Apple has just been granted patents for both the original iPad’s design as well as the iPad 2 Smart Cover. These are just two of the 32 patents that Apple has been granted today, four of which are design patents.
Apple’s Smart Cover has now received its fifth patent. Others were granted in March, August, September and October. The fifth patent, patent 8,344,836, was just granted to Apple today. The patent’s inventors include Jony Ive, Daniel Coster, Andrew Lauder, Sean Lubner, Florence Ow, Jiang Ai, Elvis Kibiti, John Ternus and Christopher Stringer. This patent covers the magnetic attachment mechanism that connects the iPad to the Smart Cover. Apple applied for this patent on December 17, 2010. You can review Apple’s claims on USPTO’s (United States Patent and Trademark Office) website.
Apple’s original iPad patent covers the iPad’s design. The patent shows that Apple wanted to use all glass and aluminium when creating the iPad to make a seamless design on the outside. This patent lists Ming Yu, Stephen McClure, Joshua Banko and John Ternus as its inventors when the patent was filed on January 26th, 2010. More info on this patent can be viewed on the USPTO’s website.
Image Credit: Sean MacEntee
