Patent Description:
With the development of an electronic device, a foldable form of the electronic device is derived. The electronic device is, for example, a mobile phone, a computer, etc. A foldable electronic device has the same size as a traditional electronic device after being folded so as to be portable, and becomes a tablet computer or a computer with a larger display region after being unfolded. The foldable electronic device has both entertainment and work functions, may be used by a user to browse web pages, watch videos or work and meets demands of consumers pursuing portability and diversified and unified functions at present.

For the electronic device in the foldable form, connection among frames is important and affects the function of the electronic device and the experience of a user.

<CIT> provides a folding display device. This folding display device rotatably concatenates a first housing and a second housing with a simple structure. A portable terminal has a first housing and a second housing. A rotational concatenation part concatenates the first housing and the second housing such that an opened state in which the first housing and the second housing are opened and form a flat state, and a closed state in which the first housing and the second housing are closed and form a inwardly folded state can be obtained. A flexible display is arranged so as to cover main surfaces of the first housing and the second housing. A support member is arranged between the first housing and the second housing, and has a flat support surface which supports the flexible display when the flexible display is in the opened state. The display has bonded parts which are bonded to the first housing and the second housing, respectively, and a non-bonded part which can separate from the flat support surface of the support member between the first housing and the second housing.

<CIT> provides a foldable flexible display (Tri-Phone). Spiral plate spring is used to drive unfolding a flexible display digital device for use. The display consists of three parts of equal length; the area of the central part is either equal the total area of the first and the second side parts or equals the area of any part. A groove is made in-between the first side part and the central part, to create a space for installing the spiral spring and its drive shaft. Two shafts, with four end gears are installed in two grooves in-between the sides of the display side parts, and central part, the four gears to be partially embedded inside corner extensions of the display side parts. Through a set of other gears andone belt in-between the two shafts, and the spiral spring, the embedded gears are driven to drive the unfold of the display side parts.

<CIT> provides a support for supporting a flexible component and a light-emitting device. A first substrate, a second substrate, a rack, a pinion, and a hinge are provided. When the second substrate is moved, the rotational force of the pinion is transmitted to the rack of the first substrate and thus the first substrate is moved in the horizontal direction while being overlapped with one of hinge pieces of the hinge; accordingly, the flexible component can be bent while the flexible component is fixed to the first substrate and the second substrate and the allowable curvature radius is maintained in the vicinity of the hinge.

<CIT> provides a three-panel foldable mobile phone having a flexible display, in which an intermediate panel or a bridge is connected to each of the upper and lower panels to form a three-panel zigzag or 'Z' shaped body in order to increase portability and expandability of the display window, A mobile phone having an integral flexible display mounted on one side of every panel to form a single display, wherein the display is combined so that the upper panel and the lower panel are on the upper side of each panel, and when said mobile phone is closed, the lower panel, the intermediate panel, the flexible display provided on one side of each panel is folded into three layers as it is stacked and enclosed in the order of the upper panel, and only the display window combined with the upper panel is exposed, and the basic functions of the mobile phone such as calling, sending and receiving text messages are executed through the display window, The mobile phone is characterised in that when the mobile phone is opened, each panel unfolds into the same flat shape, exposing the entire area of the flexible display in a flat shape, and the entire area of the flexible display is used to perform basic functions of the mobile phone such as calling, sending and receiving text messages, as well as various additional functions such as video playback and DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) reception.

The invention is as set out in claim <NUM>, preferred forms being set out in dependent claims <NUM> to <NUM>.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this description herein, illustrate examples conforming to the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain principles of the disclosure.

Some embodiments will be described in detail herein, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the accompanying drawings, same numerals in different accompanying drawings represent same or similar elements unless otherwise indicated. The implementation manners described in the following embodiments do not represent all implementation manners consistent with the disclosure. On the contrary, they are merely embodiments of an apparatus consistent with some aspects of the disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

In the related art, a foldable electronic device adopts a semicircular-shaft connection structure to connect different frames together. For the semicircular-shaft connection structure, a screen assembly is relatively small in an extensible range and may be only folded once, the size of a screen may not be increased infinitely, and thus, the use experience of a user is affected.

The disclosure provides a foldable screen including a screen assembly and a housing assembly, the housing assembly includes at least three housings, and the screen assembly covers the at least three housings; and the foldable screen includes linked connection assemblies, any two adjacent housings in the at least three housings are connected by the linked connection assemblies, and the at least three housings are unfolded or folded relative to each other at the same time by the linked connection assemblies, so that the screen area of the screen assembly in an unfolded state is greatly increased to provide a user with better visual experience.

In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the embodiment provides a foldable screen including a screen assembly <NUM> and a housing assembly <NUM>, the housing assembly <NUM> includes at least three housings, and the screen assembly <NUM> covers the housing assembly <NUM>. The screen assembly <NUM> is at least partially made of a flexible display screen which may be bent and folded, so that the screen assembly <NUM> may be in a folded state and an unfolded state. The screen assembly <NUM> may be an integrated flexible display screen or a splicing and combined screen. When being the splicing and combined screen, the screen assembly may be formed by splicing a plurality of flexible display screens for example, or may be formed by splicing a flexible display screen and a panel-type hard screen, for another embodiment.

The foldable screen includes linked connection assemblies <NUM>, any two adjacent housings in the at least three housings are connected by the linked connection assemblies <NUM>, and the at least three housings are unfolded or folded relative to each other at the same time by the linked connection assemblies <NUM>.

No limitation is made to specific structures of the linked connection assemblies <NUM> in the embodiment, provided that the at least three housings can be unfolded or folded relative to each other at the same time, and therefore, when the foldable display screen is in the unfolded state, the screen area of the screen assembly in the unfolded state is greatly increased to provide a user with better visual experience.

According to an embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the embodiment provides a foldable screen including a screen assembly <NUM> and a housing assembly <NUM>, the housing assembly <NUM> includes at least three housings, and the screen assembly <NUM> covers the at least three housings of the housing assembly <NUM>. The foldable screen includes linked connection assemblies <NUM>, any two adjacent housings in the at least three housings are connected by the linked connection assemblies <NUM>, and the at least three housings are unfolded or folded relative to each other at the same time by the linked connection assemblies <NUM>.

The number of the housings included by the housing assembly <NUM> is an odd number, for example, the number of the housings may be <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and the like. The at least three housings of the housing assembly <NUM> forms at least one group of linked housings, and when the housing assembly <NUM> includes three housings, the three housings form a group of linked housings. When the number of the housings included by the housing assembly <NUM> is greater than <NUM>, for example, the number of the housings is <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM> and the like, the housing assembly <NUM> includes a plurality of groups of linked housings. In an embodiment, the housing assembly <NUM> includes a group of linked housings, the group of linked housings include a first housing <NUM>, a second housing <NUM> and a middle housing <NUM>, and the middle housing <NUM> is arranged between the first housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM>. In other words, based on an orientation shown in <FIG>, in the three housings, the housing used as the middle housing <NUM>, the housing located above the middle housing <NUM> and the housing located below the middle housing <NUM> jointly form a group of linked housings.

In another embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the housing assembly in the embodiment includes <NUM> housings which form two groups of linked housings. When a plurality of groups of linked housings are comprised, in the plurality of groups of linked housings, a second housing of a first group of the linked housings is a first housing of a second group of linked housings adjacent to the first group of the linked housings. Based on a structure and an orientation shown in <FIG>, when the foldable screen is in the folded state, the housing assembly in the embodiment includes five housings in total, that is, a housing A, a housing B, a housing C, a housing D and a housing E, from top to bottom. The housing A, the housing B and the housing C form a first group of linked housings, and the housing C, the housing D and the housing E form a second group of linked housings. In combination with <FIG> and <FIG>, in the first group of linked housings, the housing A is used as the first housing <NUM>, the housing B is used as the middle housing <NUM>, and the housing C is used as the second housing <NUM>. In the second group of linked housings, the housing C is used as the first housing <NUM>, the housing D is used as the middle housing <NUM>, and the housing E is used as the second housing <NUM>. The first group of linked housings and the second group of linked housings share the housing C, and the housing C is used as the second housing <NUM> of the first group of linked housings and is also used as the first housing <NUM> of the second group of linked housings.

In order to describe an implementation manner of the linked housings and the linked connection assemblies in the embodiment, the embodiment is described with a matching structure of a connection between a group of linked housings and linked connection assemblies as an embodiment, when a plurality of groups of linked housings and linked connection assemblies are arranged, the manners of connection of all the groups of linked housings and linked connection assemblies are the same.

In the embodiment, the foldable screen includes linked connection assemblies <NUM>, a first housing <NUM>, a second housing <NUM> and a middle housing <NUM>, wherein the first housing <NUM>, the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> are connected by the linked connection assemblies <NUM>. A central line in a length direction of the screen assembly <NUM> is a symmetry axis (referring to a Y-axis shown in <FIG> and <FIG>), the foldable screen includes two groups of linked connection assemblies <NUM>, and the two groups of linked connection assemblies <NUM> are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the symmetry axis, so that the assembling effect and the stability of the housing assembly <NUM> are improved.

The linked connection assemblies <NUM> includes a first connection part <NUM>, an adjusting connection part <NUM> and a second connection part <NUM>. The first housing <NUM> is rotatably connected with the middle housing <NUM> by the first connection part <NUM>, and the second housing <NUM> is rotatably connected with the middle housing <NUM> by the second connection part <NUM>. The first connection part <NUM> is rotatably connected with the first housing <NUM>, the second connection part <NUM> is rotatably connected with the second housing <NUM>, the adjusting connection part <NUM> is connected with the middle housing <NUM>, and the adjusting connection part <NUM> is connected with the first connection part <NUM> and the second connection part <NUM> respectively.

In an embodiment, a group of linked housings is arranged, the linked housings include one middle housing <NUM>, the first housing <NUM> is rotatably connected with the middle housing <NUM> by the first connection part <NUM>, the middle housing <NUM> is rotatably connected with the second housing <NUM> by the second connection part <NUM>, and then, a three-section effect of the housing assembly <NUM> is formed, so that the screen assembly <NUM> has a three-section foldable form.

In another embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the housing B and the housing D are used as the middle housing <NUM>, the housing A is rotatably connected with the housing B by the first connection part, the housing B is connected with the housing C by the second connection part, the housing C is connected with the housing D by the first connection part, and the housing D is connected with the housing E by the second connection part. The respective housings are connected by the first connection part and the second connection part, so that linkage among the respective housings is achieved. When the housing A or the housing E in the housing assembly <NUM> is folded by a user, the linked connection assemblies act at the same time, and the respective housings are folded or unfolded at the same time, so that rapid unfolding or folding is achieved, and the user experience is improved.

In an embodiment, the screen assembly includes an integrated flexible screen, that is, the overall screen assembly is integral. As shown in <FIG>, the foldable screen is in the folded state, a first region, corresponding to the first connection part, on the integrated flexible screen is on an outer side of the first connection part, that is, the first region, corresponding to the first connection part, on the integrated flexible screen is in an outwards bending state. A second region, corresponding to the second connection part, on the integrated flexible screen is on an inner side of the second connection part, that is, the second region, corresponding to the second connection part, on the integrated flexible screen is in an inwards bending state. In the embodiment, in addition to a surrounding manner of the screen assembly shown in <FIG>, a setting manner may also be adopted as follows: based on the orientation shown in <FIG>, the screen assembly is arranged on a lower surface of the housing below the middle housing <NUM> and then successively covers the housing assembly, which may be understood as that the structure shown in <FIG> is upside down, at the moment, the middle housing <NUM> is connected with the housing below the middle housing <NUM> by the first connection part, and the middle housing <NUM> is connected with the housing above the middle housing <NUM> by the second connection part.

In another embodiment, the screen assembly includes a splicing screen assembly, and the splicing screen assembly includes a panel-type screen and a bendable flexible screen. The panel-type screen is a non-flexible screen, that is, a hard screen which may not be bent and folded, and the bendable flexible screen is a flexible screen which may be bent and folded. In the embodiment, when the foldable screen is in the unfolded state, the first connection part is spaced from the second connection part, the panel-type screen is located between the first connection part and the second connection part, for example, may be arranged on an upper side of the first housing <NUM> shown in <FIG>, or a lower side of the second housing <NUM> to be used as an auxiliary screen, so that a user looks up information or time at ordinary times conveniently when using an electronic device.

The foldable screen is in the folded state, a first region, corresponding to the first connection part, on the bendable flexible screen is located on the outer side of the first connection part, and a second region, corresponding to the second connection part, on the bendable flexible screen is located on the inner side of the second connection part. For example, the panel-type screen is arranged on the upper side of the first housing <NUM> shown in <FIG>, the bendable flexible screens is arranged on each of the rest positions where screens are required to be arranged, and the panel-type screen and the bendable flexible screen are spliced with or without seams. When a user needs to use an electronic device to watch a view screen or in other application scenarios that the area of the screen is required to be increased, the foldable screen is unfolded, the panel-type screen and the bendable flexible screen perform displaying jointly, or the bendable flexible screen performs displaying alone, more selectable display manners are provided for the user, so that the user experience is improved.

Of course, it may be understood that the splicing screen assembly may include a plurality of flexible screens, may also include a plurality of non-flexible screens or include a plurality of flexible screens and a plurality of non-flexible screens, which specifically depends on actual design.

In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, one end of the adjusting connection part <NUM> of the linked connection assemblies <NUM> is rotatably connected with the first connection part <NUM>, the other end of the adjusting connection part <NUM> is rotatably connected with the second connection part <NUM>, and a distance between one end of the adjusting connection part and the other end of the adjusting connection part <NUM> is adjustable.

The adjusting connection part <NUM> is arranged on the middle housing <NUM> and is connected with the middle housing <NUM>. One end of the adjusting connection part <NUM> is correspondingly connected with the first connection part <NUM>, the other end of the adjusting connection part <NUM> is correspondingly connected with the second connection part <NUM>, and thus, linked connection is achieved. When the screen assembly <NUM> is unfolded or folded by a user, linkage among the first housing <NUM>, the second housing <NUM> and the middle housing <NUM> is achieved by the first connection part <NUM>, the adjusting connection part <NUM> and the second connection part <NUM>, so that problems such as folds and deformation caused by pulling in a folding process of the screen assembly <NUM> are solved, the extension range of the screen assembly <NUM> is widened, the stability of the foldable screen is improved, and the influence on the normal use of the foldable screen is avoided.

In the embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the adjusting connection part <NUM> includes a first adjusting member <NUM>, a rotary adjusting member <NUM> and a second adjusting member <NUM>, a first end of the first adjusting member <NUM> is rotatably connected with the first connection part <NUM>, and a second end of the first adjusting member <NUM> is rotatably connected with the rotary adjusting member <NUM>. A second end of the second adjusting member <NUM> is rotatably connected with the rotary adjusting member <NUM>, and a first end of the second adjusting member <NUM> is rotatably connected with the second connection part <NUM>.

Each of the first adjusting member <NUM> and the second adjusting member <NUM> is of a long rod structure, and the rotary adjusting member <NUM> is of a short rod structure. The first connection part <NUM> includes a first pin <NUM>, the second connection part <NUM> includes a second pin <NUM>, the first end of the first adjusting member <NUM> is hinged with the first pin <NUM>, the second end of the first adjusting member <NUM> is hinged with the rotary adjusting member <NUM> by a connecting pin, the second end of the second adjusting member <NUM> is further hinged with the rotary adjusting member <NUM> by a connecting pin, and the first end of the second adjusting member <NUM> is hinged with the second pin <NUM>.

In the embodiment, the rotary adjusting member <NUM> is configured to rotate around a central shaft <NUM> of the rotary adjusting member <NUM>, the rotary adjusting member <NUM> includes a first rotating shaft <NUM> and a second rotating shaft <NUM>, the first rotating shaft <NUM> is rotatably connected with the second end of the first adjusting member <NUM>, and the second rotating shaft <NUM> is rotatably connected with the second end of the second adjusting member <NUM>. When the foldable screen is in the folded state, the rotary adjusting member <NUM> rotates to a first position around the central shaft <NUM>. The foldable screen is in the unfolded state, the rotary adjusting member <NUM> rotates to a second position around the central shaft <NUM>. A distance between the first end of the first adjusting member and the first end of the second adjusting member when the rotary adjusting member rotates to the first position is different from a distance between the first end of the first adjusting member and the first end of the second adjusting member when the rotary adjusting member rotates to the second position.

In order to mount the adjusting connection part, in the embodiment, the middle housing is provided with a mounting hole <NUM> and a mounting slot <NUM>, and the mounting hole <NUM> is interconnected with the mounting slot <NUM>. The rotary adjusting member <NUM> is mounted in the mounting hole <NUM>, and the first adjusting member <NUM> and the second adjusting member <NUM> are mounted in the mounting slot <NUM>; and an recessed parts are respectively arranged on the first end of the first adjusting member <NUM> and the first end of the second adjusting member <NUM>, and the recessed parts are used for avoidance of first mounting pins or second mounting pins (which will be introduced in detail hereafter).

For the foldable screen in the embodiment, when the screen assembly <NUM> is folded or unfolded, the rotary adjusting member <NUM> can rotate around the central shaft <NUM> with the movement of the first adjusting member <NUM> and the second adjusting member <NUM> so as to adjust the distance between the first end of the first adjusting member <NUM> and the first end of the second adjusting member <NUM>.

In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the foldable screen in the embodiment has all technical characteristics in the aforementioned embodiments, and meanwhile, the adjusting connection part <NUM> of the foldable screen in the embodiment includes a first adjusting member <NUM>, a rotary adjusting member <NUM>, a second adjusting member <NUM> and a supporting part <NUM>. Specific structures and connection manners of the first adjusting member <NUM>, the rotary adjusting member <NUM> and the second adjusting member <NUM> have been specifically described in the aforementioned embodiments so as not to be repeated again herein.

Referring to <FIG>, the supporting part <NUM> is configured to support the screen assembly <NUM>, the supporting part <NUM> includes a fixed supporting part <NUM> and a movable supporting part <NUM>, the fixed supporting part <NUM> is connected with the second connection part <NUM>, the movable supporting part <NUM> is connected with the rotary adjusting member <NUM>, and the movable supporting part <NUM> moves in a length direction (referring to an Y-axis direction shown in <FIG>) of the middle housing <NUM> with the rotation of the rotary adjusting member <NUM>. Of course, it may be understood that the fixed supporting part <NUM> may also be fixedly connected with the first connection part <NUM>, and the movable supporting part <NUM> may be connected with the rotary adjusting member <NUM>.

In the embodiment, referring to <FIG>, the movable supporting part <NUM> is of a plate-like structure, is arranged between the middle housing <NUM> and the screen assembly <NUM> and is connected with the screen assembly <NUM>. A third region, corresponding to the movable supporting part <NUM>, of the screen assembly <NUM> is a straight region and has no folded state no matter the screen assembly is folded or unfolded, so that the screen assembly <NUM> may be completely attached to the movable supporting part <NUM> to avoid generating folds or other situations. Since the screen assembly is changed from the folded state to the unfolded state, the area of the third region may be increased. By arranging the movable supporting part <NUM> capable of moving relative to the middle housing <NUM>, support may be provided for the screen assembly in both the folded state and the unfolded state. Due to the linkage among the first adjusting member <NUM>, the rotary adjusting member <NUM> and the second adjusting member <NUM>, the movable supporting part <NUM> can move with the rotation of the rotary adjusting member <NUM>, the movable supporting part <NUM> drives the screen assembly <NUM> to move in a length direction of the middle housing <NUM>, so that the problems such as folds and deformation caused by pulling in the folding process of the screen assembly <NUM> are solved, the screen assembly <NUM> is protected, and the damage ratio is reduced.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the movable supporting part <NUM> is provided with a limiting slot <NUM>, the adjusting connection part <NUM> includes a limiting part <NUM> which is of a columnar structure, the limiting part <NUM> is fixedly connected with the rotary adjusting member <NUM>, and the limiting part <NUM> is inserted into the limiting slot <NUM> to achieve limitation between the movable supporting part <NUM> and the adjusting connection part <NUM> and ensure that the movable supporting part <NUM> is capable of moving in the length direction of the middle housing <NUM> with the rotation of the rotary adjusting member <NUM>. The limiting slot <NUM> is capable of penetrating through the movable supporting part <NUM> in a thickness direction (referring to a Z-axis shown in <FIG>) of the movable supporting part <NUM>, so that the effect of connection between the limiting part <NUM> and the limiting slot <NUM> is improved; or the limiting slot <NUM> may also be a blind hole and is formed in the thickness direction of the movable supporting part <NUM>, so that the limiting part <NUM> is incapable of penetrating out of the limiting slot <NUM>, it is ensured that the limiting part <NUM> may not abut against the screen assembly <NUM>, and the screen assembly <NUM> is prevented from being damaged.

In the embodiment, referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the fixed supporting part <NUM> includes two supporting bodies, each of the supporting bodies includes a connection end <NUM> and a free end <NUM>, the connection end <NUM> is of an annular structure, the free end <NUM> is of a rod-like structure, and the two supporting bodies are arranged on two sides of the second connection part <NUM>. The connection ends <NUM> of the two supporting bodies are mounted on the second connection part <NUM> and are hinged with the second connection part <NUM>, and the free ends <NUM> of the two supporting bodies respectively extend into the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> which are connected with the second connection part <NUM>.

The housing assembly <NUM> further includes a mounting space (not shown in figures) which is arranged on the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> which are connected with the second connection part <NUM>, and the free ends <NUM> of the supporting bodies extend into the mounting space. The mounting space plays a role in limiting the supporting bodies and limits the movement directions of the free ends <NUM> of the supporting bodies to prevent the supporting bodies from deviation, thereby ensuring the supporting effect of the supporting bodies to the screen assembly <NUM>.

The second connection part <NUM> includes two connection lugs <NUM> in one-to-one correspondence with the two supporting bodies, and the connection ends <NUM> of the supporting bodies are rotatably connected with the connection lugs <NUM> by shaft levers.

The second region, located at the second connection part <NUM>, of the screen assembly <NUM> is in the infolding state, so that the problem of folds occurs in the second region of the screen assembly <NUM>. The adjusting connection part <NUM> is capable of driving the movable supporting part <NUM> to move to further drive the screen assembly <NUM> to move relative to the middle housing <NUM>, so that the screen assembly <NUM> has a certain movement relative to the middle housing <NUM> in the length direction (referring to the Y-axis shown in <FIG> and <FIG>) of the screen assembly <NUM>, limitation and pulling to the screen assembly <NUM> induced by the middle housing <NUM>, the first connection part <NUM> and the second connection part <NUM> are reduced, the stress generated when the screen assembly <NUM> is folded is dispersed to avoid the phenomenon of the folds of the screen assembly <NUM>, and the two supporting bodies assist in supporting the screen assembly <NUM>, thereby doubly ensuring that the screen assembly <NUM> does not have folds.

In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the first connection part <NUM> includes a first connection rotating shaft <NUM> and the first pin <NUM> arranged on the first connection rotating shaft <NUM>, the first connection rotating shaft <NUM> extends in a width direction of the screen assembly <NUM>, the first pin <NUM> is fixedly connected with an end of the first connection rotating shaft <NUM> and extends in the same direction with the first connection rotating shaft <NUM>, the adjusting connection part <NUM> is rotatably connected with the first pin <NUM>, and thus, the connection between the adjusting connection part <NUM> and the first connection rotating shaft <NUM> is achieved.

The first connection rotating shaft <NUM> is located between the first housing <NUM> and the middle housing <NUM>, and the first housing <NUM> is rotatably connected with the middle housing <NUM> by the first connection rotating shaft <NUM>.

In an embodiment, lantern rings (not shown in figures) are respectively arranged on one side of the middle housing <NUM> and one side of the first housing <NUM>, the middle housing <NUM> and the first housing <NUM> both sleeve the first connection rotating shaft <NUM> via the lantern rings, so that the middle housing <NUM> and the first housing <NUM> are both capable of rotating on the first connection rotating shaft <NUM>, and the stability of the housing assembly <NUM> is improved.

In another embodiment, the first connection part <NUM> further includes first mounting pins <NUM> arranged on the end of the first connection rotating shaft. The first mounting pins are fixedly connected with the first connection rotating shaft, and the first housing and the middle housing are rotatably connected with the first connection rotating shaft by the first mounting pins respectively. In the embodiment, two first mounting pins <NUM> are provided, one of the two first mounting pins <NUM> is rotatably connected with the first housing <NUM>, and the other one of the two first mounting pins <NUM> is rotatably connected with the middle housing <NUM>. In other possible embodiments, there may be one first mounting pin <NUM>, the first housing <NUM> and the middle housing <NUM> may sleeve the first mounting pin <NUM> at the same time and may be rotatably connected with the first mounting pin <NUM>, so that the overall structure of the housing assembly <NUM> is more compact. In the embodiment, the first connection rotating shaft includes an arc-shaped side wall <NUM>, and in the folded state, the first region, that is, an everted bent part, of the screen assembly covers the arc-shaped side wall <NUM>.

In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the second connection part <NUM> includes a second connection rotating shaft <NUM>, the second pin <NUM> and the two connection lugs <NUM>. The second connection rotating shaft <NUM> extends in the width direction (referring to the X-axis shown in <FIG>) of the screen assembly <NUM>, the second pin <NUM> is fixedly connected with an end of the second connection rotating shaft <NUM> and extends in the same direction with the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>, the adjusting connection part <NUM> sleeves the second pin <NUM>, and thus, the connection between the adjusting connection part <NUM> and the second connection rotating shaft <NUM> is achieved. When the foldable screen is in the unfolded state, the two connection lugs <NUM> are arranged on two sides of the second connection rotating shaft <NUM> in the length direction of the screen assembly <NUM> and protrude from the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>, so that the connection ends <NUM> of the supporting bodies are capable of sleeving the connection lugs <NUM>.

The second connection rotating shaft <NUM> is located between the second housing <NUM> and the middle housing <NUM>, and the second housing <NUM> is rotatably connected with the middle housing <NUM> by the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>. In an embodiment, lantern rings (not shown in figures) are respectively arranged on the other side of the middle housing <NUM> and one side of the second housing <NUM>, the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> both sleeve the second connection rotating shaft <NUM> via the lantern rings, so that the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> are both capable of rotating on the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>, and the stability of the housing assembly <NUM> is improved.

In another embodiment, the second connection part <NUM> further includes second mounting pins <NUM> arranged on the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>. The second mounting pins are fixedly connected with the second connection rotating shaft, and the second housing and the middle housing are rotatably connected with the second connection rotating shaft by the second mounting pins respectively. In the embodiment, two second mounting pins <NUM> are provided, one of the two second mounting pins <NUM> is rotatably connected with the second housing <NUM>, and the other one of the two second mounting pins <NUM> is rotatably connected with the middle housing <NUM>. In other possible embodiments, there may be one second mounting pin <NUM>, the second housing <NUM> and the middle housing <NUM> may sleeve the second mounting pin <NUM> at the same time and may be rotatably connected with the second mounting pin <NUM>, so that the overall structure of the housing assembly <NUM> is more compact. In the embodiment, the second connection rotating shaft <NUM> includes a mounting plane, and in the folded state, a bent surface, that is, the infolding second region, of the screen assembly <NUM> is in contact connection with the mounting plane.

In an embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the fist housing <NUM> includes a first body <NUM> and a first frame <NUM>, the first frame <NUM> is of a U-shaped structure and is arranged in a circumferential direction of the first body <NUM> to avoid a side connected with the middle housing <NUM>, and the first frame <NUM> is capable of surrounding the first body <NUM> so as to protect the first body <NUM>.

The first body <NUM> is fixedly connected with the first frame <NUM>, an end of the first frame <NUM> sleeves one of the first mounting pins <NUM> of the first connection part <NUM>, and the first body <NUM> is hinged with the first mounting pin <NUM> by the first frame <NUM>. A first avoidance groove <NUM> is formed in the first body <NUM>, and the first avoidance groove <NUM> is adjacent to the first connection rotating shaft <NUM>. When the foldable screen is folded or unfolded, no interference is present between the first body <NUM> and the first connection rotating shaft <NUM>, so that a smooth bending or unfolding action is ensured.

When the foldable screen is in the folded state, a first mounting groove <NUM> is formed in a side, away from the middle housing <NUM>, of the first body <NUM>, and a partial region of the screen assembly <NUM> is accommodated in the first mounting groove <NUM>, so that connection between the screen assembly <NUM> and the first housing <NUM> is more reliable. In a mounting state, a surface of the screen assembly <NUM> is flush with a surface of the first frame <NUM> to avoid the phenomenon that the edge of the screen assembly <NUM> is scratched to affect the service life of the screen assembly <NUM>.

A mounting groove (not shown in figures) of the housing assembly <NUM> is formed in the first body <NUM>, so that the free ends <NUM> of the supporting bodies extend into the mounting groove; and the mounting groove is arranged to communicate with the first mounting groove <NUM>, so that the supporting bodies may be connected with the screen assembly <NUM> and support the screen assembly <NUM>.

In the embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the middle housing <NUM> includes a middle body <NUM> and two middle frames <NUM>, the two middle frames <NUM> are symmetrically arranged on two sides of the middle body <NUM> along the symmetry axis, the middle frames <NUM> are of long-plate structures and cover the outside of the middle body <NUM> to avoid the exposure of the middle body <NUM>, thereby protecting the middle body <NUM>.

The middle body <NUM> is fixedly connected with the two middle frames <NUM>, two ends of the two middle frames <NUM> respectively sleeve the other first mounting pin <NUM> of the first connection part <NUM>, and the second mounting pin <NUM> of the second connection part <NUM>, and the middle body <NUM> is hinged with the first mounting pin <NUM> and the second mounting pin <NUM> by the middle frames <NUM>. Two middle avoidance grooves <NUM> are formed in the middle body <NUM>, and the two middle avoidance grooves <NUM> are adjacent to the first connection rotating shaft <NUM> and the second connection rotating shaft <NUM> respectively so as to avoid the first connection rotating shaft <NUM> and the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>. When the foldable screen is folded or unfolded, no interference is present between the middle body <NUM> and each of the first connection rotating shaft <NUM> and the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>, so that a trouble-free bending or unfolding action is ensured.

The adjusting connection part <NUM> is mounted on the middle frames <NUM>. The mounting hole <NUM> and the mounting slot <NUM> are formed in the middle frames <NUM>, and the sectional area of the mounting slot <NUM> is greater than that of the adjusting connection part <NUM>, so that the adjusting connection part <NUM> is capable of moving in the mounting slot <NUM>. The mounting hole <NUM> for the rotary adjusting member <NUM> of the adjusting connection part <NUM> is circular, so that the rotary adjusting member <NUM> is capable of rotating in the circumferential direction itself, and the limiting part <NUM> of the adjusting connection part <NUM> penetrates through the mounting slot <NUM> to be spliced with the limiting slot <NUM> of the movable supporting part <NUM>.

The middle body <NUM> is further provided with a mounting groove (not shown in figures) of the housing assembly <NUM>, so that the free ends <NUM> of the supporting bodies extend into the mounting groove; and the mounting groove is exposed out of the surface of the middle body <NUM>, so that the supporting bodies may be connected with the screen assembly <NUM> and supports the screen assembly <NUM>.

In the embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, <FIG> and <FIG>, the second housing <NUM> includes a second body <NUM> and a second frame <NUM>, the second frame <NUM> is of a U-shaped structure and is arranged in a circumferential direction of the second body <NUM> to avoid a side connected with the middle housing <NUM>, and the second frame <NUM> is capable of surrounding the second body <NUM> so as to protect the second body <NUM>.

The second body <NUM> is fixedly connected with the second frame <NUM>, an end of the second frame <NUM> sleeves the other second mounting pin <NUM> of the second connection part <NUM>, and the second body <NUM> is hinged with the second mounting pin <NUM> by the second frame <NUM>. A second avoidance groove <NUM> is formed in the second body <NUM>, and the second avoidance groove <NUM> is adjacent to the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>. When the foldable screen is folded or unfolded, no interference is present between the second body <NUM> and the second connection rotating shaft <NUM>, so that a smooth bending or unfolding action is ensured.

When the foldable screen is in the folded state, a second mounting groove <NUM> is formed in a side, away from the middle housing <NUM> or a side close to the middle housing <NUM>, of the second body <NUM>. The position of the second mounting groove <NUM> depends on the number of the middle housing <NUM>, and the specific position of the second mounting groove <NUM> is based on an actual design. A partial region of the screen assembly <NUM> is accommodated in the second mounting groove <NUM>, so that connection between the screen assembly <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> is more reliable. In a mounting state, the surface of the screen assembly <NUM> is flush with the surface of the second frame <NUM> to avoid the phenomenon that the edge of the screen assembly <NUM> is scratched to affect the service life of the screen assembly <NUM>.

A mounting groove (not shown in figures) of the housing assembly <NUM> may be formed in the second body <NUM>, and specifically, whether the mounting groove is formed in the second body <NUM> is determined according to the number of the middle housing <NUM>. The free ends <NUM> of the supporting bodies extend into the mounting groove, and the mounting groove communicates with the second mounting groove <NUM>, so that the supporting bodies may be connected with the screen assembly <NUM> and supports the screen assembly <NUM>.

Herein, it should be noted that the edge of the end of the first frame <NUM>, the edge of the end of the middle frame <NUM> and the edge of the end of the second frame <NUM> are all chamfered, thereby avoiding interference between the first housing <NUM>, the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> when the foldable screen is folded or unfolded.

In the embodiment, the housing assembly <NUM> further includes meshing parts (not shown in figures) which are arranged on ends of the first housing <NUM>, the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM>. When the foldable screen is in the unfolded state, the first housing <NUM> and the middle housing <NUM>, the second housing <NUM> and the middle housing <NUM>, and any two adjacent middle housings <NUM> are in engaged connection by the meshing parts. Under the engaged action of the meshing parts of the housing assembly, the synchronous rotation of the first housing, the middle housing and the second housing is achieved, and the synchronous linkage of the overall foldable screen is achieved, so that the stability of an electronic device in folding is improved, the use demand of a user is met, and the user experience is improved.

In an embodiment, a first meshing part is arranged on an end of the first frame <NUM> of the first housing <NUM>, middle meshing parts are arranged on edges of two ends of the middle frame <NUM>, a second meshing part is arranged on an end of the second frame <NUM> of the second housing <NUM>, and the middle frame <NUM> of the middle housing <NUM> is in engaged connection with the first meshing part by one of the middle meshing parts and is in engaged connection with the second meshing part by the other middle meshing part of the middle housing <NUM>. In a folding or unfolding process, the first meshing part, the middle meshing parts and the second meshing part of the housing assembly <NUM> restrict mutually to avoid deviation when the first housing <NUM>, the middle housing <NUM> and the second housing <NUM> rotate, thereby ensuring that the foldable screen is normally folded or unfolded.

The disclosure further provides an electronic device, which may be an electronic device with a foldable screen, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, etc. The electronic device includes the foldable screen in the embodiments disclosed above.

The foldable screen in the disclosure is simple and reliable in structure and low in production and processing difficulty. By arranging the linked connection assemblies, linkage among all the housings of the housing assembly is achieved, a display screen is rapidly unfolded and folded, meanwhile, the problems of folds and deformation caused by pulling in a screen folding process can also be solved, support is provided for further increasing the display area after the display screen is unfolded, and therefore, the foldable screen is applicable to various application scenarios.

Each of the first housing, the middle housing and the second housing of the housing assembly is of a housing structure of the electronic device and is used for mounting the screen assembly and the linked connection assemblies to achieve a multi-folding effect of the screen assembly, the size of the screen assembly may be increased infinitely, the problem that the screen assembly is small is solved, and the user experience is improved. The first housing, the middle housing, the second housing and the like in the disclosure are only named for facilitating description in a description process, but have no specific actual meaning.

The first adjusting member and the second adjusting member of the adjusting connection part are connected with the first connection part and the second connection part respectively. When the foldable screen is in the folded or unfolded state, the first adjusting member and the second adjusting member move synchronously with the rotary adjusting member, so that the limiting part on the rotary adjusting member moves therewith, the limiting part is in matched connection with the limiting slot of the movable supporting part, the movable supporting part is linked with the adjusting connection part, and furthermore, the movable supporting part is driven to move in the length direction of the middle housing. The movable supporting part moves synchronously under the action of the rotary adjusting member, so that the displacement change of the screen assembly in a folding process is achieved.

Those skilled in the art will easily figure out other implementation solutions of the disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the disclosure disclosed herein. The disclosure intends to cover any modification, application or adaptive change of the disclosure, which conform to the scope of the appended claims.

Claim 1:
A foldable screen, comprising a screen assembly (<NUM>) and a housing assembly (<NUM>), the housing assembly (<NUM>) comprising at least three housings, and the screen assembly (<NUM>) covering the at least three housings; wherein
the foldable screen comprises at least one linked connection assembly (<NUM>), any two adjacent housings in the at least three housings are connected by the at least one linked connection assembly (<NUM>), and the at least three housings are unfolded or folded relative to each other at the same time by the at least one linked connection assembly (<NUM>);
the at least three housing forms at least one group of linked housings comprising a first housing (<NUM>), a middle housing (<NUM>) and a second housing (<NUM>) which are connected with each other;
each of the linked connection assemblies (<NUM>) comprises a first connection part (<NUM>), an adjusting connection part (<NUM>) and a second connection part (<NUM>), the first connection part (<NUM>) is rotatably connected with the first housing (<NUM>), the second connection part (<NUM>) is rotatably connected with the second housing (<NUM>), the adjusting connection part (<NUM>) is connected with the middle housing (<NUM>);
the adjusting connection part (<NUM>) comprises a first adjusting member (<NUM>), a rotary adjusting member (<NUM>) and a second adjusting member (<NUM>), a first end of the first adjusting member (<NUM>) is rotatably connected with the first connection part (<NUM>), and a second end of the first adjusting member (<NUM>) is rotatably connected with the rotary adjusting member (<NUM>); and
a first end of the second adjusting member (<NUM>) is rotatably connected with the second connection part (<NUM>), and a second end of the second adjusting member (<NUM>) is rotatably connected with the rotary adjusting member (<NUM>);
the rotary adjusting member (<NUM>) is configured to rotate around a central shaft (<NUM>) of the rotary adjusting member (<NUM>), so as to a distance between the first end of the first adjusting member (<NUM>) and the first end of the second adjusting member (<NUM>) is adjustable.