Samsung patent shows a funky device with a rollable and foldable display with adjustable angle
We just want to start by saying that if it is not clear, this design can not be considered a serious indication of an actual product that is on the way. Companies like Samsung tend to patent a lot of things. Many of these patents do not actually lead to actual products, and that’s just part of the reason why the vast majority of such applications just fly under the radar. WO2021251775 submitted to WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) on 10.06.2021 and published openly online on 16.12.2021 is just too exciting not to.
The patent, entitled “ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT CAN BE PEOPLE AND SLIP OPERATIONS”, describes a device that apparently goes out of its way to bend a foldable screen in all sorts of ways. First, there is the scrollable aspect. It’s straightforward enough conceptual, though it’s not really something we’ve looked at other than prototypes yet. The idea is that you grab and pull one end of the screen and part of the body below the one that acts as a handle, and then pull more out of the same screen panel that was previously rolled up inside the body of the device. A larger screen, instantly when you need it and stored neatly when you don’t. Simple enough as a concept, but devilishly difficult to pull off for a variety of mechanical and structural reasons.
Perhaps the more interesting and confusing part of the design, though, is the way the screen can be folded. It appears that part of the panel opposite the roller mechanism has been “segmented off” in a way with a hinge underneath.
Hinge
The hinge appears to be able to slide along with the rest of the display when you roll it in or out of the body and use a total of four rollers. A design similar to that of the current Samsung foldable. This allows you to angle that part of the screen up and away from the body of the phone.
Angle adjustment
We assume that the hinge is torsion-based, like the current foldable use, which would give freedom when it comes to angle adjustment. It should be noted, however, that the design does not appear to include the ability to close the screen completely, with or without an air gap on top of itself. What you can apparently do is get the angled screen bit further in or out, depending on how far you have scrolled the other part of the screen.
Angle adjustment
The actual usefulness of such a form factor is probably the biggest question mark here. The scrollable screen bit is easy to understand and grasp. But why should you throw an angle-adjustable bit on top of that? Feel free to leave any interesting ideas you may have about the matter in the comments.
