As weird as the name might sound...its function is actually quite thought out. The latest rumor has it that Apple is designing what it calls "collapsible connection receptacle". Essentially this is a mechanism to be able to accomodate a folding connection slot area, into an area in the external enclosure. This will in turn allow the laptop's size to be reduced much greater than if you were to just use the size of the full port. Confusing...I know, however once you take a look at the patent description, and more importantly, the pictures, it becomes much clearer.
However, the Cupertino-based systems designer notes that one limitation when reducing the size of a connection system is that the reduction is limited by the size of the largest port (which usually include Universal Serial Bus (USB) ports, FireWire ports, RJ-11 ports, and RJ-45 ports).
For example, RJ-45 ports are relatively large and thus may be a challenge to accommodate, Apple said. To remedy this situation, the company has proposed a "connection system" that includes a connection receptacle comprising a first component coupled to a chassis and a second component coupled to the first component.
"The connection system includes a connection receptacle that is implemented as two separate components. One of the components is fixed in that it is coupled to the chassis, and the other component is rotatable or coupled to a moving mechanism," the company explained. "The combination of the fixed and rotating components are adapted to receive a plug when the connection receptacle is in an open position, and the fixed and rotating components are collapsed into a compact configuration when the connection receptacle is in a closed position."
For more information, check out the Apple Insider article link via MacRumors: Link
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