Apple patents world's first crumb-resistant keyboard

Apple filed a patent made public yesterday for a keyboard that resists crumbs. The patent describes two different ways that a keyboard can keep dirt out, either by sealing gaps off or having a membrane beneath each key that would blow out air every time a key is pressed, pushing out unwanted debris.

The super-shallow buttery style keyboards on Apple's MacBook and MacBook Pro laptops have caused serious headaches for some users. The keys and keyboard mechanism are so tightly packed together than even the tiniest crumbs or bits of debris can get lodged under or next to a key, preventing it from properly registering a keystroke.

Water, dust, and other particles that infiltrate a standalone keyboard will only do some damage to the keyboard itself. But in a notebook in which valuable components sit below the keyboard, any kind of particle intrusion could wreak havoc on the machine. And that's where Apple's patent application comes in.

Even though MacBook updates are expected later this year, don't get too excited about a crumb-proof keyboard just yet. New technologies can take years to make their way into products, and many patents, including many we've seen from Apple over the years, never make it into products at all.

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