Foldable phones are becoming a thing in the tech industry. Not only have we seen foldable phones, but we may also soon get a foldable PC. US tech giant, Dell has filed a patent for a dual-screen Windows 10 device. The device will utilise a ‘narrow width dual axes hinge’ to smoothen the transition.
The patent was originally filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in February 2018 but was made public on August 8, 2019. The Dell patent is titled ‘Information Handling System Narrow Width Hinge’ and is for a 2-in-1 device with a narrow width dual axes hinge that rotationally couples the two portions of the device. The design also utilises a gear assembly to synchronize the motion of the dual axles at one end of the dual axles.
The patent application also includes a description of how it works thus, “A gear assembly synchronizes motion about the dual axles at one end of the dual axles, the gear assembly having brackets to couple to each housing portion. Torque brackets couple to the opposite end of the dual axles, each torque bracket couple to a housing portion and resisting rotation of the housing portions by generating friction at the axle.”
In addition, Dell claims the setup will come with a narrow bezel. The device’s narrow width of the hinge elements provides a narrow gap between displays so that visual information presented on displays has a more uniform appearance than would be presented with larger gaps.
