Apple interested in creating colorful, durable carbon fiber devices
Future devices from Apple could be built with a super-durable and light material like carbon fiber, but could also be available in a variety of colors thanks to a composite laminate surface.
Apple's concept for coloring carbon or even glass fiber devices was revealed this week in a patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and discovered by AppleInsider. Entitled "Composite Laminate having an Improved Cosmetic Surface and Method of Making Same," it describes a composite laminate placed over the frame of the device, including a "scrim layer," to allow a product like a MacBook Pro to be painted a variety of colors.
The application notes that carbon fiber composites offer many benefits, as they can serve as a strong, lightweight housing for electronic equipment. But carbon fiber composites are also typically black, and the fibers themselves are usually visible on the surface of the device.
Additionally, Apple said the fibers of such material are usually variable in construction, offering a varied appearance on the surface. As a result, carbon fiber can feature cosmetic imperfections that would reduce the aesthetic appearance of a device.
"Further, carbon fiber composites, often being black, provide a narrow range of surface appearance to the molded article and therefore may give a 'tired,' unexciting look," the application reads.
Apple's solution is a composite laminate that includes a plurality of sheets that could be colored. These sheets would be formed of fibers pre-impregnated with resin.
The composite laminate surface placed on the outside of the device could allow it to retain a color, and an exterior scrim layer would give a device enclosure a "consistent and pleasing cosmetic surface," Apple said.
The underlying sheets of "prepreg," which can be stacked to allow varying levels of thickness, would be fused together during the molding process of a device's external casing. The sheets made of woven fibers are impregnated with a resin to give it color.
The application, made public this week, was first filed in September of 2009. The proposed invention is credited to John Difonzo and Chris Ligtenberg.
Apple has shown interest in adopting carbon fiber for its devices for years. As far back as 2008, the company was said to be looking at the possibility of using carbon fiber to build a lighter MacBook Air, though those plans never panned out.
The company's continued interest in carbon fiber was demonstrated in a patent application in 2009 in a 9-page filing. In fact, the latest 8-page application made public this week is a division of that separate filing, first made in October of 2007.
And last year, yet another patent filing showed a new iPad with a carbon fiber reinforced housing. That application likely helped to fuel rumors that the iPad 2 would have a carbon fiber body, though the final shipping product stuck with an aluminum exterior.
In the iPad application, Apple described molding a supportive spine to a carbon fiber skin for a unique implementation of the material, in order to address issues where carbon fiber can crack or break if bent or rolled in a certain way. The company noted that devices with a metal back are durable, but can be heavier and more expensive.
Apple's concept for coloring carbon or even glass fiber devices was revealed this week in a patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and discovered by AppleInsider. Entitled "Composite Laminate having an Improved Cosmetic Surface and Method of Making Same," it describes a composite laminate placed over the frame of the device, including a "scrim layer," to allow a product like a MacBook Pro to be painted a variety of colors.
The application notes that carbon fiber composites offer many benefits, as they can serve as a strong, lightweight housing for electronic equipment. But carbon fiber composites are also typically black, and the fibers themselves are usually visible on the surface of the device.
Additionally, Apple said the fibers of such material are usually variable in construction, offering a varied appearance on the surface. As a result, carbon fiber can feature cosmetic imperfections that would reduce the aesthetic appearance of a device.
"Further, carbon fiber composites, often being black, provide a narrow range of surface appearance to the molded article and therefore may give a 'tired,' unexciting look," the application reads.
Apple's solution is a composite laminate that includes a plurality of sheets that could be colored. These sheets would be formed of fibers pre-impregnated with resin.
The composite laminate surface placed on the outside of the device could allow it to retain a color, and an exterior scrim layer would give a device enclosure a "consistent and pleasing cosmetic surface," Apple said.
The underlying sheets of "prepreg," which can be stacked to allow varying levels of thickness, would be fused together during the molding process of a device's external casing. The sheets made of woven fibers are impregnated with a resin to give it color.
The application, made public this week, was first filed in September of 2009. The proposed invention is credited to John Difonzo and Chris Ligtenberg.
Apple has shown interest in adopting carbon fiber for its devices for years. As far back as 2008, the company was said to be looking at the possibility of using carbon fiber to build a lighter MacBook Air, though those plans never panned out.
The company's continued interest in carbon fiber was demonstrated in a patent application in 2009 in a 9-page filing. In fact, the latest 8-page application made public this week is a division of that separate filing, first made in October of 2007.
And last year, yet another patent filing showed a new iPad with a carbon fiber reinforced housing. That application likely helped to fuel rumors that the iPad 2 would have a carbon fiber body, though the final shipping product stuck with an aluminum exterior.
In the iPad application, Apple described molding a supportive spine to a carbon fiber skin for a unique implementation of the material, in order to address issues where carbon fiber can crack or break if bent or rolled in a certain way. The company noted that devices with a metal back are durable, but can be heavier and more expensive.
Comments
Sounds like Apple covering their bases from when that one carbon fiber Sony laptop was new.
Hmmmm looking at my simple and minimal iMac with it's effortless stylish aluminium unibody exterior, then I glance over at the complicated heavy layered plastic iMac G5 and wonder why Apple would want to start paining and adding layers to stuff.
It's the environmental aspect too. Can't beat aluminium and glass for recyclability. Sure, call me brainwashed but remember all that hype about e-waste? Well, it's all the rest of the world churning out all these rubbish plastic clunky bloatware-ridden laptops and now, crapblets. Instant landfill, they are.
Hmm, Apple's Materials Scientists need to start looking for 'durable' rather than 'strong' when researching materials for making cases for phones from. Just watch any YouTube clip of a typical Formula One accident and you'll see that on impact the carbon fibre shatters into thousands of fragments because while strong, they are brittle. Haven't they learned that with the glass backs of the iP4?
iPads rarely crash at hundreds of kilometres an hour though.
Why is wallpapering a rough surface a new invention?
They are talking about something more complicated, but the excessive use of boiler plate explanation text in the article kind of confuses the issue.
The article mentions colouring the outside layer that smooths off the product a bit too often, (even though this is already done by others and not really the invention per se.) It looks to me like Apple is talking about colouring multiple layers of fibre (that may or may not be "carbon fibre"), and laminating that lamination onto the carbon fibre layers during the manufacturing process, giving it a deeper layer of integrated colour and thus avoiding the cosmetic problems that lead other to make their products black.
Combined with the other process (with the frame) to make the product shell stiffer and more durable, it could be a complete solution for something like an iPad shell. They may never come out with one, but it's nice to know they are still researching it.
Aluminium is a bad material for hand-held wireless devices. Options are always good.
iPads rarely crash at hundreds of kilometres an hour though.
Statement of the week!
Just watch any YouTube clip of a typical Formula One accident and you'll see that on impact the carbon fibre shatters into thousands of fragments because while strong, they are brittle.
It's the fiberglass bodywork you see shatter; the carbon composite monocoque remains intact at high speed impacts and protects the driver. All that brittle stuff you see flying around is designed to break off, only the cell protecting the driver remains intact.
.tsooJ
Apple's concept for coloring carbon or even glass fiber devices was revealed this week in a patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
Samsung, I'm watching you, don't do it, if you debut a copycat CF iPhone, iPad or MBA, I'm gonna write some very, very bad things about you.
Filed in aught nine, huh?
Sounds like Apple covering their bases from when that one carbon fiber Sony laptop was new.
This is just the patent on coloring the fibers. The first one for using carbon fiber was 2 years earlier
This exact process has been done in the Automative, Marine, and aircraft business for the last 20 years.... I see no way it could be a valid patent,
was it done with carbon fiber and done by coloring the fibers before construction as is said in this patent.
If the answer is no to either then that's how it is a valid patent
Beware small carbon fibers in your flesh. They become very painful.
The resins are also very nasty when uncured. Definitely not something I would want around me for hours a day! Manufacuring this stuff is NOT fun, a messy process.