Apple has filed patent, which apparently appears to be its admittance to the long held popular complaint against the iPad - that it is too heavy. According to the new patent, the new iPad would have a light and rigid body made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), rather than aluminum unibody.


Titled "Reinforced Device Housing", the patent issued on November 18, by the US Patent and Trademark Office, does not explicitly mention "iPad" anywhere, but the illustrations simply give away the gadget implied. It describes a body for "an electronic device or other object" consisting of a rigid CFRP frame or "spine" over which a CFRP skin is stretched.

The description states that the skin will consist of multiple layers of CFRP in a cross shape with the arms of the cross to be wrapped around the spine. The layers would have the fiber grain running in alternating directions to increase rigidity and to prevent the skin from cracking.

The patent filing also mentions the possibility of using other materials such as Kevlar, Dyneema and Spectra, which are all fiber-in matrix materials like CFRP.

We must note here that the iPad's aluminum body does not account for much of its weight, it is the internals that do. But Apple seems to be taking the issue seriously and trying to cut weight wherever possible. Could this be the patent for the iPad 2? We will have to wait till next April to find out.