Apple’s New Foldable Patent: A Self-Healing Screen

On May 21, 2024, Apple revealed a new patent for a foldable electronic device with a ‘self-healing’ screen. This screen can fix small scratches and dents on its own without help. It can speed up the repair process using heat, light, or electricity.

If heat is used, a special layer in the screen can be activated to restore it. The patent doesn’t say which device will have this feature, so it could be in various products like phones, tablets, laptops, and more. People are already talking about a foldable iPhone, but it could be used in other things too.

The user can turn on the heating layer with a button or touch command, maybe through a specific setting or app. They could even schedule the repair process, like setting an alarm, to let the screen fix itself while charging.

The patent, filed by a team including Hoon Sik Kim, Terry C. Lam, Chang-Chia Huang, Paul S. Drzaic, Yasmin F. Afsar, Young Cheol Yang, and Leiming Wang, describes a foldable device with a screen that goes across a hinge. This design has a flexible part that lets the device bend without breaking. A ‘transparent dielectric layer’ protects the screen, while small cuts filled with a matching material keep it clear and smooth.

The self-healing screen is meant to keep the display looking new by reducing damage. It can cover the whole screen or just the flexible part. An elastomer layer under the self-healing screen adds flexibility and strength, creating a double layer of protection.

Apple hasn’t said when this self-healing tech will be out or if it will be in a foldable iPhone, but the patent shows exciting possibilities for their future devices.