Microsoft has recently filed patent filing from the company details a clamshell device concept whose hinge is filled with a liquid or gas to reduce strain on a foldable display and prevent debris from getting inside both sore points for foldables as of late. You could close this shut without worrying quite so much about wear and tear.
Notably, the patent comes from Microsoft’s technology licensing team. That suggests this isn’t necessarily reserved for a specific device, or even Microsoft devices in general. Instead, Microsoft might license the technology to other hardware makers as foldable screens become more practical.
Illustrations that show multiple concepts of a complex hinge assembly with structures to “prevent foreign materials from entering the hinge assembly / device.” Samsung had its own issues with debris getting underneath early units of the Galaxy Fold, and the company had to go back to the drawing board to figure out a way to fix the hardware. Microsoft clearly wants to avoid a similar scenario.
Microsoft is currently working closely with Intel and a number of OEMs to ready a new version of Windows, codenamed “Windows Lite,” that will run on foldable and dual-screen devices. This new Windows version will be targeted toward dual-screen and foldable hardware. Microsoft has also previously licensed some of its Surface Pro hinge work to partners.
Microsoft’s patent filings don’t reveal an exact device, although some of the company’s Surface hardware has been spotted in patent filings before. The Surface Studio appeared in a patent filing, and even Microsoft’s canceled Andromeda device was spotted in patents before the company moved to larger dual-screen prototypes. It’s unlikely that we’ll see a full Surface dual-screen device unveiling at Microsoft’s event in New York City next month.
