Apple advances foldable screen with ‘self-healing elastomer’

Cupertino, California – Apple has been granted a patent for self-healing screens, using elastomer layers to protect flexible displays on its devices.

The US patent concerns ‘electronic devices with flexible display cover layers’, described Apple in its latest review of granted patents, issued 28 May.

The foldable screen, it said, includes an elastomeric layer covered by a ‘self-healing material’, which helps to minimise scratches and dents to the display.

According to Apple's patent review, the layer has the ability to repair itself automatically, without any prompting.

“When the self-healing coating is dented, the material of the coating may fill the dent even without external intervention,” said Apple.

Alternatively, the self-healing could be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus, it added.

To use external stimulus, the electronics major said the display includes transparent conductors that form a heating component for the cover layer.