Sensor drying pathway via capillary-induced pressure gradient

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021080912-A1
Application number	US-201916569591-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 12, 2019
Priority date	Sep 12, 2019
Publication date	Mar 18, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Aspects of the subject technology relate to an apparatus including one or more transducers, and a pathway for drying the one or more transducers via removal of water from vicinities of the transducers. The pathway includes a tubular structure, and the one or more transducers are disposed at a first opening of the tubular structure. The pathway is to facilitate removal of water via capillary-induced pressure gradient created by a capillary-dense material disposed at a second opening of the tubular structure at a distance from the transducers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus comprising:
one or more transducers; and a pathway for drying the one or more transducers via removal of water from vicinities of the one or more transducers, wherein: the pathway comprises a tubular structure, the one or more transducers are disposed at a first opening of the tubular structure, and the pathway is configured to facilitate removal of water via capillary-induced pressure gradient created by a capillary-dense material disposed at a second opening of the tubular structure at a distance from the one or more transducers.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular structure comprises a U-shape cylindrical tube, the one or more transducers are disposed around a periphery of the first opening and the capillary-dense material is disposed to fill a second opening and a portion of the U-shape cylindrical tube at a distance from the first opening.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the capillary-dense material comprises a sponge material or a material including at least one of a hydrophilic foam, cotton, wool, glass fiber, glass beads or metal sawdust or swarf.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular structure comprises a main cylindrical tube coupled to multiple cylindrical tube branches.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the one or more transducers are disposed around a periphery of an opening of the main cylindrical tube and the capillary-dense material is disposed to fill portions of the multiple cylindrical tube branches.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the tubular structure comprises a cylindrical tube and further comprises a polymeric porous membrane made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) disposed at a second opening of the cylindrical tube.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the capillary-dense material is disposed over the polymeric porous membrane.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more transducers are miniature transducers with dimensions of a few millimeters and comprise speakers, microphones and environmental sensors including pressure sensors, gas sensors and/or particulate matter sensors.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tubular structure is a miniature structure with dimensions of a few millimeters.

10 . An electronic device comprising:
one or more transducers exposed to at least one of humidity or water; a tubular structure coupled at a first end to the one or more transducers and forming a pathway for drying the one or more transducers; and a capillary-dense material disposed at a second end of the tubular structure and configured to facilitate removal of water from the one or more transducers via capillary-induced pressure gradient.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the tubular structure comprises a U-shaped cylindrical tube having the one or more transducers disposed around a periphery of the first end, and wherein the capillary-dense material is disposed at the second end of the U-shaped cylindrical tube.

12 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the tubular structure comprises a main cylindrical tube coupled to multiple cylindrical tube branches, and wherein the one or more transducers are disposed around a periphery of an opening of the main cylindrical tube and the capillary-dense material is disposed to fill portions of the multiple cylindrical tube branches.

13 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the tubular structure comprises a cylindrical tube and further comprises a polymeric porous membrane made of PTFE disposed at a second opening of the cylindrical tube.

14 . The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the capillary-dense material is disposed over the polymeric porous membrane.

15 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more transducers are miniature transducers with dimensions of a few millimeters and comprise speakers, microphones and environmental sensors including pressure sensors, gas sensors and/or particulate matter sensors.

16 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the tubular structure is a miniature structure with dimensions of a few millimeters.

17 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the capillary-dense material comprises a sponge material or a material including at least one of a hydrophilic foam, cotton, wool, glass fiber, glass beads or metal sawdust or swarf.

18 . A wireless communication device comprising:
one or more transducers; an attachment made of a capillary-dense material; and one or more pathways disposed to couple the one or more transducers to the attachment, wherein: the one or more pathways are configured to allow transport of water from vicinities of one or more transducers to the attachment, and the attachment is capable of releasing the water to a surrounding environment.

19 . The wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises a smartwatch and the attachment comprises a band made of the capillary-dense material and coupled via one or more tubes to the one or more transducers.

20 . The wireless communication device of claim 18 , wherein the wireless communication device comprises a smartphone and the attachment comprises a case made of the capillary-dense material and coupled via one or more tubes to the one or more transducers.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wiles Brentley M
• Gill Mandeep
• Macneil David

Classifications

• H05K5/0213

  Venting apertures; Constructional details thereof · CPC title

• H04R1/1075 Primary

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• G04G21/04

  using radio waves (radio-controlled time-pieces G04R) · CPC title

• G04G17/08 Primary

  Housings · CPC title

• G04G21/02

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