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SamsungPatent applicationPhones & computersInterest 6/10

Samsung patents foldable phone hinge design to protect screen

Samsung describes a design for foldable devices that uses a support plate with a specific indentation to create extra space for the screen when folded. An elastic material sits between the screen and this plate to cushion the bending area. This structure aims to reduce stress on the flexible display during folding and unfolding.

Why it mattersFoldable phones are sensitive to wear, so any improvement to how the screen bends could make these devices more durable for daily use.

In the filing’s own words

A foldable electronic device is provided. The foldable electronic device includes a housing including a first housing part and a second housing part, a flexible display disposed on the first housing part and the second housing part, the flexible display including a bending region configured to be bent in a folded state of the foldable electronic device, a hinge assembly disposed under the flexible display, the hinge assembly rotatably connecting the second housing part to the first housing part, a support plate coupled to the hinge assembly, the support plate including a recess facing the bending region, wherein a portion of the bending region is disposed in a space provided by the recess in the folded state, and an elastic member disposed between the bending region and the support plate.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A foldable electronic device comprising: a housing including a first housing part and a second housing part; a flexible display disposed on the first housing part and the second housing part, the flexible display including a bending region configured to be bent in a folded state of the foldable electronic device; a hinge assembly disposed under the flexible display, the hinge assembly rotatably connecting the second housing part to the first housing part; a support plate coupled to the hinge assembly, the support plate including a recess facing the bending region, wherein a portion of the bending region is disposed in a space provided by the recess in the folded state; and an elastic member disposed between the bending region and the support plate.

Facts

Company
Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
Official title
ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING STRUCTURE FOR REDUCING DAMAGE TO FLEXIBLE DISPLAY
Publication number
US20260281223A1
Application number
19674681
Filed
May 12, 2026
Published
Sep 17, 2026
Inventors
2
Claims
20

Classified under

H04M 1/0268 Electricity & electronicsH04M 1/022 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.