Apple receives new patent on a hinge for foldable devices | Infinium-tech

Over the past few years, Apple has been issued various patents for the design of foldable devices, but none have yet actually been produced (and its first foldable is being delayed). The latest patent (issued today) is US 12,164,344 or “Hinges for folding display device”.

The patent describes a series of interconnected links that are made up of interconnected “fingers” and a friction clutch. A key part of the patent is using crescent-shaped slots, which allow each link to rotate relative to the others – crucially, this moves the axis of rotation outside the links.

Schematics from Apple’s patent on hinges for folding display devices

The patent is written quite broadly, stating that this hinge could be applied to phones, tablets, laptops or even watches and other wearable devices. This is probably just Apple covering all its bases. Still, it is unclear whether this is a new and improved version of the previous hinges that Apple has patented or whether they will co-exist and be used in different devices.

Anyway, the patent explains how the fingers, pin, and gear interact to create a small but capable clutch that will provide the desired amount of friction, allowing the hinge to keep the device bent at a required angle. The gear is needed to ensure that both sides of the hinge rotate the same amount.

Hinge in open and folded position

Apple is reportedly working on a flip-style iPhone and larger iPad/MacBook foldables as its first foldable devices. Either way, the company is facing “technical challenges” in designing the display and mechanical components (like the hinge), as noted by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Source (PDF)