Today, a patent filing was published showing Apple’s considerable work on developing keyboards that are thinner and more efficient for future products. Obviously patents aren’t direct indicators of what a company is going to be implementing, but from what we’ve seen, this patent isn’t very controversial, and merely showcases a natural evolution of Apple’s keyboard philosophy of being aesthetically pleasing and very low profile.
Here’s the abstract of the patent:
A keyboard mechanism for a low-travel keyboard and methods of fabrication are described. The low-travel keyboard is suitable for a thin-profile computing device, such as a laptop computer, netbook computer, desktop computer, etc. The keyboard includes a key cap that can be formed of a variety of materials in the form of a flat slab. The key cap is attached to one end of a support lever that supports it from underneath. In one embodiment, the support lever is formed of a rigid material and is pivotally coupled with a substrate on the other end. In another embodiment, the support lever is formed of a flexible material and is fixedly attached to the substrate on the other end. The portion of the support lever that is attached to the key cap is positioned over a metal dome that can be deformed to activate the switch circuitry of the membrane on printed circuit board underneath the dome.
What do you think about this evolution of the Apple keyboard? While the Apple keyboards from the early to mid 2000s were mushy and susceptible to debris, the standalone Apple keyboard and the laptop keyboards have become a much better experience in the last half-decade or so. What modifications do you want to see on the next keyboard? Do they need work, or are you fairly happy? Sound off in the comment section below this post.
Source: Free Patents Online
