The process describes a way to move the glass mold in-process in order to change the shape of the glass without cracking or weakening the material.
December 28, 2012, 9:32 a.m.
Is the scene being set for the next mega-battle between Samsung and Apple? Mere days after Samsung announced it will be showing off its flexible, bendable display technology at CES 2013, Apple has been granted a patent for — you guessed it — bending glass.
Apple’s patent doesn’t cover flexible screens, though, and it does not preclude other companies from developing products with curved displays. Instead, it simply details a novel method for bending glass during the “slumping” process of glass manufacturing.
Apple’s process describes a way to move the glass mold in-process in order to dynamically change the shape of the glass without cracking or weakening the material. The patent says the process could be used to create glass covers for portable electronics and larger displays alike.
Does that mean we’ll see crazily curved MacBooks and iPhones before the year is out? Don’t count on it. For one thing, Apple applies for and is granted a dozen-plus patents week in and week out, covering a wide range of applications and device types. Many of these patents are never actually used in consumer products.
This story was originally written for LAPTOP and is republished with permission here. Copyright 2012 LAPTOP.
The process describes a way to move the glass mold in-process in order to change the shape without cracking or weakening the material.