Apple has been granted a patent that refers to “self-healing” technology for devices such as foldable smartphones.
The patent describes methods for both minimizing damage to foldable devices and repairing damage when it occurs. The patent shows that the device has a hinge that allows bending on a bending axis. In order to bend around the bending axis without damage, the display may contain a display overlay with a flexible portion.
The patent refers to a display cover layer that may have self-healing properties. This material could cover the entire display cover or just the flexible areas of the display cover. In the patent, Apple states: “During operation of an electronic device, the display cover layer of the electronic device may be scratched or dented. To enhance the aesthetics of the electronic device, it is desirable to minimise the presence of scratches and dents. To help mitigate the number of dents, scratches, or other defects in the display cover layer, the display cover layer may contain a layer of self-healing material.”
Apple says in the patent that self-healing can take place without prompting and without external intervention, or the process can be initiated or accelerated by applying an external stimulus. The patent suggests that the covering layer could be made of an “elastomer” to further increase flexibility, and that self-healing could be initiated or accelerated by “externally applied heat, light, electricity or another type of external stimulus”. Self-healing can also have control circuits configured in such a way that it will be activated according to a pre-determined schedule.
Apple says the technology could be used in everything from “computing devices like laptops” to mobile phones and even “smaller devices like watch devices, pendant devices, wearables or other types of miniature devices”.
while Apple has yet to launch a foldable smartphone, its rivals Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi have already launched such devices in the market, and from the large number of patents that have come to light, it is clear that Apple is definitely developing a similar device, but it is just not ready to launch it yet.
