In a new patent application discovered by AppleInsider, Apple seems to be developing a pair of earphones that would feature seamlessly integrating components such as the cable, jack, microphone etc. The report highlights that Apple could use “ultrasonic bonding” to create new iPhone and iPod earbuds that would have a seamless, more aesthetically pleasing “unibody” appearance. The discovered patent filing describes how different components could be welded together for a seamless look.
According to the source:
Apple describes the new headphones as having an appearance that they were constructed as “a seamless unibody structure,” even though the earbuds may include two different component pieces welded together.
Combining two different elements in this way may form a weld ring that can be cut, sanded, polished and cleaned. This allows the headphone to appear to be one piece, even though it may actually be a number of connected pieces.
Apple’s desire to build a better set of earbuds was also detailed in a separate application published this week, entitled “Curved Plastic Object and Systems and Methods for Deburring the Same.” It describes building curved plastic objects in the shape of a cap or grill of a headphone or earbud.
The filing also says that since holes are needed in earbuds to allow sound to travel, inner and outer surfaces of the earbuds would be both “deburred” and polished, ensuring that no remnants remain in the holes.
