Microsoft is working on a foldable device; at least according to a patent filed by the company. The upcoming foldable will feature a new hinge design to give it enough flexibility for multiple form factors.
The special ‘self-regulating hinge’ gives the unit enough strength to keep the device propped up in laptop mode, stiff enough for a full tablet mode and flexible enough for it to be turned into a tent mode. Which really isn’t anything out of the ordinary for a foldable laptop.
In the patent filing, the official explanation on how the hinge works are as follows:
“A pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies rotatably securing hinge ends of the first and second portions around a first hinge axis associated with the first portion and a second hinge axis associated with the second hinge axis so that an extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to an extent of rotation around the second hinge axis.”
The patent was granted recently, but the filing date was made a year ago. Microsoft may have been at work on this device longer than that. We may or may not see this patent become reality, as many projects goes offline with and without explanation. We do hope this will become a real device as innovation is always appreciated in the tech world.
(Source: MSPowerUser via Neowin)
