The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office officially published a series of 64 newly granted patents for Apple Inc. today. In this particular report we cover the MacBook's Butterfly Hinge Mechanism and the water proofing methodologies that are used in the new iPhone whereby the speaker is able to expel water in the acoustic module. We wrap up this week's granted patent report with our traditional listing of the remaining granted patents that were issued to Apple today.

Granted Patent: Butterfly Hinge Mechanism

Apple's newly granted patent covers their invention relating to the MacBook's keyboard using a key mechanism that includes their new butterfly hinge. The butterfly hinged key mechanism according to various embodiments enable substantially low travel distances with desired tactile response. The key mechanism uses a double wing design operative to move between a depressed position and non-depressed position. In one embodiment, a key mechanism includes a keycap assembly, a support structure, and a butterfly hinge having two independently articulating wings, each wing coupled to the keycap assembly and the support structure, wherein each wing is operative to pivot about its own pivot axis during a keystroke of the key mechanism. Apple's patent figure 33A below illustrates the new hinge.

Apple was also granted patent 9,449,769 which relates to the butterfly hinge patent 9,449,772. The second patent is titled "Low travel dome and systems for using the same."

As shown in FIG. 1 above for example, elastomeric dome #100 may reside beneath key cap #200. The key cap may be supported by support structure #300 that may be composed of any suitable material (e.g., plastic, metal, composite, etc.), and may provide mechanical stability to key cap. The support structure may, for example, be a butterfly mechanism.

Granted Patent: Liquid Expulsion from an Orifice

Apple's newly granted patent 9,451,354 covers their invention relating to the iPhone's waterproofing measures related to speakers. More specifically, Apple's granted patent covers systems, techniques, and apparatuses for expelling liquid from a cavity of an acoustic module through an orifice or opening of the module.

In one example, the hydrophobicity of one or more elements of the acoustic module may be varied by varying the electric charge on the one or more elements of the acoustic module. In some implementations, the electric charge may be varied on a series of elements, facilitating movement of a liquid held within the cavity. Additionally, the acoustic module, which may include a speaker mechanism, may be configured to produce acoustic waves that also facilitate expulsion of liquid from the acoustic module.

Below we see an iPhone in FIG. 1B and in FIG. 3B we're able to see depiction of a cross-sectional view of an example acoustic module having conductive elements for expelling liquid from the acoustic module. And in patent FIG 5 we see a simple flow chart of the process for expelling liquid from a cavity.

The Remaining Patents granted to Apple Today

Patently Apple presents only a brief summary of granted patents with associated graphics for journalistic news purposes as each Granted Patent is revealed by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Readers are cautioned that the full text of any Granted Patent should be read in its entirety for full details. About Making Comments on our Site: Patently Apple reserves the right to post, dismiss or edit any comments. Those using abusive language or behavior will result in being blacklisted on Disqus.