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Recently, according to a list recently announced by the U.S. Trademark and Patent Office, Apple has obtained a related technology patent for folding screens, which introduces a method of using chemical treatment to prevent glass from cracking when manufacturing flexible textured glass.
Foldable Display Patent: Apple’s Innovative Technology for Compact Electronic Devices
The patent granted by Apple describes an electronic device that could be equipped with a foldable case that allows the device to fold and unfold around a curved axis. Flexible displays can be installed in foldable housings and have an array of pixels forming a display panel. The display panel can flex along a bending axis when the device is folded.
The display panel displays images through a transparent cover layer, which is formed from a glass layer. Elongated grooves or other recesses are formed in the glass layer to allow the covering to bend. The recesses are locally thinned portions that allow the cover to flex as the folding device opens and closes.
Polymer is placed in the recesses to help flatten the inside of the display overlay. To enhance wetting and adhesion of the polymer, as well as reduce reflections, the inner surface of the thinned portion of the display cover can be provided with a rough texture. The thinned portion has a variable thickness portion that transitions between a minimum thinned portion thickness and a maximum display layer thickness.
Apple’s patent drawings are shown below. Figure 1 below shows the devices to which this patent can be applied, including cellular phones, tablets, laptops, etc. Figure 2 is an illustration of a perspective view of an electronic device, where the device is a portable electronic device with a display that folds on itself. Placing the device in a folded configuration in this way can help make the device more compact so that it can be stored efficiently.
Paving the Way for the Future: Apple’s Strategic Move in the Folding Screen Market
When the user needs to view an image on the display, the device can be pivoted to place the device in a variety of devices as shown in Figure 1. This allows the monitor to lie flat, allowing users to view flat images on the monitor. Folding the display onto itself gives the device the ability to fold inwards. A sufficiently flexible display could allow the device to fold outward or inward.
Summary: Although Apple does not have folding screen products in its current product lineup, with the folding screen market booming and competitors such as Samsung and Huawei successively launching folding screen products, Apple’s move is undoubtedly paving the way for the future. . Regardless of whether Apple decides to launch foldable products, preparing patents in advance is a positive response.