Auto detaching connector for electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12586954-B2
Application number	US-202118262760-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2021
Priority date	Feb 3, 2021
Publication date	Mar 24, 2026
Grant date	Mar 24, 2026

Abstract

A connector includes a housing and a multi-layer peripheral structure disposed on the housing. The multi-layer peripheral structure is configured to enclose one or more pins and to expand in response to exposure to a liquid for disconnecting the connector from an electronic component without user intervention. The multi-layer peripheral structure may include an outer layer that may include a permeable material, a middle layer disposed within the outer layer, where the middle layer may include a material that expands when wet, and an inner layer disposed within the middle layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connector, comprising:
a housing; and a multi-layer peripheral structure disposed on the housing, the multi-layer peripheral structure configured to enclose one or more pins associated with an electronic component and to expand in response to exposure to a liquid for physically disconnecting the connector from the electronic component without user intervention.

2 . The connector of claim 1 , wherein the multi-layer peripheral structure comprises:
an outer layer; a middle layer disposed within the outer layer; and an inner layer disposed within the middle layer.

3 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the outer layer includes a permeable structure.

4 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the outer layer includes a permeable material.

5 . The connector of claim 4 , wherein the permeable material includes a mesh material.

6 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the middle layer includes a material that expands when the material gets wet.

7 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the middle layer includes a superabsorbent polymer.

8 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the middle layer includes sodium polyacrylate.

9 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the inner layer includes at least one of a solid structure and a non-permeable material.

10 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein a height of the middle layer is greater than a height of the inner layer and a height of the outer layer.

11 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the middle layer is constrained from expanding in a horizontal direction by the inner layer and the outer layer.

12 . The connector of claim 2 , wherein the middle layer is configured to expand in a vertical direction and not in a horizontal direction, the vertical direction being essentially parallel to an extension plane of the middle layer and the horizontal direction being essentially perpendicular to the extension plane of the middle layer.

13 . An electronic device, comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB) having one or more components; a battery; and a connector to connect the battery to the PCB, wherein the connector includes:
a housing, and
a multi-layer peripheral structure disposed on the housing, the multi-layer peripheral structure configured to enclose one or more pins associated with the PCB and to expand in response to exposure to a liquid for physically disconnecting the connector from the PCB without user intervention.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the multi-layer peripheral structure comprises:
an outer layer; a middle layer disposed within the outer layer; and an inner layer disposed within the middle layer.

15 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the outer layer includes a permeable material.

16 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the middle layer includes a superabsorbent polymer.

17 . The electronic device of claim 14 , wherein the middle layer includes sodium polyacrylate.

18 . A method for auto-detaching a connector from a component, the connector comprising a multi-layer peripheral structure configured to enclose one or more pins and to expand in response to a liquid for disconnecting the connector from an electronic component, the method comprising:
absorbing water through the multi-layer peripheral structure of the connector that is connected to the electronic component; and responsive to absorbing the water, physically detaching the connector from the electronic component without user intervention by expansion of the multi-layer peripheral structure.

19 . The method as in claim 18 , wherein the multi-layer peripheral structure comprises:
an outer layer that includes a permeable material; a middle layer disposed within the outer layer, wherein the middle layer includes an absorbent material; and an inner layer disposed within the middle layer.

Assignees

• Google Llc

Inventors

• Yeh Chia-Hang
• Lin Hsing-Sheng

Classifications

• H01M2200/00

  Safety devices for primary or secondary batteries · CPC title

• H01M50/284

  with incorporated circuit boards, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• H01M50/574

  Devices or arrangements for the interruption of current · CPC title

• H01M50/202

  Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery · CPC title

• H01M50/519

  comprising printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title