Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has secured a patent on curved glass according to information disclosed on Christmas Day by the U.S. patent office. The company has secured a patent for manufacturing curved glass which, the company says, is more cost effective.
The method, according to the company, will allow the manufacture of higher quality curved glass, and will reduce the waste from its manufacture. The new process involves a glass alignment system that moves away from the glass as the temperature rises. This opposes the most common contemporary system which involves a fixed alignment system.
According to Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) the new method will allow the construction of curved glass enclosures of a much higher quality. The process will, at the same time, reduce the amount of labor required to manufacture the enclosures, and therefore reduce the cost associated with their manufacture.
The patent, as highlighted by Appleinsider.com, does not necessarily mean that the next iPhone will invoke a curved glass enclosure most commonly associated with Samsung’s Galaxy Nexus. It simply means the company has experimented with creating these types of enclosures in the past.
It does not mean that the company will not pursue a handset that utilizes this technology either. What is clear is that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) now has the option to design devices that utilize this method for creating a convex glass enclosure.
According to AppleInsider, this process could be used to create convex glass enclosures large enough to form a thunderbolt display. If the company thought the design relevant, it could implement this type of design into almost anything in their product line.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has long been in pursuit of patents it will almost certainly never use. In this it is the same as most of the other technology companie s successful today. If it is possible, and the firm has already done it, why not patent it, as collateral against future need.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has claimed several patents on designs that were either possible inclusions in earlier devices or possible features of new devices. The company has also claimed patents on devices with no obvious connection with its line of products.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is not a computer company or a cell phone company. It is a technology company. That means the fir develops new technology to use and to sell in the future. The firm licenses dozens of patents. It may license its method for the production of curved glass in future.
This patent does conjure images of curved iPhones and iPads, something Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) may decide it is interested in in the future. It is difficult to predict the direction the company’s design principles may take in the coming years. In order to keep their products fresh, a curved enclosure may be an option.
The real implication of this patent is that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has, like most days, claimed another reality from the realm of the possible. the company might be able to use the technology, and might be able to license it to other firms. Apple gained an asset on Christmas Day.
