Today, Apple sells an Incase Lanyard for AirPods Pro. According to a newly published patent, Apple is looking at bringing a larger lanyard system to market that could hold an iPhone, iPad, a battery pack and more.  Straps may be held in a user's hands, worn about a user's neck, worn across a user's body, and/or may otherwise be held or worn by a user.

According to Apple, the strap may have a strip with left and right portions that are coupled together using sliding clasps or "Sliders." The sliding clasps may be operated in a locked mode in which the clasps are locked onto the strip portions. The sliding clasps may also be operated in an unlocked mode in which the strip portions slide relative to the clasps.

Apple's patent FIG. 1 below is a diagram of an illustrative strap and associated device.

(Click on image to Enlarge)

In more detail, Apple's patent FIG. 1 is a diagram of an illustrative strap and associated item coupled to the strap. As shown in FIG. 1, strap #10 may have a loop that allows the strap and an item such as item #12 that is coupled to a strap  to be carried by a user. The item may be coupled to strap using a fixed or removable attachment mechanism. The strap may, as an example, have a pair of ends coupled respectively to each of a pair of connections #14 in item #12.

The connections may include grooves in the item/device that receive protruding snaps on the strap that may include magnetic attachment mechanisms, may include screws and/or other fasteners, may include adhesive, and/or may be implemented using other connection mechanisms. The strap may be a cross-body strap, a wrist strap, a loop that can be held in a user's hand or worn about a user's neck, or other suitable strap.

Item/device #12 may include electronic equipment (e.g., an electronic device such as a battery pack, an iPhone, iPad or other electronic equipment, etc.) and/or may include a carrying case that is removably attached to an electronic device.

The strap may have adjustable clasps. For example, the strap may have sliding clasps. Sliding clasps, which may sometimes be referred to as sliders (FIG. 1, #28L & 28R), may slide along the strap when length adjustments are desired.

Apple's patent FIG. 2 below is a perspective view of an illustrative slider (sliding clasp); FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an illustrative slider (sliding clasp).

Apple's patent FIG. 10 above is a cross-sectional view of an illustrative slider with brake and cam mechanisms.

For more details, review Apple's patent application number US 20220346531 A1 titled "Sliding Clasps for Adjustable Straps."

Apple Inventors

Bryan Cloyd: Soft Goods Product Developer (7-year employee)

Camille Henrot: Soft Goods Development Engineer (3-year employee)