Liquid and connection detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024106158-A1
Application number	US-202318244836-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 11, 2023
Priority date	Sep 23, 2022
Publication date	Mar 28, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

Connector receptacles and connector receptacle interfaces that can detect a connection to a corresponding connector insert, can detect liquid in the connector receptacle, and can limit damage to the connector receptacle caused by the liquid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A connector receptacle comprising:
a housing having a passage; a tongue located in the passage; a first plurality of contacts on a top side of the tongue; a second plurality of contacts on a bottom side of the tongue; a first opening in a first side of the passage; a first side ground contact positioned in the first opening in the passage; a second opening in the passage; and a first connection-detect contact positioned in the second opening in the passage.

2 . The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein the second opening is in a second side of the passage, the second side opposite the first side.

3 . The connector receptacle of claim 2 wherein a contacting portion of the first connection-detect contact is positioned further from a front of the connector receptacle than a contacting portion of the first side ground contact.

4 . The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein the second opening is in a bottom of the passage, the bottom of the passage below the tongue.

5 . The connector receptacle of claim 4 further comprising a second side ground contact in a third opening and a second connection-detect contact in a fourth opening.

6 . The connector receptacle of claim 1 wherein first connection-detect contact comprises a bend to increase a beam length of the first connection-detect contact.

7 . The connector receptacle of claim 1 further comprising a first tab along a portion of an outside edge of the first side ground contact and a second tab along a portion of an outside edge of the first connection-detect contact.

8 . The connector receptacle of claim 7 wherein the first tab and the second tab are formed of plastic.

9 . A connector receptacle comprising:
a housing having a passage; a tongue located in the passage; a first plurality of power and data contacts on a top side of the tongue; a second plurality of power and data contacts on a bottom side of the tongue; a first liquid-detect contact on the top side of the tongue; and a second liquid-detect contact on a bottom side of the tongue.

10 . The connector receptacle of claim 9 wherein at least one of the first plurality of power and data contacts is routed around the first liquid-detect contact.

11 . The connector receptacle of claim 10 wherein the first liquid-detect contact and the second liquid-detect contact are coupled to an Electrochemical-Impedance Spectroscopy circuit.

12 . The connector receptacle of claim 9 further comprising a first plurality of trenches, each between adjacent power and data contacts on the top side of the tongue and a second plurality of trenches, each between adjacent power and data contacts on the bottom side of the tongue.

13 . The connector receptacle of claim 9 further comprising:
a hydrophobic coating on the top side of the tongue near a front edge of the tongue and a hydrophilic coating on the top side of the tongue near the first liquid-detect contact.

14 . The connector receptacle of claim 10 further comprising a connection-detect contact.

15 . The connector receptacle of claim 14 wherein the connection-detect contact is positioned in a side opening in the passage.

16 . The connector receptacle of claim 15 further comprising a third liquid-detect contact on a top side of the tongue and a fourth liquid-detect contact on a bottom side of the tongue, wherein the first liquid-detect contact, the second liquid-detect contact, the third liquid-detect contact, and the fourth liquid-detect contact are connected to a liquid-detect contact plate, wherein the liquid-detect contact plate terminates in a single contact.

17 . A connector receptacle comprising:
a tongue; a ground pad on a top side of the tongue; a first plurality of contacts on the top side of the tongue, the first plurality of contacts including a first contact extending a first length from the ground pad to a front edge of the tongue and a second contact extending a second length from the ground pad to a front edge of the tongue; and a liquid-detect contact between the first contact and the second contact and extending a third length from the ground pad to a front edge of the tongue, where the first length and the second length are longer than the third length.

18 . The connector receptacle of claim 17 wherein the first contact includes a first angled portion such that the first contact angles around the liquid-detect contact.

19 . The connector receptacle of claim 18 wherein the second contact includes a second angled portion such that the second contact angles around the liquid-detect contact.

20 . The connector receptacle of claim 19 wherein the first contact comprises a VBUS contact and the second contact comprises a CC contact for a Universal Serial Bus Type-C connector receptacle.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Wankoff Eric B
• Cameron Peter J
• Amini Mahmoud R
• Rimando Daren L
• Lyrintzis Sotirios
• Brzezinski Makiko K
• Herzog Adam H
• Al Jashmi Mohammed Nasser Khamis
• Tziviskos George
• Miletich Aaron N
• Greene Collin
• Sloey Jason S
• Puckett Sydney

Classifications

• H01R12/79

  connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures · CPC title

• H01R13/629

  Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure {electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances (separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26)} · CPC title

• H01R13/46

  Bases; Cases · CPC title

• H01R13/6683 Primary

  with built-in sensor · CPC title

• H01R13/52 Primary

  Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof cases · CPC title