Keeping internal components clean is essential for maintaining the performance of a smartphone. The challenge of keeping dust and dirt out is even greater for foldable devices, as their designs include microscopic gaps between the body and the hinge.
In this second installment of a two-part series on the Galaxy Z Flip’s Hideaway Hinge, we will take a look at another key innovation, which helps to protect the device from dust and dirt – the sweeper technology.
Sweeper Technology
In designing the Galaxy Z Flip’s hinge, Samsung engineers not only had to account for the spaces between the body and the hinge, but also meet three specific conditions: Elasticity (to account for shifts in the gap size); long-lasting flexibility (the hinge is tested to withstand 200,000 folds1); and slimness (to keep the device’s sleek form factor).
Finding a solution that protected against particles and met those conditions meant dozens and dozens of failed prototypes. But then, one of Samsung’s top engineers noticed that the way fibers were used in vacuum cleaners was similar to what was required for the Hideaway Hinge. The sweeper fibers were not only pliable enough to cover all the gaps as the smartphone folds and unfolds, they also remained flexible after long-term usage.
Now let’s take a look at how Samsung engineers overcame all those challenges and what the outcome of their efforts looks like.
1 200K folds based on internal testing conducted by Samsung, results may vary.