UPDATE 5:30 a.m.: A Second Related Patent is now covered in this report
Apple announced their new ‘Magic Keyboard’ with its unique floating design and trackpad was available to order on April 15, 2020. Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple relating to this accessory that was filed as a provisional patent on March 9, 2020, a month prior to its introduction. After its introduction, Apple formally filed for their patent application in November 2020 that appears to have added a new safety feature that didn’t get released in April. The patent also drills down into the hinge system that creates the unique floating design and more.
In Apple’s patent FIG. 1, the key new safety feature in the form of shock absorbers could be found in yellow highlights below. These physical non-metal parts are provided to ensure that the iPad doesn’t smash into the metal cylinder that houses the USB-C port in a drop event. The non-metal parts could be made of rubber, plastic or fabric.
Apple’s patent FIGS. 3 and 4 below present exploded views of the hinge and mechanisms designed to deliver its unique floating feature.
To dive deeper into the details behind the Magic Keyboard’s design, check out Apple’s patent application 20210278881.
A second iPad/Magic Keyboard related patent was published today. The patent figure below covers the Magic Keyboard #713 having a contact connector that engages with iPad connector #707 which allows data and/or power transfer.
You could check out patent application 20210280896 for more details that extends to possible future foldable devices that will need flexible battery configurations such as a folding iPhone, smartglasses and more.
