Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
The magnetic link Apple Watch band, with molded magnets for a perfect wraparound fit, is a patented design. The Apple Watch magnetic link band was awarded the US design patent, USD932332S1, titled Band. The patent was granted on Oct. 5, 2021 to a team of 23 inventors: Jody Akana, Molly Anderson, Bartley K. Andre, Shota Aoyagi, Anthony Michael Ashcroft, Marine C. Bataille, Jeremy Bataillou, Abidur Rahman Chowdhury, Clara Geneviève Marine Courtaigne, Markus Diebel, Jonathan Gomez Garcia, M. Evans Hankey, Julian Hoenig, Richard P. Howarth, Jonathan P. Ive, Julian Jaede, Duncan Robert Kerr, Peter Russell-Clarke, Benjamin Andrew Shaffer, Joe Sung-Ho Tan, Clement Tissandier, Eugene Antony Whang, and Rico Zörkendörfer
The patent Figure 9 is included below, together with an image of the Apple Watch magnetic link band, in the color Blackberry. The dotted lines on the patent Figure 9 indicate parts excluded from the claimed design.
As a reminder, a US design patent covers the ornamental aspects of an invention, or how the invention looks. Whereas, a US utility patent covers how an invention works. Thus, aspects of the Apple Watch magnetic link band, such as the molded magnets for a perfect wraparound fit, are unclaimed in the design patent. This patent only covers the way the Apple Watch magnetic link band looks.
References
Apple Inc. (website)
www.apple.com
USPTO MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent.
https://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/mpep/s1502.html
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