Apple has applied for a patent (number 20220236765) for “accessories for portable electronic devices.” It involves a revamped Magic Keyboard for the iPad with an integrated Apple Pencil slot.
About the patent filing
Such an attachable/removable keyboard would also comprised of multi-segment articles that can support the tablet at different inclination angles. In the patent data, Apple says that, besides adding functionalities to the electronic devices, accessories can be protective in nature or simply aesthetically pleasing adornments, or in some cases be both protective and ornamental in nature.
Apple apparently wants its next gen Apple keyboard to click all these boxes and more. And an included slot for storing an Apple Pencil is something I’d love to see.
Summary of the patent
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “Accessory devices for portable electronic devices are described. An exemplary accessory device can include a first segment coupled to a second segment via a first hinge assembly. The accessory can include a third segment coupled to the second segment via a second hinge assembly such that the second segment is positioned between the first and third segments.
“The accessory device can be arranged between a closed configuration and a configuration of a stand that supports the portable electronic device at a viewing angle. At the support configuration, the second segment can be at an acute angle relative to the first segment to shift the center of gravity of the system towards the middle. The third segment can be suspended above the first segment and be inclined outwards. The hinge assemblies of the system can be sufficiently stiff to withstand the weight of the electronic device.”
