Electronic watch with barometric vent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11740591-B2
Application number	US-202217741066-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2022
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Aug 29, 2023
Grant date	Aug 29, 2023

Abstract

An electronic watch may include a housing at least partially defining an interior cavity divided into at least a first volume and a second volume, a pressure-sensing component positioned within the first volume, a speaker positioned within the first volume, a processor positioned within the second volume, a battery positioned within the second volume, and a barometric vent that allows air pressure equalization between the first volume and an external environment.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic watch comprising:
a housing having a wall, the wall defining:
an interior surface at least partially defining a chamber within the housing;
an exterior surface of the housing;
a recess along the exterior surface of the housing, the recess configured to accept at least a portion of a band; and
a passage extending from the interior surface of the housing to the recess and configured to draw liquid from the chamber within the housing to the recess along the exterior surface of the housing.

2. The electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the housing further comprises an internal member partially defining and separating a first sub-chamber and a second sub-chamber;
a speaker positioned within the first sub-chamber and comprising a speaker diaphragm; and
a processor positioned within the second sub-chamber.

3. The electronic watch of claim 2 , further comprising a barometric vent that allows air pressure equalization between the second sub-chamber and an external environment, the barometric vent comprising:
an opening defined by the internal member, the opening fluidly coupling the first sub-chamber and the second sub-chamber; and
an air-permeable membrane positioned over the opening and defined by the speaker diaphragm.

4. The electronic watch of claim 1 , further comprising the band, wherein an interstitial space is defined between an end of the band and a surface of the recess.

5. The electronic watch of claim 4 , wherein:
the passage defines a circular opening having a diameter; and
a distance between the end of the band and the surface of the recess is less than an inside diameter of the circular opening.

6. The electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the interior surface of the wall defines a first circular opening of the passage, the first circular opening having a first diameter; and
the exterior surface of the wall further defines a second circular opening of the passage, the second circular opening having a second diameter that is less than the first diameter of the first circular opening.

7. The electronic watch of claim 1 , wherein:
the wall of the housing defines a surface of the passage; and
a hydrophilic surface treatment is applied to the surface of the passage.

8. An electronic watch comprising:
a housing comprising a housing wall defining:
an interior surface defining at least a portion of an internal volume within the electronic watch; and
a passage extending from the interior surface and through a thickness of the housing wall and fluidly coupling the internal volume and an external environment, and

a cover coupled to the housing, a portion of the cover set apart from a portion of an exterior surface of the housing wall to define an interstitial space between the cover and the housing wall, the interstitial space configured to draw liquid from the passage to the external environment.

9. The electronic watch of claim 8 , wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises a pressure sensing component and a battery;
the internal volume is divided into at least a first volume and a second volume;
the pressure sensing component is positioned within the first volume;
the battery is positioned within the second volume; and
the passage fluidly couples the first volume to the external environment .

10. The electronic watch of claim 9 , wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises a wireless charging component; and
the cover is a rear cover positioned over the wireless charging component.

11. The electronic watch of claim 10 , wherein:
the electronic watch further comprises a display and a front cover positioned over the display and coupled to the housing wall;
the passage is a first passage and the interstitial space is a first interstitial space;
the electronic watch defines a second interstitial space between a portion of the front cover and a second portion of the exterior surface of the housing wall, the second interstitial space fluidly coupled to the external environment; and
the housing wall defines a second passage extending through the thickness of the housing wall, the second passage fluidly coupling the internal volume to the second interstitial space.

12. The electronic watch of claim 8 , wherein the interstitial space extends along a perimeter of the cover.

13. The electronic watch of claim 8 , wherein the passage extends diagonally through the thickness of the housing wall.

14. The electronic watch of claim 8 , wherein:
the passage defines a diameter; and
a distance of the interstitial space from the cover to the housing wall is less than the diameter of the passage.

15. An electronic watch comprising:
a speaker;
a pressure sensor;
a processor;
a battery; and
a housing defining:
a first internal cavity, the first internal cavity housing the speaker and the pressure sensor;
a second internal cavity, the second internal cavity housing the processor and the battery; and
a capillary passage extending through the housing and fluidly coupling the first internal cavity with an external environment, the capillary passage configured to draw liquid from the first internal cavity to the external environment via capillary action.

16. The electronic watch of claim 15 , wherein:
the housing defines a side wall; and
the capillary passage extends through the side wall.

17. The electronic watch of claim 16 wherein the capillary passage comprises a porous drain structure.

18. The electronic watch of claim 16 , wherein the capillary passage is further configured to equalize a pressure of the first internal cavity to a barometric pressure of the external environment.

19. The electronic watch of claim 16 , wherein:
an exterior surface of the housing defines a recess;
the electronic watch comprises a wristband and an end of the wristband is positioned in the recess;
an interstitial volume is defined between a portion of the exterior surface of the housing and the end of the wristband; and
a capillary volume is defined by the capillary passage; the interstitial volume and the capillary volume together forming a substantially uninterrupted drain volume.

20. The electronic watch of claim 19 , wherein the housing comprises a cap positioned between the interstitial volume and the capillary passage, the cap defining an opening and fluidly coupling the capillary passage through the opening to the interstitial volume.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Liang Jiahui
• Yang Shannon X
• Lukens William C
• Gill Mandeep
• Wang Jeanny
• Lee William S
• Jackson Stephen P
• Ehman Rex T
• Ely Colin M
• Vitt Nikolas T
• Ness Trevor J

Classifications

• G04G21/02 Primary

  Detectors of external physical values, e.g. temperature · CPC title

• G04G17/08

  Housings · CPC title

• G04G21/08

  Touch switches specially adapted for time-pieces · CPC title

• H04R1/028

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• H04R2201/023

  Transducers incorporated in garment, rucksacks or the like · CPC title