Electronic device with an irregular port to expel liquid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972934-B1
Application number	US-201715612975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 2, 2017
Priority date	Jun 2, 2017
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

An electronic device with a port is disclosed. To expel liquid in the port, the port includes modifications to form a capillary pressure gradient with the liquid, causing uneven capillary forces to act on the liquid in the port. For example, the port may include an asymmetric profile with one section having a curved profile and another section having one or more linear profiles that join at an edge. The edge may form a relative higher curved surface as compared to the curved profile. As a result, the capillary pressure gradient may exert a higher capillary pressure in a location associated with the edge, as compared to a capillary pressure along the curved profile. The capillary pressure gradient causes ambient air into the port along the edge, and separates the liquid from the edge, allowing gravity to overcome atmospheric pressure and causing removal of the liquid from the port.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
an enclosure defining an internal volume, the enclosure having a through hole; and
a port at least partially aligned with the through hole and extending at least to the internal volume, the port comprising an internal surface, the internal surface comprising:
a first portion having a first curvature that creates a first capillary pressure that is exerted by a liquid in contact with the first portion, and
a second portion having a second curvature that is different than the first curvature, the second curvature creating a second capillary pressure that is exerted by the liquid in contact with the second portion, the second capillary pressure different from the first capillary pressure.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein a difference in capillary pressure between the first capillary pressure and the second capillary pressure defines a capillary pressure gradient that causes the liquid contained within the port to exit from the port.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the capillary pressure gradient is at least partially defined by an asymmetric cross section that includes the first portion and the second portion.

4. The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein:
the first curvature includes a rounded wall, and
the second curvature includes a first linear wall and a second linear wall joined with the first linear wall to define an edge.

5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the second curvature is greater than the first curvature.

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first section defined by the first portion; and
a second section defined by the second portion, wherein the first section and the second section define a through hole that includes an asymmetric cross section.

7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein at least the second portion includes a hydrophobic coating.

8. A port suitable for use in an electronic device, the port comprising:
a channel that defines an internal surface, the channel comprising:
a first section having a first curvature that creates a first capillary pressure when a liquid is disposed along the internal surface in a location corresponding to the first section, and
a second section joined with the first section, the second section having a second curvature that creates a second capillary pressure when the liquid is disposed along a location of the internal surface corresponding to the second section, wherein the second curvature is different from the first curvature, and
an asymmetric opening defined by the first curvature and the second curvature, wherein the first capillary pressure is different from the second capillary pressure based upon the asymmetric opening.

9. The port of claim 8 , the second curvature is greater than the first curvature, and wherein when the liquid is positioned within the channel, the second capillary pressure causes ambient air to enter the asymmetric opening and force the liquid away from the second section and toward the first section, thereby causing the liquid to exit the asymmetric opening.

10. The port of claim 8 , wherein the channel comprises a through hole having a first opening and a second opening opposite the first opening, the first opening and the second opening defined by the asymmetric opening.

11. The port of claim 8 , wherein the channel includes an asymmetric cross section defined by the asymmetric opening.

12. The port of claim 8 , further comprising a coating applied to the internal surface, wherein the internal surface comprises a first surface energy, and wherein the coating that defines a second surface energy that is less than the first surface energy.

13. The port of claim 8 , wherein the first section comprises a rounded wall, and wherein the second section comprises a first linear wall and a second linear wall that is joined with the first linear wall at an edge.

14. The port of claim 13 , wherein the rounded wall defines the first curvature, and wherein the edge at least partially defines the second curvature.

15. A method for forming a port suitable for use in an electronic device, the port having an internal surface, the method comprising:
forming a first section of a channel, the first section having a first curvature that creates a first capillary pressure when a liquid disposed along the internal surface in a location corresponding to the first section;
forming a second section of the channel that is joined with the first section, the second section having a second curvature that creates a second capillary pressure when the liquid disposed along a location of the internal surface corresponding to the second section, wherein the second curvature is different from the first curvature; and
forming an asymmetric opening that is defined by the first curvature and the second curvature, wherein the first capillary pressure is different from the second capillary pressure based upon the asymmetric opening.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein when the liquid is positioned between the first section and the second section, the second capillary pressure causes ambient air to enter the asymmetric opening and force the liquid away from the second section and toward the first section, thereby causing the liquid to exit the asymmetric opening.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein:
forming the first section comprises forming a rounded wall,
forming the second section comprises forming a first linear wall and forming a second linear wall joined with the first linear wall to form an edge,
the rounded wall, the first linear wall, and the second linear wall define the asymmetrical opening, and
the edge creates the second capillary pressure with the liquid.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the first section and the second section of the channel comprises molding the first section and the second section using a moldable material.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein molding the second section comprises forming a textured pattern that includes either protrusions or indentations in the second section, wherein the textured pattern defines a surface energy different from a surface energy of the first section.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising applying a coating to the second section, the coating defining a surface energy less than a surface energy of the first section.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Taylor Warren
• Lippert Jesse A
• Younes Amin M
• Choiniere Paul
• Kaliyamoorthy Sathyanarayanan
• Spencer Maegan K
• Yang Shannon X

Classifications

• H05K5/069

  Other details of the casing, e.g. wall structure, passage for a connector, a cable, a shaft · CPC title

• H01R43/18

  for manufacturing bases or cases for contact members · CPC title

• H04B1/3833

  Hand-held transceivers · CPC title

• A45C2011/002

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• H01R25/006

  the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle · CPC title