Today, the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals an invention that will provide service personnel with an apparatus to disassemble an iDevice such as an iPhone or iPad with ease.

Apple's Patent Background

Electronic devices often include multiple portions that are coupled together during assembly thereof. Such assembly may include certain fastening methods and mechanisms that may not be easily reversible. Accordingly, such devices may not be configured for disassembly using conventional techniques and methods.

For example, certain electronic devices may include a first separable portion and a second separable portion that may be bonded or adhered together. By way of further example, an electronic device may include a cover panel (e.g., cover glass) adhered to a housing via pressure sensitive adhesive. Further, the configuration of the engagement between the cover panel and the housing may make it difficult to pry apart or otherwise separate the housing from the cover panel using conventional tools.

Such disassembly may be desirable in that it may allow for repair of the electronic device. Alternatively, disassembly may allow for removal and reuse of components of the electronic device in other electronic devices. Accordingly, despite challenges associated with disassembly, such disassembly may be desirable.

Apple Invention: A Disassembly Fixture, Apparatus for iDevices

Apple's invention covers a disassembly apparatus that may include first and second disassembly fixtures which are configured to respectively engage first and second separable portions of an electronic device. For example, the first disassembly fixture may engage a cover panel of the electronic device and the second disassembly fixture may engage a housing of the electronic device. Engagement therebetween may occur via use of suction. In this regard, the first and second disassembly fixtures may include engagement bodies with suction effectors coupled thereto that facilitate engagement with a respective portion of the electronic device. Thereby, when an actuator is actuated to produce a separation force, the separable portions of the electronic device may separate.

In certain embodiments the suction effectors may comprise channels in the face of the engagement bodies and a sealing member may extend around the perimeter of the channels such that a large surface area is employed to apply suction to a respective portion of the electronic device. Further, body heaters may heat the engagement bodies to assist in releasing, for example, pressure sensitive adhesive. Localized heaters, positioned at particular locations at which the pressure sensitive adhesive is located, may further assist in loosening the pressure sensitive adhesive by briefly and locally heating the electronic device to a great temperature than the temperature at which the body heater heats the electronic device. Further, use of linear separation of the first and second separable portions may reduce bending of the cover panel, which could damage the cover panel and/or other components.

Apple's patent FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a side view of a disassembly apparatus configured to hingedly disassemble an electronic device, prior to disassembly; FIG. 4 schematically illustrates the disassembly apparatus of FIG. 3, after disassembly of the electronic device; FIG. 5 illustrates an overhead view of an engagement body of the disassembly apparatus of FIG. 3 including a plurality of suction effectors respectively in communication a connector aperture; and FIG. 6 noted above schematically illustrates a sectional view through a disassembly fixture including an embodiment of the engagement body of FIG. 5 along line 6/7-6/7 in which the suction effectors comprise round apertures.

Apple notes that in certain embodiments the suction effectors may comprise channels in the face of the engagement bodies and a sealing member may extend around the perimeter of the channels such that a large surface area is employed to apply suction to a respective portion of the electronic device.

Further, body heaters may heat the engagement bodies to assist in releasing pressure sensitive adhesive. Localized heaters, positioned at particular locations at which the pressure sensitive adhesive is located, may further assist in loosening the pressure sensitive adhesive by briefly and locally heating the electronic device to a great temperature than the temperature at which the body heater heats the electronic device. Thereby, issues with respect to heating the components of the electronic device beyond a temperature at which damage occurs may be avoided. In this regard, for example, magnets may lose magnetism when heated beyond a threshold temperature.

Patent Credits

Apple credits Drew Podges as the sole inventor of patent application 20150271961 which was originally filed in Q1 2014. Considering that this is a patent application, the timing of such a product to market is unknown at this time.

Patently Apple presents a detailed summary of patent applications with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each such patent application is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trade Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any patent application should be read in its entirety for full and accurate details. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Comments are reviewed daily from 5am to 6pm MST and sporadically over the weekend.