Design rigid, yet lighter than metal

Apple engineers appear to have been working to develop new housings using alternative materials such as carbon fiber, a method which was detailed in a patent filing recently published by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The "Reinforced Device Housing" patent, first filed in May 2009, describes a "layered fiber-in-matrix" material used to construct a spine attached to a carbon-fiber skin.

Although the patent wording suggests the housing construction could be used for a variety of devices, the included images show a design close to the iPad's aluminum housing. The skin could be formed from several carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) layers stacked atop each other in opposite directions, potentially with layers carved away near the corners.

"The combination of the robust bond and similar thermal expansion coefficient may permit the embodiment to resist cracking that could plague other housings," the application reads.

A carbon fiber housing would cut weight from the current iPad design, which relies on a significant quantity of aluminum to maintain rigidity. Apple has yet to confirm any plans to utilize such a method in its upcoming portable devices. [via AppleInsider]

by MacNN Staff