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Apple Patent Claims to Eliminate Crease in Foldable Display
February 09, 2020

Apple Insider reported that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple a new patent that features a sophisticated hinge mechanism for “an electronic device that uses a flexible display.” The design’s highlight is a pair of components Apple calls “movable flaps” that prevent the display from being creased when folded — a common flaw found on the current group of foldable phones.  The movable flaps together make for a larger housing that buttresses the bendable screen. To minimize stress on the panel which is what ultimately causes creases to appear on such devices, the screen is slightly bowed slightly outward from the center, producing a curve instead of lying flat. When unfolded the flaps extend around the entire display to form a seamless surface as well as support the vulnerable middle section from underneath.