It’s advisable not to eat near our laptops as the crumbs may lodge beneath or between the keys, which may render these buttons useless. But we still do, and our laptops know all the snacks we’ve devoured at the wee hours while watching Netflix.
Guilty? Don’t worry. Apple has patented a crumb-resisting keyboard that will take your regrets away.
Just last week, Apple announced its new patent on a keyboard design. They’ve actually filed the patent in September 2016 but just made it public last Mar. 9.
The patent has a number of updates to the MacBook’s keyboard. This includes putting seals between the key-switches and keycaps, covering the gaps between the two layers. They’re also exploring the idea of installing a membrane that releases air with each keystroke. This chutes crumbs away from the edges of the keys.
However, Apple noted that the keys can still get damaged by liquid and solid particles, like sugar as it “may corrode or block electrical contacts [and] prevent key movement by bonding moving parts.”
But keyboards that resist crumbs aren’t that bad, right?
Apple may have the patent, but it’s no guarantee that this innovation will actually be available to consumers. But we hope so.
Featured image courtesy of Unsplash
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