Core77

Apple Patents Glass Fusing and Machining Technology

By Rain Noe - July 10, 2014

in Materials

Never mind Google Glass, let's talk Apple glass. While Apple files manufacturing patents all of the time, the one that fansite Apple Insider discovered was filed on Monday just caught our eye: U.S. Patent No. 8,773,848, which covers "Fused glass device housings."

The patent describes a manufacturing process whereby glass pieces can be fused together and subsequently machined. This isn't solely to create seamless monolithic objects, as the company envisions creating raised glass protrusions to break up the surface at points. In addition, they're even talking about adding internal support ribs, taking a page from plastics' book. Here are some of the relevant points:

A rounded edge feature may be formed by machining the thickened edge.

Raised fused glass features may surround openings in the planar glass member.

Multiple planar glass members may be fused together to form a five-sided box in which electronic components may be mounted.

Raised support structure ribs may be formed by fusing glass structures to a planar glass member.

Opaque masking material and colored glass may be used to create portions of the glass housing structures that hide internal device components from view.

While sapphire appears to be what's going in the next generation of iPhones, it will be interesting to see what they might produce using fused glass in future—and how these devices may be truly impossible to open.

o

Favorite This
Q
5

Comment

Comments

Jason

10 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Aren't Apple patent drawings usually a little bit nicer? And by "nicer" I mean not like a blind drunk dude scribbling on a napkin?
My favorites are the first one and fig.12.
!Report as spam
Mike G

10 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Without reading the patents in detail, I would not be surprised if these are intended to be used for fusing Liquidmetal, an alloy that is very similar to glass.

Also, it would be very interesting to see how a Liquidmetal chassis holds up in drop and abrasion testing compared to Apple's usual Aluminum Chassis.
!Report as spam
Daniel Louder

10 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

You could always, you know, not buy it if you don't like stuff that can't be repaired.

That said, a fused glass aquarium would be amazing.
!Report as spam
Tom Mc

10 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I love when companies make it so nothing can be repaired on a product!
!Report as spam
J.Eriksson

10 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Don't be deceived! Its actually a patent for an aquarium with an electric pump.

BS US Patent.
!Report as spam