Patents by Inventor Yasmin F. Afsar
Yasmin F. Afsar has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11961946Abstract: A foldable electronic device may have a foldable housing. The foldable housing may be configured to bend about a bend axis. First and second portions of the housing that rotate relative to each other may be coupled by a hinge that is aligned with the bend axis. A foldable display may be coupled to the foldable housing and may be configured to bend along the bend axis as the foldable housing is folded. The display may have an array of pixels supported by a metal layer. The pixels may be interposed between a display cover layer and the metal layer. The foldable housing may have a support layer. To help support the display for bending about the bend axis while preventing damage to the display when the display is contacted by an external object, a spring layer may be interposed between the metal layer and the support layer.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2021Date of Patent: April 16, 2024Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Chang-Chia Huang, Hoon Sik Kim, Paul S. Drzaic, Terry C. Lam, Yasmin F. Afsar, Zhichun Shao
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Patent number: 11846984Abstract: Protective cover layers for electronic devices are described. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a display panel and a protective cover layer over the display panel. The protective cover layer includes a transparent support substrate and a hardcoat layer covering an exterior facing surface of the transparent support substrate. The display panel may be a flexible display panel and the protective cover layer may flex with the flexible display panel.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2022Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Chang-Chia Huang, Christopher D. Jones, Masato Kuwabara, Nikhil D. Kalyankar, Terry C. Shyu, Yasmin F. Afsar, Paul S. Drzaic
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Publication number: 20230240093Abstract: An electronic device may have a hinge that allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis. A display may span the bend axis. To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage, the display may include a display cover layer with a flexible portion. The flexible portion of the display cover layer may be interposed between first and second rigid portions of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may also include a layer with self-healing properties. The layer of self-healing material may be formed across the entire display cover layer or may be formed only in the flexible region of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may include a layer of elastomer in the flexible region of the display cover layer for increased flexibility. Self-healing may be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 31, 2023Publication date: July 27, 2023Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Terry C. Lam, Chang-Chia Huang, Paul S. Drzaic, Yasmin F. Afsar, Young Cheol Yang, Leiming Wang
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Patent number: 11647648Abstract: An electronic device may have a hinge that allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis. A display may span the bend axis. To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage, the display may include a display cover layer with a flexible portion. The flexible portion of the display cover layer may be interposed between first and second rigid portions of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may also include a layer with self-healing properties. The layer of self-healing material may be formed across the entire display cover layer or may be formed only in the flexible region of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may include a layer of elastomer in the flexible region of the display cover layer for increased flexibility. Self-healing may be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus.Type: GrantFiled: August 2, 2022Date of Patent: May 9, 2023Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Terry C. Lam, Chang-Chia Huang, Paul S. Drzaic, Yasmin F. Afsar, Young Cheol Yang, Leiming Wang
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Publication number: 20230011092Abstract: Protective cover layers for electronic devices are described. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a display panel and a protective cover layer over the display panel. The protective cover layer includes a transparent support substrate and a hardcoat layer covering an exterior facing surface of the transparent support substrate. The display panel may be a flexible display panel and the protective cover layer may flex with the flexible display panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2022Publication date: January 12, 2023Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Chang-Chia Huang, Christopher D. Jones, Masato Kuwabara, Nikhil D. Kalyankar, Terry C. Shyu, Yasmin F. Afsar, Paul S. Drzaic
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Publication number: 20220388276Abstract: In devices with flexible displays, multilayer adhesive stacks may be included. A multilayer adhesive may attach a flexible display panel to the display cover layer in an electronic device. Including multiple layers of adhesive in the adhesive stack (as opposed to a single layer) provides more degrees of freedom for the tuning and optimization of the properties of the adhesive stack. The multilayer adhesive stack therefore has better performance than if only a single layer of adhesive is used. The multilayer adhesive stack may include one or more layers of soft adhesive, hard adhesive, hard elastomer, hard polymer, and/or glass to optimize the mechanical and optical performance of the multilayer adhesive stack. Soft adhesive layers may be included to optimize lateral decoupling (e.g., during folding and unfolding) of the adhesive stack. Harder layers may be included to provide rigidity and prevent denting during impact events.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2022Publication date: December 8, 2022Inventors: Xiaowei Wu, Hoon Sik Kim, Yuxi Zhao, Terry C Lam, Yasmin F Afsar, Chang-Chia Huang, Bhadrinarayana Lalgudi Visweswaran, Supriya Goyal, Paul S Drzaic
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Publication number: 20220376203Abstract: An electronic device may have a hinge that allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis. A display may span the bend axis. To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage, the display may include a display cover layer with a flexible portion. The flexible portion of the display cover layer may be interposed between first and second rigid portions of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may also include a layer with self-healing properties. The layer of self-healing material may be formed across the entire display cover layer or may be formed only in the flexible region of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may include a layer of elastomer in the flexible region of the display cover layer for increased flexibility. Self-healing may be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2022Publication date: November 24, 2022Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Terry C. Lam, Chang-Chia Huang, Paul S. Drzaic, Yasmin F. Afsar, Young Cheol Yang, Leiming Wang
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Patent number: 11444268Abstract: An electronic device may have a hinge that allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis. A display may span the bend axis. To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage, the display may include a display cover layer with a flexible portion. The flexible portion of the display cover layer may be interposed between first and second rigid portions of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may also include a layer with self-healing properties. The layer of self-healing material may be formed across the entire display cover layer or may be formed only in the flexible region of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may include a layer of elastomer in the flexible region of the display cover layer for increased flexibility. Self-healing may be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus.Type: GrantFiled: January 28, 2020Date of Patent: September 13, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Terry C. Lam, Chang-Chia Huang, Paul S. Drzaic, Yasmin F. Afsar, Young Cheol Yang, Leiming Wang
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Publication number: 20220270522Abstract: A flexible display in a foldable electronic device may have a display cover layer and display panel that bend around a bend axis. The display panel may have an array of pixels configured to display an image through the display cover layer. The pixels may be formed from thin-film display circuitry that is supported by a flexible display panel substrate. The flexible substrate may be supported by a display support plate that bends about the bend axis. The display may be configured to allow attachment of the display panel substrate to the display support plate while helping to prevent undesired localized deformation of the thin-film display circuitry.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 20, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Yasmin F. Afsar, Ben Hightower, Bhadrinarayana Lalgudi Visweswaran, Chang-Chia Huang, Hoon Sik Kim, Paul S. Drzaic, Prashant Mandlik, Terry C. Lam, Wen-I Hsieh, Zhichun Shao
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Patent number: 11402868Abstract: Protective cover layers for electronic devices are described. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a display panel and a protective cover layer over the display panel. The protective cover layer includes a transparent support substrate and a hardcoat layer covering an exterior facing surface of the transparent support substrate. The display panel may be a flexible display panel and the protective cover layer may flex with the flexible display panel.Type: GrantFiled: October 23, 2020Date of Patent: August 2, 2022Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Chang-Chia Huang, Christopher D. Jones, Masato Kuwabara, Nikhil D. Kalyankar, Terry C. Shyu, Yasmin F. Afsar, Paul S. Drzaic
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Publication number: 20220077352Abstract: A foldable electronic device may have a foldable housing. The foldable housing may be configured to bend about a bend axis. First and second portions of the housing that rotate relative to each other may be coupled by a hinge that is aligned with the bend axis. A foldable display may be coupled to the foldable housing and may be configured to bend along the bend axis as the foldable housing is folded. The display may have an array of pixels supported by a metal layer. The pixels may be interposed between a display cover layer and the metal layer. The foldable housing may have a support layer. To help support the display for bending about the bend axis while preventing damage to the display when the display is contacted by an external object, a spring layer may be interposed between the metal layer and the support layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 30, 2021Publication date: March 10, 2022Inventors: Chang-Chia Huang, Hoon Sik Kim, Paul S. Drzaic, Terry C. Lam, Yasmin F. Afsar, Zhichun Shao
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Publication number: 20210096595Abstract: Protective cover layers for electronic devices are described. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a display panel and a protective cover layer over the display panel. The protective cover layer includes a transparent support substrate and a hardcoat layer covering an exterior facing surface of the transparent support substrate. The display panel may be a flexible display panel and the protective cover layer may flex with the flexible display panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2020Publication date: April 1, 2021Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Chang-Chia Huang, Christopher D. Jones, Masato Kuwabara, Nikhil D. Kalyankar, Terry C. Shyu, Yasmin F. Afsar, Paul S. Drzaic
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Publication number: 20200383219Abstract: An electronic device has a foldable display. First and second portions of an electronic device housing for the device may be joined using hinge structures. A flexible display may overlap the first housing portion, the hinge structures, and the second housing portion. A layer such as a layer of sheet metal may be used in supporting the display and may overlap the hinge structures. The hinge structures may include gear teeth, belts, and/or other movement synchronization structures. The hinge structures may include members that move relative to each other during bending. The moving members may include bars and links with opposing curved bearing surfaces. Stop surfaces may prevent excessive rotation of the bars and links with respect to each other. The links may rotate about pivot points that lie within the thickness of the display without the hinge structure living within the thickness of the display.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 7, 2020Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventors: Owen D. Hale, Tatsuya Sano, Chang-Chia Huang, Yasmin F. Afsar, Hoon Sik Kim, Michael B. Wittenberg
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Patent number: 10817016Abstract: Protective cover layers for electronic devices are described. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a display panel and a protective cover layer over the display panel. The protective cover layer includes a transparent support substrate and a hardcoat layer covering an exterior facing surface of the transparent support substrate. The display panel may be a flexible display panel and the protective cover layer may flex with the flexible display panel.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: October 27, 2020Assignee: Apple Inc.Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Chang-Chia Huang, Christopher D. Jones, Masato Kuwabara, Nikhil D. Kalyankar, Terry C. Shyu, Yasmin F. Afsar, Paul S. Drzaic
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Publication number: 20200313111Abstract: An electronic device may have a hinge that allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis. A display may span the bend axis. To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage, the display may include a display cover layer with a flexible portion. The flexible portion of the display cover layer may be interposed between first and second rigid portions of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may also include a layer with self-healing properties. The layer of self-healing material may be formed across the entire display cover layer or may be formed only in the flexible region of the display cover layer. The display cover layer may include a layer of elastomer in the flexible region of the display cover layer for increased flexibility. Self-healing may be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2020Publication date: October 1, 2020Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Terry C. Lam, Chang-Chia Huang, Paul S. Drzaic, Yasmin F. Afsar, Young Cheol Yang, Leiming Wang
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Publication number: 20200097044Abstract: Protective cover layers for electronic devices are described. In an embodiment, an electronic device includes a display panel and a protective cover layer over the display panel. The protective cover layer includes a transparent support substrate and a hardcoat layer covering an exterior facing surface of the transparent support substrate. The display panel may be a flexible display panel and the protective cover layer may flex with the flexible display panel.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2019Publication date: March 26, 2020Inventors: Hoon Sik Kim, Chang-Chia Huang, Christopher D. Jones, Masato Kuwabara, Nikhil D. Kalyankar, Terry C. Shyu, Yasmin F. Afsar, Paul S. Drzaic