As arduous as it’s to imagine, future Mac laptops could have a latch mechanism that makes them extra repairable and upgradeable. Apple has filed for a patent (US 20230266800 A1) for “digital units with rotary magnetic latches.”
In regards to the patent submitting
The patent submitting includes magnetic latches used to safe collectively elements of a laptop computer. Apple says that digital units with a number of housing elements usually use fasteners (e.g., screws) to safe collectively the housing elements. Whereas fasteners are typically dependable, they’ll result in some points. For instance, fasteners require a number of openings in a minimum of one of many housing elements, which leaves an digital system vulnerable to ingress of liquids or different contaminants.
Apple says that some options present an alternative choice to fasteners and additional cut back the necessity for openings. For instance, spring clips will be coupled to one of many housing elements and mounted to the opposite housing element, thereby securing collectively the housing elements. Nevertheless, spring clips require a selected device/machine to connect the spring clip to the extension.
What’s extra, the de-coupling between the spring clip and the extension will be troublesome, main to transform challenges, based on Apple. Additionally, as housing elements grow to be thinner, the drive utilized by the device used with the spring clip may cause the housing element to deflect, or deviate, from the unique form. Apple’s resolution is a latch system that secures collectively housing elements of a laptop computer.
Abstract of the patent submitting
Right here’s Apple’s summary of the patent submitting: “A latch and a magnet (coupled with the latch) are secured with a housing element by, for instance, a submit that extends from the housing element. The latch and the magnet can transfer (i.e., rotate) with respect to the housing element.
“For example, previous to a device making use of an exterior magnetic subject exterior to the digital system, the latch is coupled to a primary housing element and is engaged with a second housing element, thereby mechanically interlocking the primary and second housing elements. Nevertheless, when the device applies a rotational magnetic subject to the magnet (that’s coupled with the latch), the magnet and the latch rotate, thereby inflicting the latch to disengage from the second housing element. This enables the primary and second housing elements to decouple from one another.”
