Microsoft Patent Application Shows Foldable Tablet With Self-Regulating Hinge

A patent application from Microsoft shows a tablet with two screens that are connected by hinges so that the device can be closed. The design that the company has come up with matches that of a Microsoft device that has been rumored before.

The images of the patent application, which MSPoweruser writes about, show a tablet with two screens that can be completely flipped. In that respect, the design corresponds to that of the Lenovo Yoga Book. However, Microsoft is thinking of a two-hinged gear system. The description states that the hinge is ‘self-regulating’ and that the degree of rotation about the one hinge axis corresponds to that about the second hinge axis. This should probably make the hinge more stable and ensure that both screens remain in the correct proportion in relation to the connector.

The drawings show the tablet fully folded with both the screens inwards and outwards. When folded open, one side can be used as a virtual keyboard for laptop-like operation. The tablet can also be seen in ‘tent mode’, with the date and time on it.

The device shown is relatively small and the images do not show a stylus. Yet the design is quite similar to that of the ‘Andromeda’. Microsoft is rumored to be working on this notepad-like dual-screen device earlier this year. The Andromeda could call and come with a pen. Microsoft would consider a release in 2018, but it wouldn’t be certain that the device will actually come out yet. In any case, there is always a chance that patent applications will never lead to actual products.