Apple has filed a patent for a paper bag, really

By Trevor Mogg September 21, 2016

apple paper bag patent — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Is Apple running out of ideas for things to patent?

Whereas it usually sticks to tech-related stuff in its patent filings – among them a wraparound smartphone display, an all-touch haptic keyboard, a trackpad-compatible stylus, a tablet cover with a built-in screen, VR goggles, and a way to censor songs and audio books – its latest one targets the humble paper bag.

Yes, you read that right. Paper bag.

Of course, such an item is of extreme importance to Apple and its customers, as they provide a convenient way for people to carry their purchased goods from the Apple Store to their home.

Apple says as much in its filing, offering some useful background information that’s apparently aimed at those who’ve never heard of such an object. The company writes: “Bags are often used for containing items. For example, retail bags may be used to contain items purchased at a retail store.”

Of course, with the paper bag already a well-established part of the retail industry, Apple has to offer something new and original in its patent.

So besides describing a design for an environmentally friendly bag that’s “formed of white paper with at least 60 percent post-consumer content,” the document also offers details of a slew of unique modifications (many focusing on strategically placed corrugated cardboard inserts), as well as information on a handle “formed entirely of paper fibers knitted in an 8-stitch circular-knit pattern.”

Apple believes the design is robust enough to safely hold all your tech goodies, eliminating any possibility of a sudden split sending your purchases spilling across the sidewalk before you’ve even had a chance to unbox them.

The Cupertino company says that creating a bag formed entirely of paper “can help to reduce any environmental impact from production, use, and disposal of the bag,” a statement few of its customers are likely to quibble with.

If paper-bag design is your thing and you’re interested to learn more about Apple’s plan for what may or may not be a revolutionary new product, then you can check out the entirety of its filing at the United States Patent and Trademark Office website here. Enjoy.

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