For years Apple has been synonymous with innovation, but for a long time now it has simply responded to technological advances, not caused or led by them. Now an Apple patent returns us to prototypes of folding models, only in this case there would be a differentiating element: would have self-healing capabilities.
The patent, filed with the US Patent and Trade Office (USPTO), describes a device with a self-healing foldable display and adds that it could be anything, from a laptop or tablet to a smartphone or monitor.
“During the operation of an electronic device – the patent states – the screen may be scratched or deformed. To improve the aesthetics of the electronic device, it can be It is desirable that the presence of scratches and deformations be minimized. To help mitigate the number of dents, scratches or other imperfections in a screen cover layer, the screen may include a layer of material with self-healing capabilities. This can be located on the entire device or only on the flexible part. The material may include a layer of elastomer in the flexible region.
The self-healing process can be initiated or accelerated by heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus. It is also added that the repair takes place during wired/wireless charging or at a predetermined time. This would be a good idea for foldable phone screens, as their nature makes them more prone to scratches than conventional glass screens.
It is worth emphasizing that this is just a patent, so there is no guarantee that Apple will bring this technology to a future foldable device or how important the repairability of the material will be.