Electronic device with sensor ports having enhanced airflow

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10156553-B2
Application number	US-201615085862-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2016
Priority date	Mar 30, 2016
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device may have input-output devices such as sensors. The sensors may include environmental sensors that make measurements on the environment surrounding the electronic device. The environmental sensors may make measurements such as temperature measurements, humidity measurements, gas composition measurements, and particulate level measurements. A sensor may communicate with external air through a sensor port in an electronic device housing. An electronic device may have a movable member. The movable member may be moved in response to motion of the electronic device when handled by user or motion of a button or other movable member that is actuated by the user. As the movable member moves, the movable member may create enhanced airflow through the sensor port. This may refresh the air adjacent to an environmental sensor and enhance sensor response time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device that may be moved when handled by a user, comprising:
a housing;
a sensor in the housing;
a sensor port in the housing that allows the sensor to communicate with external air surrounding the housing; and
a moving member that moves relative to the housing in response to motion of the electronic device due to handling by the user, wherein motion of the moving member promotes airflow through the sensor port and wherein the sensor is mounted to the moving member.

2. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor port includes a channel and a porous structure to block environmental contaminants and wherein motion of the moving member promotes airflow through the channel and the porous structure.

3. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a moving weight that moves within a moving weight chamber and that helps move the moving member.

4. The electronic device defined in claim 3 further comprising a coupling structure that couples the moving weight to the moving member.

5. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the coupling structure comprises a flexible structure.

6. The electronic device defined in claim 4 wherein the moving weight is magnetically coupled to the moving member.

7. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the moving member has protrusions that mate with grooves in the housing.

8. The electronic device defined in claim 1 further comprising a hinge, wherein the moving member is coupled to the hinge and pivots about the hinge.

9. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the housing surrounds a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion, wherein the moving member separates the first cavity portion from the second cavity portion, wherein the first cavity portion is coupled to the sensor port, and wherein the housing has an opening that allows air to flow out of the second cavity portion when the external air flows into the first cavity portion through the sensor port.

10. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises an environmental sensor.

11. The electronic device defined in claim 1 wherein the sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas composition sensor, and a particulate sensor.

12. The electronic device defined in claim 11 further comprising a button, wherein motion of the button promotes motion of the moving member.

13. A portable electronic device, comprising:
a housing;
a sensor in the housing;
a sensor port in the housing through which the sensor communicates with external air surrounding the housing while the sensor makes measurements on the external air; and
a moving member that moves relative to the housing and thereby promotes airflow through the sensor port wherein the moving member has protrusions that mate with grooves in the housing.

14. The portable electronic device defined in claim 13 wherein the sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas composition sensor, and a particulate sensor.

15. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 wherein the moving member is configured to move in response to movement of the housing from handling by a user.

16. The portable electronic device defined in claim 14 further comprising a button, wherein motion of the button moves the moving member.

17. An electronic device that is moved by a user, comprising:
a housing structure, wherein the housing structure surrounds a cavity having a first cavity portion and a second cavity portion;
a sensor in communication with ambient air through a sensor port; and
a movable structure that slides relative to the housing structure in response to movement of the electronic device by the user and thereby promotes flow of the ambient air through the sensor port to the sensor, wherein the moveable structure seals the first cavity portion from the second cavity portion while sliding relative to the housing structure.

18. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the sensor comprises a sensor selected from the group consisting of: a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a gas composition sensor, and a particulate sensor.

19. The electronic device defined in claim 18 wherein the sensor port comprises an opening in the housing structure.

20. The electronic device defined in claim 17 wherein the first cavity portion is coupled to the sensor port and wherein the housing structure has an opening that allows air to flow out of the second cavity portion when the external air flows into the first cavity portion through the sensor port to prevent backpressure from developing in the second cavity portion.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Choi Hyuk J
• Ribeiro Roberto M

Classifications

• G01N33/0009 Primary

  General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment (devices for withdrawing samples in the gaseous state G01N1/22) · CPC title

• G01N1/2273

  Atmospheric sampling · CPC title