This has been a mixed year for Apple, both in terms of sales and in terms of lawsuits. Early this year apple managed to chuck Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 out of the German market through a patent violation lawsuit. This strategy adopted by Apple backfired against it when Motorola filed a similar lawsuit against them, which was also fought in Germany. Apple has always strived for customer satisfaction in the past and the same commitment has paved way for a new patent which aims at improving the shock absorbing capabilities of the iPhone.
The technology governing this newly filed patent has adopted a technology very similar to the release of air bags in a car. The system governing this technology has been termed as a shock mount system. The system is carefully placed between the display and the body of the phone. This protective layer can then be inflated in case the device senses a drop; the aim here is to reduce the damage. Apple certainly believes that this problem is worth addressing given how the thickness of a gadget is reducing as every year passes.
The patent says “In general the thicker the glass, the stronger it is”. In handheld devices however the thickness of the glass cover is reduced to a bare minimum. This makes the device susceptible to increased damage. Taking the case of dropping a device onto the floor the patent explains that, devices with smaller form factors bare increased levels of compressive stress and are thus vulnerable to greater levels of damage.
The solution proposed by Apple involves the use of special pads placed underneath the glass. These pads are designed to absorb the shock and hence keep essential device components protected. This design also allows the replacement of these pads without disturbing the important components. The above feature will be very helpful during repairs. There has been a similar patent filed by Amazon, which provides the detailed description of the “Air Bag” technology and how it can be implemented on a mobile phone.
Apple also said that this new technology could be implemented with a reorientation system that would enable a gadget to adjust its position when it senses a free fall or a drop. This would make the essential areas of a gadget less sensitive to damage and will thus add to the value of the product. The only thing that Apple now needs to worry about is whether Amazon will file a lawsuit against them.
