Apple has been granted another patent (number 10,637,017) for a “flexible battery structure” that hints at either/both “bendable” iPhones and iPads or devices with batteries less likely to be damaged if dropped.
In the patent data, the company notes that batteries often take up a lof of space in a portable electronic device. As devices have grown increasingly more power hungry, greater amounts of space need to be dedicated to accommodate space for the batteries.
In addition to taking up space, the batteries are also often quite rigid, often making placement of the batteries in portions of a device designed to bend impractical. Apple says that, for this reason, it would be desirable to have a flexible or semi-flexible battery for use with a portable electronic device.
Here’s the summary of the invention: “A number of different battery cell configurations are disclosed. Flexible battery cells are used to form a flexible structure capable of bending and flexing to accommodate movement of components of an electronic device. In some embodiments, the flexible battery cells can include cathode and anode layers joined together by a separator.”
