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Apple's tireless research covers many areas, most of which are also very exciting. Including the latest patent. Will we see MacBooks with glass keys in the future?
A new Apple patent highlights a technology that envisages a MacBook keyboard made of glass keycaps. This should significantly improve durability. Now that the butterfly technology has failed, the company seems to be looking for new possibilities. This is stated in the patent description:
An aesthetically pleasing exterior of an electronic device is often difficult to balance with the market demand for advanced functionality, improved durability, key definition, and reduced thickness and weight. Some aesthetically pleasing materials may not be durable enough to be incorporated into a device housing or other components, and other aesthetically pleasing materials may compromise the advanced functionality of the electronic device. Some aesthetically pleasing materials are brittle, rigid or difficult to process into keycaps with the desired surface characteristics.
The biggest problem with keys is the printed keycap itself. They all wear out over time. But Apple seems to be pursuing a new approach to prevent this. The keycaps could be made of glass and thus be transparent while the characters are placed under the surface. It goes on to say:
Apple patent: light, thin, scratch-resistant and more
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a keycap for a keyboard comprising a key body having an upper outer surface. The key body may include a transparent body having a lower surface, a light-blocking material attached to the lower surface of the transparent body - wherein the light-blocking material defines a glyph shape - and a support body configured to support the transparent body and the light-blocking material. The upper outer surface may include at least two edges and a center, wherein the at least two edges are raised relative to the center. In some cases, the transparent body may comprise a glass material, the support body may comprise a polymer material, and the light-blocking material may comprise an opaque layer disposed between the glass material and the polymer material. The transparent body may be made of a transparent polymer material and the upper outer surface may also have a concave curvature. This concave curvature may be substantially cylindrical or spherically concave.
According to Apple, the result would be very thin but extremely durable keycaps. Although their design may seem very fragile to some, Apple explains that they are light and robust. Furthermore, they could not be scratched or worn by frequent use. It would also be possible to build flatter and lighter devices. The Cupertino-based company therefore appears to be looking for a serious alternative to the flawed butterfly technology. We will see in the next few years whether the whole thing goes into series production at some point or remains just an idea. AirPods Pro on special offer at Amazon – available now. (Photo by PixieMe / Bigstockphoto)
