ELECTRONIC DEVICE

An electronic device includes: a housing, where the housing is provided with a first surface and a second surface that are back away from each other; a flexible display, where the flexible display is disposed on the housing, and the flexible display includes a first portion; and a driving mechanism, where the driving mechanism is disposed in the housing, the driving mechanism is connected to the flexible display, and the driving mechanism drives the flexible display to slide between a first position and a second position. In a case that the flexible display is located at the first position, the first portion is located on a side on which the first surface is located; and in a case that the flexible display is located at the second position, the flexible display is bent and the first portion slides to a side on which the second surface is located.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to the field of communication technologies, and specifically, to an electronic device.

BACKGROUND

With the rapid development of electronic devices, the display of the electronic devices is becoming bigger, which usually leads to an increased overall size of the electronic devices, along with the problem of the electronic devices being less portable. Therefore, currently, it has become a prominent problem in the structural design of electronic devices that the large display compromises portability.

In order to meet users’ needs for larger display size and good portability at the same time, currently the market sees a trend of using a foldable screen to change the aspect ratio and size of the display. However, there are generally only two options for the aspect ratio and size of the display, and such relatively fixed aspect ratio and size of the display cannot meet the needs of users in different scenarios.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of this application provides an electronic device, including:a housing, where the housing has a first surface and a second surface that are back away from each other;a flexible display, where the flexible display is disposed on the housing, and the flexible display includes a first portion; anda driving mechanism, where the driving mechanism is disposed in the housing, the driving mechanism is connected to the flexible display, and the driving mechanism drives the flexible display to slide between a first position and a second position, wherein a case that the flexible display is located at the first position, the first portion is located on a side on which the first surface is located; and in a case that the flexible display is located at the second position, the flexible display is bent and the first portion slides to a side on which the second surface is located.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The terms “first”, “second”, and the like in this specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish between similar objects rather than to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the terms used in this way is interchangeable in appropriate circumstances so that the embodiments of this application can be implemented in other orders than the order illustrated or described herein. In addition, “and/or” in the specification and claims represents at least one of connected objects, and the character “/” generally indicates that the associated objects have an “or” relationship.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, an electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application is described below in detail by using specific embodiments and application scenarios thereof.

Refer toFIGS.1to13. An embodiment of this application discloses an electronic device including a housing100, a flexible display200, and a driving mechanism300.

The housing100is a basic component of the electronic device. The housing100can provide a mounting base for other components of the electronic device. The housing100has a first surface110and a second surface120that are back away from each other. Optionally, the first surface110of the electronic device is a front surface and the second surface120thereof is a back surface, the front surface being taken as a main use interface of the electronic device.

The flexible display200is bendable. The flexible display200is disposed on the housing100. The flexible display200includes a first portion.

The driving mechanism300is disposed in the housing100. The driving mechanism300may include at least one of a motor, an air cylinder, and a hydraulic cylinder. The motor features small size, high efficiency and convenient control; and the air cylinder and hydraulic cylinder feature large output force and stable performance. The driving mechanism300is not limited to a specific manner in the embodiments of this application. The driving mechanism300is connected to the flexible display200. The driving mechanism300drives the flexible display200to slide between a first position and a second position. In a case that the flexible display200is located at the first position, the first portion is located on a side on which the first surface110is located. In a case that the flexible display200is located at the second position, the flexible display200is bent, and the first portion slides to a side on which the second surface120is located, so that the part of the flexible display200located on the first surface110is larger in size. In this case, that part can meet the user requirement for large-screen electronic devices, thereby improving user experience. In other words, at least part of the flexible display200can switch the position between the side on which the first surface110is located and the side on which the second surface120is located, thereby changing the area of the part of the flexible display200on the same side as the first surface110and the area of the part on the same side as the second surface120. Optionally, when the entire flexible display200has no part extending from the housing100, the entire electronic device is relatively small and portable; when the part of the flexible display200on a single side of the housing100is enlarged, the user enjoys a better viewing experience of the content displayed on the flexible display200.

In this embodiment of this application, the flexible display200is disposed on the housing100, and the driving mechanism300drives, according to an instruction, the flexible display200to slide between the first position and the second position so that the first portion of the flexible display200can reach the first surface110of the housing100or can be bent to the second surface120of the housing100. In this way, the parts of the flexible display200on the first surface110and second surface120of the housing100can be changed, allowing the flexible display200to freely change between different sizes and aspect ratios. Therefore, the electronic device disclosed in this embodiment of this application can resolve the problem of fixed aspect ratio and size of the displays of the existing electronic devices.

In an optional embodiment, the electronic device further includes a camera module400. The camera module400is disposed on the top of the housing100. The camera module400is mainly used to meet user’s shooting needs. The bottom of the housing100is provided with a rotation shaft portion130, and the bent part of the flexible display200is in contact with the rotation shaft portion130. The rotation shaft portion130is configured to support the bent part of the flexible display200, so as to avoid creases on the bent part of the display200and the resulting negative impact on user experience.

The camera module400may be disposed on the first surface110of the housing100, that is, the camera module400may be disposed on the front top of the electronic device. However, such arrangement makes the main use interface of the electronic device smaller, contradicting the user requirement for a larger screen-to-body ratio. Therefore, further, in an optional embodiment, the camera module400is located on a side on which the second surface120is located, and in a case that the flexible display200is located at the second position, part of the flexible display200extends from the housing100. Because the first surface110is the front surface of the electronic device, the camera module400being disposed on the side on which the second surface120is located can spare more space for the main use interface of the electronic device, such that the part of the flexible display200of the electronic device on the same side as the first surface110is larger, so as to meet the user need for large-screen electronic devices. In addition, because the camera module400does not occupy the main use interface of the electronic device, a plurality of camera modules400can be selected. The sizes and types of these camera modules400may be the same or different. When performing a front-facing shooting operation, a user can use the part of the flexible display200on the same side as the camera module400for viewing. When performing a rear-facing shooting operation, the user can use the part of the flexible display on the same side as the first surface110for viewing. Therefore, no matter whether a front-facing shooting or rear-facing shooting operation is performed, good imaging effects can be obtained through the same camera module400or the same group of camera modules400.

Optionally, the rotation shaft portion130has a curved surface. The flexible display200is attached to the curved surface. In the process of the driving mechanism300driving the flexible display200to slide between the first position and the second position, because the curved surface of the rotation shaft portion130is attached to the flexible display200, the sliding of the flexible display200can be guided, ensuring smoother sliding of the flexible display200without jams, thereby extending the service life of the flexible display200. In addition, in a case that the flexible display200is located at the first position, the flexible display200being attached to the curved surface can avoid creases on the flexible display200and the resulting negative impact on user experience.

In an optional embodiment, the rotation shaft portion130is provided with an avoidance hole. Optionally, the avoidance hole may be round, square, polygonal, or of other shapes, which is not specifically limited in this embodiment of this application. One end of the driving mechanism300is connected to the flexible display200through the avoidance hole. When the driving mechanism300operates, the driving mechanism300drives the flexible display200to slide between the first position and the second position, featuring simple structure and easy operation.

Further, in an optional embodiment, the housing100has a first side surface and a second side surface that are back away from each other in a first direction, and a distance between the avoidance hole and the first side surface is equal to a distance between the avoidance hole and the second side surface, the first direction being parallel to a direction in which a bending axis of the flexible display200is located. Because the distance between the avoidance hole and the first side surface is equal to the distance between the avoidance hole and the second side surface, the driving force of the driving mechanism300on the flexible display200is distributed more evenly, such that the flexible display200does not deviate when sliding between the first position and the second position. This ensures smoother sliding of the flexible display200and avoids the flexible display200from being damaged.

In an optional embodiment, the flexible display200includes a display body210and a support member220. The support member220is configured to support the display body210. The support member220is slidably fitted to the housing100, meaning that the support member220can slide with respect to the housing100. The display body210is attached to a side of the support member220facing away from the driving mechanism300. Optionally, the shape and size of the support member220can be consistent with those of the display body210, so that the support member220provides better support for the display body210, allowing the flexible display200to slide more stably with respect to the housing100. It should be noted that the display body210and the support member220may be arranged as an integral structure or separate structures. When they are arranged as an integral structure, it is inconvenient to maintain the damaged flexible display200, whereas arranging the display body210and the support member220as separate structures facilitates maintenance. Optionally, when the display body210and the support member220are arranged as separate structures, the display body210can be fastened to the support member220through bonding or the like, and the support member220drives, when sliding, the display body210to slide together. This makes it easy to disassemble the flexible display200for maintenance if the flexible display200is damaged.

Further, in an optional embodiment, the support member220includes a rigid portion221and a flexible portion222. Part of the display body210is disposed on the rigid portion221, and the other part thereof is disposed on the flexible portion222. In a case that the flexible display200is located at the second position, the rigid portion221extends from the housing100. Specifically, the driving mechanism300drives the support member220to drive the display body210to slide with respect to the housing100. In this case, the display body210is driven by the flexible portion222to slide. The support member220is mainly used to support the display body210, and the rigid portion221of the support member220provides stronger support than the flexible portion222. Therefore, the rigid portion221of the flexible display200extending from the housing100can better support the part of the display body210extending from the housing100, making that part less likely to break. In addition, the rigid portion221allows the user to perform more powerful touch operations in scenario such as entertainment, movie watching, or gaming while keeping the display body200flat, thereby providing better user experience.

In another embodiment, the support member220includes a first supporting portion. The first supporting portion is in a rigid state or a flexible state. In a case that the flexible display200is located at the first position, the first supporting portion is in the flexible state, and the first supporting portion is in contact with the housing100, that is, the first supporting portion is disposed between the support member220and the housing100. Because the first supporting portion in the flexible state is deformable, the first supporting portion can slide between a side on which the first surface110is located and a side on which the second surface120is located. In a case that the flexible display200is located at the second position, the first supporting portion is in the rigid state and the part of the flexible display200disposed on the first supporting portion extends from the housing100. In such case, the first supporting portion is mainly used to enhance the rigidity of the support member220so as to allow the support member220to provide better support for the display body210, making the part of the display body210extending from the housing100less likely to break.

Relatively speaking, in the embodiment in which the support member220includes the rigid portion221and the flexible portion222, the strength at a joint between the rigid portion221and the flexible portion222is relatively low, but the rigid portion is not required to be deformable, and therefore can provide stronger support. In the embodiment in which the support member220includes a first supporting portion and the first supporting portion is in the rigid state or the flexible state, the first supporting portion needs to be deformable, but the entire support member220is free from the problem of low strength at joints of different parts.

In an optional embodiment, the driving mechanism300includes a driving source310and a flexible drive strip320. The driving source310may include at least one of a motor, an air cylinder, or a hydraulic cylinder. This is not specifically limited in this embodiment of this application. The driving source310is connected to the flexible drive strip320, the flexible drive strip320is connected to the flexible display200, and the driving source310drives, using the flexible drive strip320, the flexible display200to slide. Specifically, when the driving mechanism300receives an instruction and drives the flexible display200to slide between the first position and the second position, the driving source310drives the flexible drive strip310to slide, and the flexible drive strip320drives the flexible display200to slide with respect to the housing100, so as to change the aspect ratio and size of the flexible display200to meet user requirements. Further, the housing100is provided with a guide groove140, and the flexible drive strip320is slidably fitted to the guide groove140, meaning that the flexible drive strip320is at least partially disposed in the guide groove140. Under the action of the driving source310, the flexible drive strip320slides and drives the flexible display200to slide. The guide groove140can guide the sliding of the flexible display200, allowing the flexible display200to slide more stably. In addition, the guide groove140can reduce the additional space occupied by the flexible drive strip320, which helps to reduce the thickness of the electronic device.

Still further, in an optional embodiment, the bottom of the housing100may be provided with an avoidance hole, and one end of the driving source310is connected to the flexible drive strip320through the avoidance hole. In this case, the avoidance hole can communicate with the guide groove140. As compared with the method of respectively disposing the avoidance hole and the guide groove140at different parts of the housing100, making the avoidance hole and the guide groove140in communication can reduce the amount of material removed from the housing100, thereby improving the structural strength of the housing100.

Optionally, the driving mechanism300of the electronic device disclosed in this embodiment of this application further includes a drive assembly330. Optionally, the drive assembly330may operate in a plurality of manners such as gear drive, belt drive, and chain drive. This is not limited particularly in this embodiment of this application. The driving source310is connected to the flexible drive strip320through the drive assembly330. When the aspect ratio and size of the flexible display200need to be adjusted, the driving mechanism300receives an instruction and the driving source310drives, through the drive assembly330, the flexible drive strip320to slide. Because the drive assembly330has the characteristics of deceleration and distance increase, the drive assembly330can make the flexible drive strip320operate under better working conditions, thereby driving the flexible display200to slide more stably, and avoiding the flexible display200from being jammed in the sliding process. Moreover, because the flexible display200is disposed on the housing100, the drive assembly330disposed in the housing100can support the flexible display200, so that flexible display is unlikely to break in the sliding process.

Further, in an optional embodiment, the drive assembly330includes drive gears331and a drive chain meshed with the drive gears331. The driving source310is connected to the drive gears331. The drive chain is disposed on a side of the flexible drive strip320facing away from the flexible display200. Specifically, when the first portion of the flexible display200needs to slide to the side on which the second surface120of the housing100is located, the driving source310drives the drive gears331to rotate. Because the drive gears331are meshed with the drive chain, the drive gears331drive the drive chain to move. The drive chain is disposed on a side of the flexible drive strip320facing away from the flexible display200, and the flexible drive strip320is driven to move by the drive chain, so that the flexible display200slides and partially extend out of the housing100. Therefore, in this embodiment of this application, gear drive allows for compact structure, high drive efficiency, and long service life, thereby improving the operation stability and extending service life of the flexible display200.

Optionally, the drive assembly330further includes a speed reducer332. The speed reducer332can change the drive ratio of the drive gears331and expand the change ranges of the torque and rotation speed of the drive gears331, so as to meet the condition for the flexible display200to freely switch and control different sizes and aspect ratios, allowing the driving source310to operate under better working conditions.

Still further, in an optional embodiment, the drive gears331include a first gear331aand a second gear331b. Certainly, the first gear331aand the second gear331bmay be each provided in a quantity of one or more. The quantities of first gears331aand second gears331bare not limited specifically in this embodiment of this application. The first gear331ais disposed on an output shaft of the driving source310, the second gear331bis meshed with the first gear331a, and the second gear331bis meshed with the drive chain, the output shaft of the driving source310being parallel to a bending axis of the flexible display200. Specifically, when the driving mechanism300drives the flexible display200to slide between the first position and the second position, the driving source310drives the first gear331ato rotate. Because the second gear331bis meshed with the first gear331a, the first gear331adrives the second gear331bto rotate. Because the second gear331bis meshed with the drive chain, the second gear331bdrives the drive chain to move, such that the flexible drive strip320drives the flexible display200to slide. The output shaft of the driving source310is parallel to the bending axis of the flexible display200, which facilitates the arrangement of the driving source310. The drive gears331include the first gear331aand the second gear331b, and the drive between the driving source310and the flexible drive strip320can be implemented using the small-sized gears, thereby reducing the thickness of the electronic device.

Optionally, the electronic device may further include a main board150, a sub-board160, and a flexible circuit board170, all of which are fastened on the housing100. The main board150is connected to the sub-board160through the flexible circuit board170. When the aspect ratio and size of the flexible display200need to be adjusted, the main board150transmits the signal to the sub-board160through the flexible circuit board170after receiving an instruction. Then, the sub-board160transmits the signal to the driving mechanism300through another flexible circuit board170, and the driving mechanism300drives the flexible display200to slide between the first position and the second position.

In an optional embodiment, the flexible drive strip320is shorter than the flexible display200. Due to the limited space in the housing100of the electronic device, the length of the flexible drive strip320is only required to meet the usage requirements, and a short flexible drive strip320can save space. Moreover, in a case that the flexible display200is located at the second position, only part of the flexible display200slides to the side on which the second surface120of the housing100is located, and a short flexible drive strip320can avoid waste and reduce costs.

In an optional embodiment, at least one of the first surface110or the second surface120is provided with an accommodation groove, and the flexible display200is at least partially located in the accommodation groove. Because the flexible display200can slide with respect to the housing100, the flexible display200is at least partially located in the accommodation groove in the process of the driving mechanism300driving the flexible display200to slide between the first position and the second position. This ensures that the flexible display200slides more stably toward the predetermined extension direction of the accommodation groove, thereby avoiding jamming. In addition, the accommodation groove can reduce the additional space occupied by the flexible display200, which helps reduce the thickness of the electronic device.

The electronic device disclosed in this embodiment of this application may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a wearable device (for example, a smart watch), a game console, or other electronic devices. A type of the electronic device is not specifically limited in the embodiments of this application.