Apple and Liquidmetal scientists today have been granted a patent (U.S. Patent 8485245) on “Bulk amorphous alloy sheet forming processes” by adopting a float glass process – commonly used for the production of window glass in bulk – and optimizing it for the production of bulk metallic glass (BMG).
This new process invention could enable Liquidmetal production on a massive scale: “A float plant, which operates non-stop for between 10-15 years, could make around 6000 kilometers of BMG glass a year in thicknesses of 0.1 mm to 25 mm, more preferably 0.4 mm to 15 mm and in widths up to 3 meters, for example,” the patent filing states.
Inventors listed, plus where they work in brackets:
• Prest, Christopher D. (Cupertino, CA, US) – [Apple]
• Poole, Joseph C. (Cupertino, CA, US) [Apple]
• Stevick, Joseph (Glendora, CA, US) [Liquidmetal]
• Waniuk, Theodore Andrew (Lake Forest, CA, US) [Liquidmetal]
• Pham, Quoc Tran (Anaheim, CA, US) [Liquidmetal]
The patent filing also states, verbatim:
The embodiments herein can be valuable in the fabrication of electronic devices using a BMG. An electronic device herein can refer to any electronic device known in the art. For example, it can be a telephone, such as a cell phone, and a land-line phone, or any communication device, such as a smart phone, including, for example an iPhone™, and an electronic email sending/receiving device. It can be a part of a display, such as a digital display, a TV monitor, an electronic-book reader, a portable web-browser (e.g., iPad™), and a computer monitor. It can also be an entertainment device, including a portable DVD player, conventional DVD player, Blue-Ray [sic] disk player, video game console, music player, such as a portable music player (e.g., iPod™), etc. It can also be a part of a device that provides control, such as controlling the streaming of images, videos, sounds (e.g., Apple TV™), or it can be a remote control for an electronic device. It can be a part of a computer or its accessories, such as the hard drive tower housing or casing, laptop housing, laptop keyboard, laptop track pad, desktop keyboard, mouse, and speaker. The article can also be applied to a device such as a watch or a clock.
Read more in the filing here.
MacDailyNews Take: Boom?
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