Apple Patented A Crumb-Resistant Keyboard For Tech-Savvy Slobs

Are your pants covered in flakes just from looking at a croissant? Do ketchup and mustard slip from the comfort of burger buns upon the first bite of your Big Mac? Messy eaters with MacBooks know all too well the struggle of food morsels lodging between computer keys — but gone are the days of those pesky scraps jamming your spacebar.

Well, almost. On March 8, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office made public a patent filed by Apple for a crumb-resistant keyboard — a concept the multibillion-dollar company has apparently been (messily) chewing on for several years.

According to The Verge, the patent was originally filed on September 8, 2016 (a day after Apple announced the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus). It touches on two different ways that the keyboard could potentially deflect food: by sealing off gaps completely or blasting air from the crevices to deflect debris.

The enhancement may even be able to waterproof your computer against any spills from your Unicorn Frappuccino or Mountain Dew Code Red. In its patent, Apple puts an emphasis on how "residues from such liquids, such as sugar, may corrode or block electrical contacts, prevent key movement by bonding moving parts, and so on," potentially causing just as much damage as solid contaminants like chips, cookies, and pizza.

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It's unclear at this time whether or not this product will actually make it to store shelves. The Daily Meal has reached out to Apple for more information.

With all this talk about crumbs, maybe it's a good idea to give your computer the ole wipe-down. Here are 15 other household items you wouldn't think to clean — but should.