Apple may have canceled its Apple Car project, but the company is still being granted patents for automotive technology. The latest is for “reinforced windows.”
About the patent
It’s obviously for a safety feature. Retractable windows allow passage of light into a structure and additionally allow passage of air into and out of the structure when opened. The windows may also hinder objects moving from inside to outside the structure.
While conventional retractable side windows include glass panels having edges that form the outer periphery of the window and which directly engage a vehicle body structure when closed, the window assemblies disclosed in Apple’s patent includes reinforcement structures that are coupled to and extend along the perimeter of a laminated panel.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent: “A laminated panel that includes a first glass layer, a second glass layer, a polymer layer, and a reinforcement. The polymer layer extends between the first glass layer and the second glass layer. The reinforcement is configured to hold the polymer layer in tension. Additionally, the reinforcement is coupled to the first glass layer and the second glass layer. The reinforcement also includes an internal member and an external member that surrounds the internal member.”
