One of the features that can make you fall in love with MacBooks is undoubtedly how thin they can be. It is quite surprising the engineering work that Apple does to provide a computer with so much power in a fairly small space. But Apple is not satisfied with the thickness that their laptops are right now, and they are already looking for a way to make them much thinner and more ergonomic. In this article we show you an interesting Apple patent that I would bet to go in this sense.
A thinner MacBook could be a reality
The US Patent and Trademark Office today released a patent that was originally issued to Apple in 2019. It is titled ‘To Make Future MacBooks Even Thinner . ‘ Achieving this objective is not easy and the Cupertino company has proposed the idea of having a retractable keyboard as well as varying the angle of the screen to make it much more ergonomic to use.
As can be seen in the images of this patent, the keyboard of the MacBook could be lifted from the base of the computer . This would make it much more ergonomic to write with it tilted slightly upward. This would be achieved with a unified joint set that would save the inclusion of cuts and notches in the computer design. The screen would also recline much more backwards thanks to the hinge system so that the user can choose the most suitable degree of inclination depending on the height from where they are going to work. This would undoubtedly mark a before and after in the world of MacBook with a very different design and that would help users to work more properly.
Furthermore, this retractable keyboard design would also help prevent the Mac from getting hot. As explained in the patent, the set of connections can expose the vents to promote the entry and exit of air. Likewise, it would also prevent the entry of pollutants. Closing the computer would cause the ventilation slots to close, also preventing the entry of dust or any type of dirt. This makes a lot of sense as the vents should only be open when the equipment is in use. Today, MacBooks always have the ventilation slits open, which encourages the entry of dirt.
In a very subtle way there is also the possibility of anchoring computers to tables or desks. This can be an interesting idea for schools that want to integrate computers into study places.
Will it end up seeing the light?
Keep in mind that we are talking about a simple patent. The Cupertino company records hundreds throughout a year, and many are forgotten. This does not mean that Apple may have this design in mind for a redesigned MacBook in the future, but these ideas should always be taken for what they are, simple ideas. Obviously bringing a patent to reality is something material is something complex. A lot of engineering work is required behind to get a retractable keyboard or minimize the hinges that in the end would be what would reduce the thickness of the computer itself.