Apple Inc.

Appple Inc.

Hani Esmaeili

Eric Steven Jol

Daniel C Wagman

Oliver Ross

Ibuki Kamei

Brett W Degner

Mahmoud R Amini

Edward S Huo

Michael W Barnstead

Scott A Myers

Tang Yew Tan

Richard Hung Minh Dinh

Benjamin J Pope

Albert John Golko

Tyler B Cater

Rasamy Phouthavong

Martin J Auclair

Kevin M Froese

Yaocheng Zhang

Daniel T McDonald

Paul U Leutheuser

Ihtesham H Chowdhury

Michael W Firka

Eric W Bates

David A Hurrell

Timothy S Lui

Mani Razaghi Kashani

Christoph Werner

Christopher R Xydis

Xiao Ying Zhao

Raymund W M Kwok

Kurtis J Mundell

Salome Bavetta

Craig Matthew Stanley

Jason S Sloey

John B Ardisana, Ii

Darshan R Kasar

Benjamin J Kallman

Phillip Qian

James A Yurko

Trent K Do

Robert Scritzky

Aaron Albert Oro

Herng-Jeng Jou

Zechariah D Feinberg

Hoishun Li

Stefan A Kowalski

Sean R Novak

Wai Man Raymund Kwok

Joel C Yamasaki

Ida Y Lo

Matthew E Lang

Richard J Blanco

Ferdinand S Toting

Christoph Bitterlich

Xiaoqiang Huang

David B Flamholz

Nathan A Van Nortwick

Jonathan C Lorman

Kenneth Michael Bagwell

Holly Ubellacker

Judy Hsien-Chih Liu

A method of forming a component can include electrochemically depositing a metallic material onto a carrier component to a thickness of greater than 50 microns. The metallic material can include crystal grains and at least 90% of the crystal grains can include nanotwin boundaries. The metallic material can include at least one of copper or silver.

Nanotwin copper components

Methods of coating contacts to have a specific color. The color can be selected to match a color of a portion of a device enclosure for an electronic device housing the contacts. Examples can instead provide methods of coating contacts to have a color to contrast with a color of a portion of the device enclosure. These methods can provide electrical contacts having a low contact resistance and good corrosion and scratch resistance.

Electrical contact appearance and protection

Contacts that can be highly corrosion resistant, can be readily manufactured, and can conserve precious materials. One example can provide contacts having a layer of a precious-metal alloy to improve corrosion resistance. The precious-metal-alloy layer can be plated with a hard, durable, wear and corrosion resistant plating stack for further corrosion resistance and wear improvement. The resources consumed by a contact can be reduced by forming a bulk or substrate region of the contact using a more readily available material, such as copper or a material that is primarily copper based.

Precious-metal-alloy contacts

This application relates to magnetically actuated electrical connectors. The electrical connectors includes movable magnetic elements that move in response to an externally applied magnetic field. In some embodiments, the electrical connectors includes recessed contacts that move from a recessed position to an engaged position in response to an externally applied magnetic field associated with an electronic device to which the connector is designed to be coupled. In some embodiments, the external magnetic field has a particular polarity pattern configured to draw contacts associated with a matching polarity pattern out of the recessed position.

Magnetic surface contacts

An electronic receptacle connector includes a hybrid contact assembly that includes a contact plate that has multiple fingers, a contact positioned at a distal end of each finger and a conductor that runs along each finger and electrically couples each contact to an interconnect region positioned outside of the housing. The fingers are made from a first material and the contacts are made from a second material such that each of the first and the second materials can be independently optimized.

Hybrid electrical connector

An electronic device comprising a device enclosure having an exterior surface; a contact area positioned at the exterior surface and having first and second ends, the contact area having a plurality of contacts arranged between the first and second ends and substantially flush with the exterior surface; and an alignment feature within the enclosure comprising first and second magnets positioned on opposing sides of the contact area, the first magnet positioned adjacent to the first end of the contact area and the second magnet positioned adjacent to the second end of the contact area.

Electronic device with contacts flush with housing

Contact structures that are readily manufactured, where contacts in the contact structures consume a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in an electronic device.

Low-profile power and data contacts

Contacts that may be highly corrosion resistant, may be readily manufactured, and may conserve precious materials. One example may provide contacts having a layer of a precious-metal alloy to improve corrosion resistance. The precious-metal-alloy layer may be plated with a hard, durable, wear and corrosion resistant plating stack for further corrosion resistance and wear improvement. The resources consumed by a contact may be reduced by forming a bulk or substrate region of the contact using a more readily available material, such as copper or a material that is primarily copper based.

A method of applying a dielectric lubricant to an electrical connector of a consumer electronic device. The method includes inserting a dielectric lubricant delivery device apertures for delivering the dielectric lubricant to the electrical connector into a receptacle of the electronic device; applying pressure to a chamber including the dielectric lubricant, the chamber being fluidly coupled to the apertures of the lubricant delivery device such that the pressure causes the lubricant to enter the receptacle via the apertures and deposit on contacts of the electrical connector; and pulling vacuum using the lubricant delivery device to remove excess dielectric lubricant from the receptacle and the electrical connector.

Use and application method of dielectric lubricant in an electrical connector

An accessory device including a foldable cover, a keyboard assembly coupled to the foldable cover and including a plurality of individually depressible keys, an attachment feature connected to the enclosure and configured to magnetically couple the accessory device with the electronic device. The attachment feature includes an exterior surface, a plurality of openings formed through the exterior surface, a plurality of movable contacts corresponding in number to the plurality of openings, each movable contact extending out of one of the plurality of openings, and an alignment feature comprising at least one magnet positioned adjacent to the plurality of openings.

Electronic device with moveable contacts at an exterior surface

A plug connector for an electronic device has a deformable seal positioned on it such that when the plug connector is mated to the electronic device a liquid-tight seal is formed between the plug connector and the electronic device. A seal may also be positioned within a receptacle connector cavity of the electronic device such that it forms a liquid-tight seal to a plug connector when the plug connector is mated to the electronic device.

Sealed electronic connectors for electronic devices

An electronic device having several modifications designed to prevent liquid ingress into an opening (or openings) of the electronic device is disclosed. For example, the electronic device includes a SIM tray having a sealing element designed to provide a seal at an opening that receives the SIM tray. The sealing element may include a first section and a second section extending from the first section, with the first section designed to bend with respect to (and in some cases collapse onto) the second section. The electronic device may further include an audio module fitted with a sealing element. The sealing element may include extensions extending away from a main body of the sealing element, with some extension designed to engage the audio module, and other extensions designed to engage an audio module interface. The sealing element provides a seal against liquid ingress into the audio module.

Electronic device with liquid-resistant SIM tray and audio module

Growing community of inventors

Sunnyvale, CA, United States of America

Hani Esmaeili