Apple’s Patent Application Indicates That It Could Have a Solution for Fraying Lightning Cables

Apple proposes developing a strain relief sleeve, or the extra thickening of cables overall.

By Tanishka Sodhi | Updated: 5 February 2021 18:33 IST

Apple’s Patent Application Indicates That It Could Have a Solution for Fraying Lightning Cables

In the patent application, Apple proposes ideas for cables that won’t fray so easily

Highlights

Apple could soon have a solution for its fraying lightning cables
The company proposes ideas for a cable that won’t fray easily
Apple’s lightning cables have a reputation for fraying easily

Apple has filed a patent application that could stop its lightning cables from fraying so easily. The patent is for a cable with variable stiffness that could solve this problem. Apple's lightning cables have a reputation for fraying easily but the company could have found a solution, going by this patent. The Cupertino-company proposed ideas for a cable that won't fray easily. In the patent application, it talks about a cable with ‘variable stiffness' and admits that it is well-known that bending of the cable near the termination point where it goes into the phone could cause unwanted strain on wire connections, which could lead to cable failure.

The patent application dated February 4, 2021, was filed by Apple on August 3, 2019. It was first spotted by Apple Insider.

In the patent application, Apple proposes developing a strain relief sleeve made of a stiff material around the end region of the cable. This stiff material, it says, will create a localised increase in the bending resistance of the cable, which in turn will relieve strain on the wire connections. Apple also proposes extra thickening of cables overall. The patent application includes a design as well.

[Sponsored] Samsung Galaxy S24: The Ultimate Camera Phone With Smarter On-Device AI

The patent signals that Apple is working towards fixing a long-criticised problem with its charging cables. However, this is just a concept right now and may or may not go into production. It is also worth noting that the patent does not specifically mention ‘Lightning Cables' anywhere, so this could be a broader design for Apple products.

“A cable can include a cable core surrounded by an outer sleeve having a uniform thickness and further having a first longitudinal section having a first stiffness (e.g., corresponding to a flexible cable), a second longitudinal section having a second stiffness (e.g., corresponding to a rigid cable), and a third longitudinal section between the first and second longitudinal sections, where the second stiffness is greater than the first stiffness and where a stiffness of the third longitudinal section varies between the first stiffness and the second stiffness. The second longitudinal section can provide strain relief for the cable,” explained Apple in the patent application.

Apple’s Parental Controls Restrict Searches for the Word ‘Asian’

iPhone 12 Pro Series Is Amazing, but Why Is It So Expensive in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.