Microsoft Patent Suggests Spine Cover Plate for Foldable Smartphone
The patent application suggests a departure from Microsoft’s previous foldable device approach, indicating a potential shift towards a ‘true foldable’ design. Unlike the Surface Duo lineup, which features two separate displays connected by a hinge, this new design would incorporate a single foldable panel. A notable feature highlighted in the patent is the inclusion of a spine cover plate for the central hinge, reminiscent of Samsung’s flex hinge seen in devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Published by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on February 29, the patent application reveals insights into Microsoft’s foldable smartphone development. Filed on December 14, 2022, the document primarily focuses on the hinge mechanism, offering limited details on other aspects of the device’s potential design.
The spine cover plate, as described in the patent, would be positioned along a vertical hinge axis and would provide support for the first and second display-supporting frames. Additionally, the application references a “flexible display substrate,” suggesting the use of a single foldable display for the device. The patent includes various illustrations depicting a unified foldable display, further reinforcing this notion.
Further elaborating on the hinge mechanism, the patent outlines the inclusion of movable hinges attached to the central plate, along with multiple springs positioned in opposing directions. These springs serve dual purposes: holding the display frames in place and facilitating smooth opening and closing of the device. This engineered approach aims to optimize both structural integrity and user experience in the foldable smartphone.
Microsoft’s latest patent application suggests that the company could be developing a technology for a foldable smartphone that will be quite different from its Surface Duo lineup. The company could try its hand at a ‘true foldable’ design where a single foldable panel is used instead of two separate displays connected by a hinge. The patent mentions a spine cover plate for the central hinge, which appears similar to Samsung’s flex hinge used in the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
The patent application was published at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on February 29 and was titled “Foldable Computing Device Spine Cover Plate”. Although the publishing date is recent, the document shows that the application was filed on December 14, 2022. Since the patent is about the hinge mechanism, not much is detailed about other aspects of the possible foldable smartphone.
It details a spine cover plate that will be placed on a vertical hinge axis and will support the first and second display-supporting frames. Further, the patent mentions a “flexible display substrate”. These descriptions along with numerous figures showing a single foldable display hint that this design is likely for a foldable smartphone. The application also delves into how the hinge mechanism will work. It explained that the central plate will have movable hinges that attach to the frame. The hinges will also contain multiple springs in opposing directions which will both hold the display frames in position and allow for smooth opening and closing of the device.