Samsung has been granted their first patent for a future foldable version of their Galaxy Note smartphone. While Samsung was granted a patent back in June 2019 for a Foldable Galaxy Z-Flip-like Smartphone using an S-Pen, it wasn't a foldable Galaxy Note smartphone. Samsung's recently granted patent clearly illustrates a classic S-Pen receiver with the pen being inserted as noted below in a series of patent figures.
Future Foldable version of the Galaxy Note
Samsung's patent FIG. 37 above is a perspective view of a foldable smartphone. The figure illustrates the internal "pen receiver" for the S-Pen and that's made clearer in patent figures 38 and especially 42 where you see the S-Pen in a classic entry point.
In patent figures 39 and 40 below you're able to see the status of the S-Pen in locked and unlocked stages within a "pen fixing unit." In patent figures 43 and 44 you're able to see cross-sectional views of "pen fixer" units in a locked and unlocked state.
Samsung later notes that both restriction and the support units may be realized by using a motor. In patent FIG. 56 below you're able to see a block diagram illustrating an example where the restriction and the support units are realized by using a motor. A folding/unfolding detector #701 that is illustrated detects a folding/unfolding angle between both sides of the phone.
Samsung further notes that an optical sensor that directly detects a rotation angle of the first and second bodies is accomplished by using the light-detecting folding/unfolding detector.
As you can see, the foldable Galaxy Note design is only revealed deep into the patent and only starting a figure 37. Clearly they were trying to hide that portion of the invention.
A new Elastic Unit, Elastic Arm
The first half of Samsung's granted patent is trying to reinvent how the display is folded and protected beyond what is available today in the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung notes that although the flexible display device may be bendable, if the flexible display device is sharply bent, the flexible display device itself may be damaged. Hence, a curved portion having a predetermined curvature is formed at a center of the flexible display device when the flexible display device folds. In this case, however, "when the flexible display device is folded for a long time and then is unfolded, the curved portion may not be able to be spread flat."
When the display can't sit flat, users can see a clear bend point in the middle of the flexible display that is clearly noticeable when the phone is on a slight angle or when the display goes dark. Samsung's patent demonstrates their attempt to fix this visible issue.
One of the key aspects of this part of the invention of attempting to eliminate a strong folding mark, Samsung introduces a new "elastic unit" which includes an "elastic arm."
Samsung's elastic unit is designed to apply an elastic force to the first and second bodies of the smartphone. In the completely unfolded state, the elastic unit applies an elastic force to the first and second bodies so that the first and second bodies are spread flat. Due to the elastic force, a tensile force may be applied to the flexible display device #4 and the third part 4c of the flexible display device may be spread flat as presented in patent FIG. 5 below.
When the first and second bodies are in the unfolded position, the elastic arm #61 contacts the facing arm #62 and is elastically deformed, and thus applies an elastic force to the facing arm so that the first and second bodies are pushed into the unfolded position. Due to the elastic force of the elastic arm, the second body is forced to be spaced apart from the first body and thus the third part #4c of the flexible display device #4 is spread flat.
Samsung also spends time describing the use of another new component called the "restricting arm" that restricts movement of the movable frame to help keep the display rest flat.
At present it's unknown when or if Samsung will pull the trigger on a next-gen Foldable Galaxy Note smartphone. For now, Samsung has been granted such a patent which leaves the door wide open for them to take their Galaxy Note smartphone to the next level knowing it's legally protected.
Comments