Honor’s latest patent hints at a multi-directional foldable device
Honor is developing a new foldable technology that makes it possible to create a device with a multi-directional folding display. Details of this technology have surfaced in a patent document showing how such a device would function. It is currently unclear whether Honor plans to launch a device with this technology in the future. While smartphones with clamshell and book-style folding screens have become popular, Huawei launched the first triple smartphone last month, and other companies including Honor are expected to follow suit.
A recent patent document has been published spotted from 91Mobiles shows how Honor’s multi-directional foldable phone would function. It relies on several components working together, including multiple hinge mechanisms, several housings for smaller parts, and a piece that connects the components in the middle.
The patent includes drawings showing the use of various display components
Photo credit: screenshot / CNIPA
The aforementioned hinge mechanisms are located on the back of the foldable screen, according to the details in the patent document. Being located in the middle, the attached displays can be folded along different axes depending on the number of hinges.
Honor also envisions using a single connector in the center of the device, which connects all the hinge mechanisms together. It folds mainly along two axes (widthwise and lengthwise), offering the benefits of a compact clamshell-style foldable phone, while also delivering a larger screen when needed, just like a book-style foldable phone .
To ensure that the device is flexible but durable, Honor’s patent document describes the use of materials such as rubber, fiber or metal. It also suggests specific designs for the center connector and component housings, to ensure the structural integrity of the device is protected.
It’s worth keeping in mind that manufacturers are finally confirming the arrival of triple-hinge smartphones, after years of single-hinge foldable phones. Such an advanced folding system could improve not only foldable phones, but also tablets, laptops or even wearables. However, keep in mind that it could take years for a device like the one mentioned in the patent to reach the market as a consumer product.
