The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 05, 2019
Filed:
Jun. 19, 2015
Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US);
Matthew S. Rogers, Cupertino, CA (US);
Christopher D. Jones, Cupertino, CA (US);
Dale N. Memering, Cupertino, CA (US);
Alexander M. Hoffman, Cupertino, CA (US);
Ping Chung Chen, Cupertino, CA (US);
Chien-Wei Huang, Cupertino, CA (US);
APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US);
Abstract
A system for heat treating sapphire components to increase strength while maintaining the optical finish and/or transparency of the component. The system may include a fixture positioned in a furnace and configured to suspend an array or group of sapphire components. The fixture may include notches or other features to assist in locating and positioning the sapphire components. Shield elements or enclosures may also be interspersed with the sapphire components and may help produce a more uniform heat distribution and protect the sapphire components from emissions or deposits. Some aspects are directed to a sleeve tool and fixture jig that can be used to assemble the sapphire components onto the fixture in a way that reduces the risk of marring or otherwise damaging the sapphire components.