US 11,778,764 B2
Folding device and display device
Shouchuan Zhang, Beijing (CN); and Shangchieh Chu, Beijing (CN)
Assigned to BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., Beijing (CN)
Appl. No. 17/614,355
Filed by BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO., LTD., Beijing (CN)
PCT Filed Dec. 25, 2020, PCT No. PCT/CN2020/139631
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Nov. 25, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/134075, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 30, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2022/0400564 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. H05K 5/00 (2006.01); H05K 5/02 (2006.01); F16C 11/04 (2006.01)
CPC H05K 5/0226 (2013.01) [F16C 11/04 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A folding device for a flexible display panel, the folding device comprising:
a supporting plate having a first surface and a second surface which are opposite to each other;
a lifting plate arranged on a side of the first surface away from the second surface, wherein there is a gap between the lifting plate and the first surface;
at least one rotatable plate arranged on the side of the first surface away from the second surface and distributed on a side of the lifting plate along a first direction, wherein:
the at least one rotatable plate is rotatably connected to the supporting plate and is rotatable between a folding position and a unfolding position;
the at least one rotatable plate and the lifting plate are coplanar in the unfolding position;
the at least one rotatable plate and the lifting plate are located on different planes in the folding position; and
the at least one rotatable plate is used for attaching the flexible display panel to allow the flexible display panel to fold or unfold;
a transmission assembly arranged on the supporting plate and connected with the at least one rotatable plate;
a first elastic member arranged between the lifting plate and the supporting plate, wherein the first elastic member is used to apply to the lifting plate a force toward the first surface; and
at least one pushing wheel arranged between the lifting plate and the supporting plate, and connected to the at least one rotatable plate through the transmission assembly, wherein the at least one pushing wheel is rotatable under driving of the at least one rotatable plate, a contour of the at least one pushing wheel comprises at least a distal end point and a proximal end point, and a distance between the distal end point and a rotation axis of the at least one pushing wheel and a distance between the proximal end point and the rotation axis of the at least one pushing wheel are different;
wherein rotating of the at least one rotatable plate from the folding position to the unfolding position causes the at least one pushing wheel to push the lifting plate to a supporting position in a direction away from the first surface, and during rotating of the at least one rotatable plate from the unfolding position to the folding position, the first elastic member enables the lifting plate to move to an avoidance position in a direction close to the first surface.