A new Apple patent has surfaced again, which has the company detail the mechanism of a unique hinge design. It is known that the company has been working on many different ideas through these patents, with the latest one showcasing how a display can expand along with the hinge articulation points for what could possibly be a future foldable iPhone.
According to an AppleInsider report, the Cupertino based had one of its patent applications be recently published earlier this week. The patent was titled “Electronic devices having folding expandable displays.” Apple has patented certain designs for a foldable iPhone in the past, and this arrives as another proof that the company will launch a foldable handset sometime in the future.
However, a notable aspect regarding the latest patent is the company’s work on the hinge structure. Looking at the patent, a multi link hinge structure can be observed, which means that the hinge isn’t comprised of one single mechanism but multiple complex structures in its entirety. The patent also states that the hinge structure could include “gear teeth, belts, and/or other movement synchronization structures” and may also feature “members that move relative to each other during bending.”
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Furthermore, these moving components could also include compromise bars and links with opposing curved bearing surfaces. This would include stop surfaces as well that can “prevent excessive rotation of the bars and links with respect to each other.” The links might even be able to rotate around a pivot point that lies somewhere in the display separate from the hinge structure “living within the thickness of the display.”
In simpler terms, the patent could possibly be for a form of expandable display iPhone or even an iPhone with a slide out display. This is indicative by the “housing structures that support folding motions, sliding motions, scrolling motions, and/or other behavior,” which might be for a compact device that can offer additional screen real estate. Unfortunately, it is still too early to tell what this display technology is actually for. Apple might just include it in a product apart from the iPhone as well. So stay tuned for more updates.
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