Apple has invented an automated iPhone bumper system that doubles as a flotation device, with retractable shock absorbers made from buoyant materials. The invention is detailed in a patent that was first published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week.
Entitled “Electronic device housing,” the patent describes a protective system that integrated into the iPhone’s design, rather than an add-on bumper case. Using the iPhone’s sensors to detect drops, the device automatically deploys spring-loaded, buoyant shock absorbers.
The “cushions,” which could be made of foam, plastic, or rubber, shoot out from the device’s housing on rods during a drop, preventing the handset itself from coming into contact with the ground and other surfaces. Apple envisions four of them on each corner.
“Because they are buoyant, the bumper cushions also serve as a precautionary measure against accidents involving water or other liquids,” explains AppleInsider. Unlike broken screens, liquid damage cannot be easily repaired, often ruining a number of internal components.
However, buoyant bumpers could prevent liquid damage from becoming a problem altogether by allowing the iPhone to float above the liquids surface.
It seems unlikely Apple would implement a system like this now, because it would almost certainly come with design trade-offs the company wouldn’t want to make. But it demonstrates Apple’s continued exploration into protective systems for mobile devices.
It seems more likely Apple would instead find new ways to make its devices more robust, like adopting Motorola’s ShatterShield technology, as we suggested yesterday. It could also make changes to make iPhones and iPads water resistant.
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