bearing surface, and the third body is provided with a third bearing surface; and

a display screen comprising a flexible display screen and a non-flexible display screen, wherein the flexible display screen is located on a surface formed by the first bearing surface and the second bearing surface, and the non-flexible display screen is located on the third bearing surface e.

15. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 14, wherein the area of the second bearing surface and the area of the third bearing surface are both smaller than the area of the first bearing surface.

16. The bendable mobile terminal of claim 15, wherein the area of the first bearing surface is larger than the sum of the areas of the second bearing surface and the third bearing surface.