Huawei could be working on a foldable phone that could be equipped with a cover that could be attached to the device, according to a patent document published on the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) website. Images of the purported handset suggest that it could arrive as a tri-fold foldable phone, with the outermost panel doubling as a protective cover when it is shut. The company recently launched the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Design as the world’s first commercially available tri-fold phone.

Huawei Patent Document Points to Foldable With Attached Cover 

A patent document on CNIPA discovered by 91Mobiles describes a foldable device, such as a smartphone or a tablet, that includes a protective case. The folding device is said to have two parts that are connected with a hinge, that can be unfolded and folded. The document appears to be discussing a phone with two panels that can form a larger display.

The device in Huawei’s patent document features a fixed frame, along with an attached cover that is designed to be flexible, as it is supposed to wrap around the flexible portion of the foldable device, when it is shut. However, the description states that the cover will have a slim design, in order to lower the overall footprint of the handset.

 According to the details available in the document, Huawei’s protective case could provide protection to the device, as it wraps around the part of the display that bends. The foldable is said to have an S-shaped design when it is shut, and the protective cover is said to have a transparent portion that can be used to view the contents of the screen when the device is shut.

Huawei’s patent document also describes the use of magnetic components in the device to allow the bending parts of the foldable to connect to metal parts inside it. In is currently unclear how these components would function, but the document clearly states that the purpose of the third component is to protect the display.

While Gadgets 360 was able to confirm the presence of the patent document on the CNIPA website, there’s no telling whether a device with this technology will be launched by the company in the future. Like other inventions described in patent documents, the company could change how the technology works before it is incorporated into future devices.