CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Taiwanese Patent Application No. 109138373, filed on Nov. 4, 2020.

FIELD

The disclosure relates to a hinge device, more particularly to a hinge device adapted to be installed between two machine bodies that are mounted with a flexible display.

BACKGROUND

In the past few years, flexible displays have been widely used in various foldable devices. These foldable devices can be divided into two groups: inward-folding devices and outward-folding devices. When the flexible displays are used in the inward-folding devices, bent portions of the flexible displays are often cramped in limited spaces when the devices are folded, and thus are easily damaged.

SUMMARY

Therefore, the object of the disclosure is to provide a hinge device that can alleviate the drawback of the prior art.

According to the disclosure, a hinge device is adapted to be installed between two machine bodies that are mounted with a flexible display. The hinge device includes a base member, two rotating modules and a central support plate.

The base member extends in a front-rear direction. The rotating modules are mounted respectively to opposite sides of the base member in a left-right direction, and are adapted for the machine bodies to be mounted respectively thereto. The rotating modules are convertible relative to the base member between an open position, where the machine bodies are in an unfolded state such that the flexible display is flat, and a closed position, where the machine bodies are in a folded state such that the flexible display is folded. The central support plate extends in the front-rear direction, is disposed above the base member in an up-down direction, and is connected between the rotating modules. The central support plate is drivable by the rotating modules to move relative to the base member in the up-down direction from a supporting position, where the rotating modules are at the open position, and where the central support plate is adapted to support the flexible display from below, to a receding position, where the rotating modules are at the closed position, and where is disposed under the supporting position to provide a display receiving space disposed directly and immediately above the central support plate3for receiving a bent portion of the flexible display.

