Apple Inc. (AAPL) Set to Attract Consumers with a Magnet?

The fact that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is changing the world with its technology is no surprise. What may be a surprise to some is how much time and money Cupertino spends on patent applications. Last month, we published a piece (see it here) detailing three patents that could impact the future. While these filings were very exciting, the company didn’t stop there.

In one of its most recent patent filings, Apple shows its intention to use a magnet surface coating that is able to adapt to the shape and look of a device. Further more, there is reason to believe that this could eventually make its way to the back lid of the MacBook.

While Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) does not comment on patent filings, we dug up the official application. It is entitled: Unibody Magnet

For a better idea of what the patent covers, let’s take a closer look at the abstract:

“A method for plating magnets with metal is disclosed. In one embodiment, the metal is aluminum and the aluminum plating provides a number of aesthetic and structural advantages, over brittle magnetic materials, which are only plated with a thin, anti-corrosive metallic layer. More specifically, methods for creating multi-pole bar magnets and structural elements primarily with aluminum coated magnetic material are disclosed.”

If you truly want to understand more about how this patent could come into play, you need to scroll down to the section of the patent entitled “brief description of the drawings.”

This describes the many images included in the patent. The most interesting is this one:

“FIG. 5 shows a portable electronic device having a magnetic rear housing”

We have included this image on the next page, so you can see what Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is getting at with this potential use.

All in all, one would believe that the use of this material would have something to do with the overall structural integrity of the device. That being said, don’t expect Apple to use anything that is going to add any bulk or weight.

This is one of those Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) patents that is fun to talk about, but until Cupertino actually adds this to a future device it is hard to envision exactly how things will play out.

In addition to reviewing the image on the next page, a good place for further reading is our list of the most mind-blowing Apple patents (discover the full list here). You will begin to see just how serious the company is about protecting its inventions.