A little-known U.S. firm just lobbed a grenade into Samsung’s foldable phone empire. Lepton Computing LLC filed suit on April 23 in the Eastern District of Texas, case number 2:26-cv-00338, accusing Samsung Electronics Co. and Samsung Electronics America Inc. of infringing nine patents essential to the Galaxy Z Fold, Z Flip, and even the upcoming Z TriFold devices. The complaint demands damages, royalties, and—a permanent injunction blocking U.S. sales of these flagships. Justia Dockets lists the filing starkly: patent infringement under 35 U.S.C. § 271. Lepton isn’t some fly-by-night operator. Founder Stephen Delaporte started tinkering with foldable concepts in 2008, building prototypes like the Lepton Flex—the self-proclaimed first U.S.-made foldable smartphone. By 2013, the company says it pitched ideas directly to Samsung executives, sharing prototypes and specs. Samsung pushed ahead anyway, Lepton claims, launching the Galaxy Fold in 2019. Patents at issue include U.S.…