Apple Inc.

Trent K Do

Eric Steven Jol

Jason S Sloey

Daniele De Iuliis

Fletcher R Rothkopf

Anna-Katrina Shedletsky

Douglas Joseph Weber

Phillip Michael Hobson

Naoto Matsuyuki

Craig Matthew Stanley

Daniel C Wagman

John B Ardisana, Ii

Ian P Colahan

Jonathan P Ive

Duncan Robert Kerr

Bartley K Andre

Richard P Howarth

Eugene Antony Whang

Peter N Russell-Clarke

Christopher J Stringer

Martha Evans Hankey

Rico L Zorkendorfer

Jody R Akana

Daniel J Coster

Matthew Dean Rohrbach

Jeremy D Bataillou

Julian Hoenig

Mikael M Silvanto

Shin Nishibori

Colin M Ely

Albert John Golko

Christopher Matthew Werner

Brad G Boozer

Ibuki Kamei

John J Baker

George V Anastas

Darshan R Kasar

Erik Andrew Uttermann

Edward S Huo

Phillip Qian

Timothy J Rasmussen

Robert Scritzky

Hani Esmaeili

Nathan P Bosscher

Matthew P Rao

Stefan C Mag

Joel C Yamasaki

Matthew E Lang

Hamid Mohammadinia

Richard J Blanco

Ferdinand S Toting

John Oskar Ceideburg

David B Flamholz

Nathan A Van Nortwick

Jonathan C Lorman

Hua Lee Tan

Anna-Katrino Shedletsky

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

Contact structures for devices, where contacts in the contact structures provide a proper normal force while consuming a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in a device and where the contact structures prevent or limit the ingress of fluid or debris into the device. On example may provide a contact structure having a frame. The frame may be arranged to be placed in an opening in a device enclosure for an electronic device or the frame may be part of the electronic device. The frame may include a number of passages, each passage for a contact of the contact structure. Each contact may be held to the frame by a pliable membrane. Each contact may connect to a board in the electronic device via a compliant conductive path.

Surface connector with silicone spring member

Contact structures for devices, where contacts in the contact structures may provide a sufficient normal force to provide a good electrical connection with corresponding contacts while consuming a minimal amount of surface area, depth, and volume in a device, and where the contact structures may prevent or limit the ingress of fluid or debris into the device. On example may provide a contact structure having a frame. The frame may be arranged to be placed in an opening in a device enclosure for an electronic device or the frame may be part of the electronic device. The frame may include a number of passages, each passage for a contact of the contact structure. Each contact may be held to the frame by a pliable membrane. Each contact may connect to a board in the electronic device via a compliant conductive path.

A mesh network of printed circuit boards (PCBs) including a first PCB coupled to a second rigid PCB by way of an interlocking connection is provided. The interlocking connection has a degree of freedom that allows the first and second PCBs to form a twist angle between each other; the interlocking connector configured to provide electrical coupling between active components disposed in each of the first and second PCBs. A method of forming a substrate fabric including a mesh network as above is also provided. Further provided is a method of activating the mesh network of printed circuit boards as above.

Printed circuit board connector for non-planar configurations

Connector receptacles having a contoured form factor that allows their use in stylized enclosures. These receptacles may also be contoured to avoid circuitry internal to the device enclosure. The contoured form factor may also simplify the assembly of the connector receptacle.

Connector receptacle with side ground contacts

An electronic device has structures such as substrates and internal housing structures. The substrates may be rigid substrates such as rigid printed circuit boards and flexible substrates such as flexible printed circuits, flexible touch sensor substrates, and flexible display substrates. Carbon nanotubes may be patterned to form carbon nanotube signal paths on the substrates. The signal paths may resist cracking when bent. A flexible structure such as a flexible printed circuit may have carbon nanotube signal paths interposed between polymer layers. Openings in a polymer layer may expose metal solder pads on the carbon nanotube signal paths. A stiffener may be provided under the metal solder pads. Polymer materials in the flexible structure may be molded to form bends. Bends may be formed along edges of a touch sensor or display or may be formed in a flexible printed circuit.

Electronic devices with carbon nanotube printed circuits

An improved electronic receptacle connector with portions thereof formed from an electrically conductive polymer is disclosed. A conductive polymer front face enables improved device aesthetics and can discharge electrostatic energy from a plug before it is mated with the connector. A conductive polymer housing with internal ground structures may provide electromagnetic interference shielding and improved data transfer speed.

Connector utilizing conductive polymers

An electronic device enclosure that includes a housing and a frame and an integrally formed connector shell. The connector shell includes a first portion integrally formed with the housing and a second portion integrally formed with the frame. The first and second portions of the connector shell are joined at first and second mating surfaces, respectively, forming a cavity therebetween in which a plurality of receptacle connector contacts are positioned.

Audio jack connector integrated into enclosure

Split jack assemblies are constructed with a tubeless pin block. Elimination (or split) of the tube, or more particularly, a tube that is an integrally formed part of the pin block form the pin block allows for the use of a tubeless pin block design that results in a jack assembly having smaller overall dimensions than a conventional jack assembly constructed to accommodate a plug of the same dimensions. The tubeless pin block can be used in conjunction with a tube sleeve or with a curved surface of a housing for an electronic device, or both to provide a plug receptacle of the split jack assembly.

Split jack assemblies and methods for making the same

An improved electronic receptacle connector employs contacts that are partially encapsulated with a thermally conductive polymer. The thermally conductive polymer aids in the distribution of heat within the contact and may further form heat transfer features to conduct heat to other connector components such as the shell. The thermally conductive polymer may be used to encapsulate multiple contacts within a substantially unitary block.

Connector contacts with thermally conductive polymer

An improved retention mechanism having corresponding retention features is provided herein. The mechanism may include a pair of spring arm retention features in a connector receptacle engageable with a corresponding pair of recessed retention features in a connector tab and backup spring members for reducing stress within the spring arms during insertion of the tab and/or lubricating members for lubricating the retention mechanism. The backup spring is positioned adjacent an outer-facing surface or extends laterally outward from the spring arms so that deflection of the spring arms displaces the backup spring reducing stresses within each arm and/or increasing the retention force on the connector tab. The backup spring may include any or all of a bent portion of an bracket or arm, a wire, a loop, a complementary spring arm, dual backup springs, elastomeric members, compression springs and lubricating members. Methods of use and assembly such retention mechanisms are also provided.

Retention mechanism device

A retention latch mechanism having corresponding retention features and stress reducing members is provided herein. In an example embodiment, the retention latch mechanism comprises a pair of spring arm retention features of a receptacle engageable with a corresponding pair of recessed retention features of an insertable tab and one or more backup spring members for reducing stress within the spring arms during insertion of the tab into the receptacle. The backup spring is positioned adjacent an outward facing surface such that outward lateral deflection of the spring arms deflects the backup spring thereby reducing force within the spring arm. In some embodiments, the backup spring includes any or all of a bent portion of an associated bracket or arm member, a wire, a loop, a complementary spring arm, dual backup springs, elastomeric members and self-lubricating members. Methods of providing retention of a tab within a receptacle are also provided herein.

Retention mechanism device having a lubricating member

An improved electronic audio receptacle connector employs contacts that have multiple points of contact with a mating audio plug. The contacts each have multiple segments, each segment having a plurality of transverse fingers that interface with a conductive portion of the audio plug. The multiple points of contact improve the reliability of the receptacle connector. The housing of the receptacle connector may be made of two portions mated along an interface. The two portions may have features along the interface to impede moisture ingression and to interlock them together.

Audio jack with multiple points of contact

Growing community of inventors

Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Trent K Do