Apple has won a patent for a dual monitor stand that appears to be based on the Pro Stand design option.
Apple's patent was granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Patently Apple spotted a patent titled " dual display stand" that details a mechanical design that seeks to address the drawbacks of existing multi-display solutions.
There is a large display stand with two legs and a horizontal support bar that can be used to mount two displays. With vertical, horizontal, and center pivot degrees of freedom, the stand gives for a high level of precise adjustment and control. The stand in the patent has been described by Apple.
The display stand provides improved smoothness, rigidity, and comfort for the user to support and use multiple displays on a single stand.
The Pro Stand for the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR uses the same joints, but they are placed on rail shuttles for horizontal adjustment. The angle between the displays can be adjusted with the help of a central joint.
The height of the support bar can be adjusted with the help of handles on each side. Regardless of the angle of the support bar or the handle being turned, the entire bar is lifted.
The shuttles on the rail provide smooth, consistent contact with the rails despite the use of wheels, according to the patent.
The filing explains why the dual display stand might be better than other stand solutions.
When users use multiple displays in a workspace, the displays are generally supported by multiple different individual stands or by independently-movable arms that extend from a single support point. These individual stands or arms unnecessarily take up large spaces, are often aesthetically unpleasing, overcomplicated, and have inefficient redundant mechanisms. When multiple displays are used on independent arms, they can be difficult to align in a smooth and precise way due to inconsistent counterbalancing and arm lengths. When multiple displays are used on a single support, they cannot be effectively adjusted relative to each other about a vertical axis.
It was striking how far developed the patent filing was when it first came out. Normally, Apple's patent filings focus on a particular part of a device or system, and while the dual display stand's mechanical operations are all able to come under a single filing, there are very clear similarities to the existing Pro Stand.
It is possible that Apple will bring the dual display stand to customers one day. There is a chance it may be used for internal corporate purposes. Many aspects of Apple's patents never emerge, even though patent filings show what Apple is doing.
The Pro Display XDR's stand is interchangeable with the Studio Display's stand, but it is not the same as the preferred stand. There are different options for the Pro Display XDR and the Studio Display at the point of purchase. By the time any such accessory would be available, future versions of the Studio Display and Pro Display XDR could feature better mounting systems.
The Pro Stand for the Pro Display XDR caused a lot of controversy when it was announced in June of 2019. In March of this year, Apple added a $400 add-on option to the studio display. The patent indicates that Apple is working on new mechanical display stands.