While the iPad Pro just got insanely thinner, Apple has been granted a patent for a possible future iPad with a retractable Apple Pencil tray that that could keep the pencil in a handy place for students while charging. It's a feature that could differentiate Apple's entry-level iPads.

Apple's granted patent covers an iPad with a retractable Apple Pencil tray that also acts as a rechargeable tray. Technically, Apple notes that the host device (iPad) can include or be accompanied by a case or other structure that provides a receptacle for securely retaining the stylus. This can help protect the stylus from damage while maintaining the stylus with the host device for access when desired by a user. However, while the stylus is in use, such a receptacle may be unused and undesirable, as it may occupy space and enlarge the overall size of the host device or case.

In accordance with this granted patent, a mechanism can be provided for securely retaining a stylus with a host device while not in use. Such a mechanism can maintain the alignment of the stylus with the host device for attachment, power transfer, and/or communication. The mechanism can further protect the stylus from impact or other external influences. The same mechanism can transition to a lower profile while not retaining the stylus (e.g., while the stylus is in use as an input device for the host device). Such a mechanism can selectably be placed into a configuration that substantially conceals the mechanism, such that it can temporarily appear to be a case or portion of the host device that does not necessarily have a dedicated receptacle for retaining the stylus.

Apple's patent FIG. 4 below illustrates a front view of the host device in the case of FIG. 3 with the tray of the case being in an extended configuration; FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of the host device in the case of FIG. 4 and a stylus with the tray of the case being in the extended configuration.

Apple's patent FIG. 10 above illustrates a sectional view of a case with a tray of the case being in a retracted configuration; FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic view of the case of FIG. 10 with the tray of the case being in an extended configuration; FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic view of the case of FIG. 11 with the tray of the case being in a securing configuration.

The “magnets” can include a magnet of a hard magnetic material and/or a magnet of a soft magnetic material. Hard magnetic materials include materials that retain their magnetism even after the removal of an applied magnetic field. Magnets that include hard magnetic material can form permanent magnets. Hard magnetic materials include neodymium (NdFeB), ferrite, AlNiCo, iron-neodymium, iron-boron, cobalt-samarium, iron-chromium-cobalt, and combinations or alloys thereof.

Soft magnetic materials include materials that are responsive to magnetic fields, but do not retain their magnetism after removal of an applied magnetic field. Magnets that include soft magnetic material can form temporary magnets. Soft magnetic materials include iron, iron-cobalt, iron-silicon (FeSi), steel, stainless steel, iron-aluminum-silicon, nickel-iron, ferrites, and combinations or alloys thereof. It will be recognized that “hard magnetic” and “soft magnetic” does not necessarily relate to the rigidity of the materials.