PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8857367-B2
Application Number: US-201113222926-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Portable electronic devices with moisture control and moisture indication features

Abstract:
Connector structures for electronic devices may be provided with moisture indicators. The connector structures may include a connector such as data port connector that has a rear opening. A moisture barrier structure may cover the rear of the data port connector and may have an opening that is aligned with the rear opening. A moisture indicator may cover the opening in the moisture barrier structure. A transparent window structure such as a layer of clear film may be used to prevent moisture from traveling through the rear opening of the data port connector and the opening in the moisture barrier structure to the moisture indicator. An audio port connector may be provided with a moisture indicator and a transparent window structure that helps prevent moisture from reaching the moisture indicator through the audio port connector.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A connector assembly, comprising:
 a connector having at least one connector wall with a connector wall opening; 
 a moisture barrier structure covering at least part of the connector wall, wherein the moisture barrier structure includes a barrier opening that aligns with the connector wall opening; 
 a transparent window structure interposed between the connector wall opening and the barrier opening; and 
 a moisture indicator that covers the barrier opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector assembly defined in  claim 1  further comprising:
 a metal shell that surrounds at least part of the connector and at least part of the moisture barrier structure. 
 
     
     
       3. The connector assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the moisture indicator includes a wicking layer and a dye layer. 
     
     
       4. The connector assembly defined in  claim 3  further comprising adhesive that attaches the moisture indicator to the moisture barrier structure over the barrier opening. 
     
     
       5. The connector assembly defined in  claim 1  wherein the transparent window structure is formed from clear plastic film and wherein the clear plastic film is attached to the moisture barrier structure using adhesive. 
     
     
       6. An audio jack assembly, comprising:
 an audio jack housing having at least one wall with a wall opening having opposing first and second ends; 
 a transparent window structure in the wall opening interposed between the first and second ends; and 
 a moisture indicator that covers the wall opening at the second end. 
 
     
     
       7. The audio jack assembly defined in  claim 6  wherein the audio jack housing has a recess that receives the transparent window structure so that the transparent window structure intersects with the wall opening. 
     
     
       8. The audio jack assembly defined in  claim 7  further comprising:
 a retention structure that holds the transparent window structure within the recess. 
 
     
     
       9. The audio jack assembly defined in  claim 8  wherein the retention structure comprises tape that covers the recess and the transparent window structure to hold the moisture indication window within the recess. 
     
     
       10. The audio jack assembly defined in  claim 9  wherein the tape comprises openings through which electrical contacts protrude. 
     
     
       11. The audio jack assembly defined in  claim 6  wherein the transparent window structure is formed from molded clear plastic. 
     
     
       12. The audio jack assembly defined in  claim 6  wherein the moisture indicator includes a wicking layer and a dye layer and wherein the moisture indicator is attached over the second end of the wall opening with adhesive. 
     
     
       13. An electronic device, comprising:
 housing structures; 
 a connector having a first opening and a second opening; 
 a sealing structure that surrounds the first opening and seals the connector to the housing structures; 
 a moisture indicator viewable through the second opening; and 
 a transparent window structure configured to prevent moisture from flowing through the second opening to the moisture indicator. 
 
     
     
       14. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the sealing structure comprises an adhesive gasket. 
     
     
       15. The electronic device defined in  claim 14  wherein the second opening has opposing first and second ends and wherein the transparent window structure covers the second end. 
     
     
       16. The electronic device defined in  claim 15  wherein the transparent window structure comprises a clear film. 
     
     
       17. The electronic device defined in  claim 16  further comprising a plastic cap that is attached to the connector and that has a third opening, wherein the moisture indicator is attached over the third opening with adhesive. 
     
     
       18. The electronic device defined in  claim 13  wherein the sealing structure comprises an elastomeric boot. 
     
     
       19. The electronic device defined in  claim 18  wherein the connector comprises an audio jack housing, wherein the second opening has opposing first and second ends, and wherein the transparent window structure is interposed between the first and second ends within the second opening. 
     
     
       20. The electronic device defined in  claim 19  wherein the transparent window structure comprises a molded clear plastic member and wherein the moisture indicator is attached over the second end with adhesive.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly, to electronic devices with moisture control and moisture indication features. 
     Handheld electronic devices and other portable electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular. Examples of handheld devices include handheld computers, cellular telephones, media players, and hybrid devices that include the functionality of multiple devices of this type. Popular portable electronic devices that are somewhat larger than traditional handheld electronic devices include laptop computers and tablet computers. 
     Portable electronic devices such as handheld electronic devices may contain complex electronic circuitry. Electronic components such as memory, processors, and other circuits can be highly sensitive to moisture. Too much moisture can create unintended low resistance connections between nodes that are meant to be at different voltages making the circuits perform unpredictably or malfunction. Circuits may also be adversely affected by exposure to dust or other contaminants. Because portable electronic devices may not always be operated in a controlled environment, they may be particularly likely to be exposed to moisture, dust, or other contaminants. 
     Electronic devices may have multiple openings for connectors such as data port connectors and audio port connectors. Data port connectors and audio port connectors are sometimes provided with dye-based moisture indicators. When exposed to water, this type of moisture indicator changes color. It can be determined whether or not an electronic device has been exposed to excessive amounts of moisture by examining the color of the moisture indicator. 
     In a conventional electronic device, a moisture indicator is sometimes mounted over an opening in a connector wall using adhesive. The status of the moisture indicator can be observed from the exterior of the device by looking through the connector wall opening. However, repeated exposure to moisture may cause the adhesive interface between the connector and the moisture indicator to fail. If moisture were to seep through the adhesive interface, it would be likely to reach the interior of the electronic device. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic devices with improved moisture control and moisture indication features. 
     SUMMARY 
     Connector structures for electronic devices may be provided with moisture indicators. A moisture indicator may have a dye layer and a wicking layer. When exposed to moisture, the dye may migrate into the wicking layer to indicate that the moisture indicator has been exposed to moisture. The connector structures may include a connector such as a data port connector and a connector such as an audio jack. The connectors may have openings through which the status of the moisture indicator may be viewed. 
     The openings in the connectors may be formed in connector walls. For example, a rear opening may be formed in the rear wall of a data port connector or in the rear wall of an audio jack housing. 
     In some configurations, a plastic cap or other moisture barrier structure may be attached to the rear wall of the connector to help impede the flow of moisture. An opening may be provided in the moisture barrier structure that is aligned with the rear opening in the connector. 
     A moisture indicator may cover the opening in the moisture barrier structure or the rear wall opening in the connector so that the moisture indicator may be viewed through the connector from the exterior of the electronic device. 
     A transparent window structure such as a layer of clear film or a molded plastic lens may be used to prevent moisture from traveling through the connector to the moisture indicator. For example, in a data port connector, the transparent window structure may be used to prevent moisture from flowing through the rear wall opening in the connector and the moisture barrier opening to the moisture indicator. In an audio jack, a clear plastic lens that serves as the transparent window structure may be inserted into a slot in the audio jack to prevent moisture from flowing to the moisture indicator through a rear wall opening in the audio jack housing. 
     Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an illustrative electronic device that may be provided with moisture control and moisture indication features in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of a conventional electronic device showing how a moisture indicator is typically employed in a connector port. 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of a portion of an electronic device of the type shown in  FIG. 1  showing a connector port with moisture control and moisture indication features in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of a portion of an electronic device showing an audio jack port that may be provided with moisture control and moisture indication features in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic device showing an audio jack port in which the junction between the audio jack housing and electronic device housing may be moisture-sealed in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a conventional electronic device showing how a moisture indicator is typically employed in an audio jack port. 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electronic device of the type in  FIG. 1  showing an audio jack port with moisture control and moisture indication features in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Electronic devices may have multiple openings for connectors such as data port connectors and audio connectors. Such openings are often provided with moisture indicators to indicate whether or not excessive amounts of moisture have reached the interior of the device. However, conventional arrangements for water indicators do not provide adequate protection against moisture ingress and often allow moisture and other contaminants to reach device interiors. 
     An illustrative electronic device of the type that may be provided with moisture control and moisture indication features is shown in  FIG. 1 . Electronic device  10  may be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a somewhat smaller device such as a wrist-watch device, pendant device, headphone device, earpiece device, or other wearable or miniature device, a cellular telephone, a media player, other portable devices, etc. 
     Device  10  may include a housing such as housing  12 . Housing  12 , which may sometimes be referred to as a case, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramics, fiber composites, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. In some situations, parts of housing  12  may be formed from dielectric or other low-conductivity material. In other situations, housing  12  or at least some of the structures that make up housing  12  may be formed from metal elements. 
     Device  10  may, if desired, have a display such as display  14 . Display  14  may, for example, be a touch screen that incorporates capacitive touch electrodes. Display  14  may include image pixels formed form light-emitting diodes (LEDs), organic LEDs (OLEDs), plasma cells, electronic ink elements, liquid crystal display (LCD) components, or other suitable image pixel structures. A cover glass layer may cover the surface of display  14 . Buttons such as button  19  may pass through openings in the cover glass. 
     Housing  12  may include structures such as peripheral housing member  16 . Member  16  may run around the rectangular periphery of device  10  and display  14 . Member  16  or part of member  16  may serve as a bezel for display  14  (e.g., a cosmetic trim that surrounds all four sides of display  14  and/or helps hold display  14  to device  10 ). Member  16  may also, if desired, form sidewall structures for device  10 . 
     Member  16  may be formed of a conductive material and may therefore sometimes be referred to as a peripheral conductive member or conductive housing structure. Member  16  may be formed from a metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, or other suitable materials. One, two, or more than two separate structures may be used in forming member  16 . In a typical configuration, member  16  may have a thickness (dimension TT) of about 0.1 mm to 3 mm (as an example). The sidewall portions of member  16  may, as an example, be substantially vertical (parallel to vertical axis V). Parallel to axis V, member  16  may have a dimension TZ of about 1 mm to 2 cm (as an example). The aspect ratio R of member  16  (i.e., the ratio R of TZ to TT) may be more than 1 (i.e., R may be greater than or equal to 1, greater than or equal to 2, greater than or equal to 4, greater than or equal to 10, etc.). The value of aspect ratio R may also be less than 1. 
     It is not necessary for member  16  to have a uniform cross-section. For example, the top portion of member  16  may, if desired, have an inwardly protruding lip that helps hold display  14  in place. If desired, the bottom portion of member  16  may also have an enlarged lip (e.g., in the plane of the rear surface of device  10 ). In the example of  FIG. 1 , member  16  has substantially straight vertical sidewalls. This is merely illustrative. The sidewalls of member  16  may be curved or may have any other suitable shape. In some configurations (e.g., when member  16  serves as a bezel for display  14 ), member  16  may run around the lip of housing  12  (i.e., member  16  may cover only the edge of housing  12  that surrounds display  14  and not the rear edge of the sidewalls of housing  12 ). 
     Data ports in device  10  such as data port  20  may include power pins to recharge a battery within device  10  or to operate device  10  from a direct current (DC) power supply, and/or data pins to exchange data with external components such as a personal computer or peripheral, audio-visual jacks to drive headphones, a monitor, or other external audio-video equipment. Port  20  may be used as an input-output port (e.g., when connecting device  10  to a mating dock connected to a computer or other electronic device). 
     Port  20  may include a connector such as data port connector  22 . Connector  22  may be a 30-pin data port female connector (e.g., a jack) that receives a mating 30-pin data port male connector (e.g., a plug). Port  20  and connector  22  may sometimes be referred to as a dock connector. Other examples of connector types that may be used in implementing connector  22  include Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors, mini USB connectors, FireWire® connectors, Ethernet connectors, audio connectors such as TRRS connectors, video connectors such as Digital Video Interface (DVI), Video Graphics Array (VGA), and High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) connectors, Mini DisplayPort connectors, other types of connectors, etc. The use of a data port connector  22  in  FIG. 1  is merely illustrative. 
     Connector ports are sometimes provided with dye-based moisture indicators. When exposed to water or other liquids, this type of moisture indicator changes color (e.g., from white to red). It can therefore be determined whether or not the electronic device has been exposed to excessive amounts of moisture by examining the color of the moisture indicator. 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional side view of a device in the vicinity of port  200  illustrating a conventional arrangement for employing the use of a moisture indicator. Opening  280  in rear wall  220 R of connector  220  is typically covered with moisture indicator  240 . Moisture indicator  240  includes a wicking layer and a dye layer. Front and rear moisture barrier layers cover the wicking layer and the dye layer. Adhesive layer  260  is used to mount moisture indicator  240  behind opening  280  in rear wall  220 R. The status of moisture indicator  240  is determined by looking through opening  280  in rear wall  220 R. 
     This arrangement presents a high risk for moisture ingress because adhesive  260  is prone to failure when exposed to excessive amounts of moisture. If adhesive  260  were to fail, moisture would be able to seep through adhesive  260  to interior  300  of the device. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional side view of device  10  in the vicinity of port  20  illustrating how this possible failure mechanism may be addressed. As shown in  FIG. 3 , a connector such as connector  22  may have a rear wall and a plurality of side walls. A wall opening such as connector wall opening  28  may be formed in rear wall  22 R of connector  22 . If desired, wall opening  28  may be formed in any one of the plurality of side walls of connector  22 . The use of rear wall  22 R of  FIG. 3  is merely illustrative. 
     A moisture barrier structure such as moisture barrier structure  34  (sometimes referred to as a cap member or cap) may be formed over rear wall  22 R of connector  22 . If desired, moisture barrier structure  34  may be formed over any one of the plurality of side walls of connector  22 . The use of rear wall  22 R as shown in  FIG. 3  is merely illustrative. Barrier structure  34  may be formed from a dielectric such as glass, ceramic, or plastic, metals, fiber-based composites, other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. With one illustrative configuration, moisture barrier structure  34  may be implemented as a molded plastic cap. Moisture barrier structure  34  may have an opening (sometimes referred to as a channel or passageway) such as barrier opening  38 . Barrier opening  38  may be aligned with connector wall opening  28 . 
     A window such as transparent window structure  32  (sometimes referred to as a lens or a moisture indication window) may be interposed between connector wall opening  28  and barrier opening  38 . Adhesive  31  may be used to attach transparent window structure  32  to moisture barrier structure  34 . If desired, adhesive  31  may be used only on the edges and rear surface of transparent window structure  32  so as not to impose undesired additional thickness at the interface between moisture barrier structure  34  and the rear surface of connector wall  22 R. Transparent window structure  32  may be formed from reflow-temperature-tolerant plastic film or other transparent material (e.g., plastic, glass, ceramic, etc.). Window structure  32  may range in thickness from about 0.1 mm to about 0.2 mm, may be less than 0.3 mm thick, may be less than 0.2 mm, or may be less than 0.1 mm (as examples). Window  32  may be rectangular, circular, may have a shape with straight edges and curved edges, or may have other suitable shapes. 
     A retention structure such as metal shell structure  36  may be formed over upper and lower surfaces of connector  22  and moisture barrier structure  34  to help hold moisture barrier structure  34  to the rear of connector  22 . Shell structure  36  may initially have unbent tabs  36 - 1  that protrude over the edge of barrier structure  34  towards interior  30  of device  10 . By bending tabs  36 - 1  of shell structure  36  over barrier structure  34  into the position shown by bent tabs  36 - 2  of  FIG. 3 , metal shell  36  may serve to fasten barrier structure  36  to connector  22 . Metal shell  36  may be formed from a thin sheet of stainless steel, aluminum, or other metals, or other suitable materials. 
     A moisture indicator such as moisture indicator  24  may mounted to moisture barrier structure  34  to cover barrier opening  38 . Moisture indicator  24  may have a wicking layer such as white paper layer  24 - 2  adjacent to a dye layer such as red dye layer  24 - 3 . Layers  24 - 2  and  24 - 3  may be sandwiched between opposing plastic film layers  24 - 1  and  24 - 4 . Adhesive such as adhesive  40  may be used to mount moisture indicator  24  over barrier opening  38 . The status of moisture indicator  24  may be determined by looking through connector opening  25 , wall opening  28 , window structure  32 , and barrier opening  38 . 
     Window structure  32  may impede the flow of moisture through openings in the connector towards the moisture indicator. This arrangement may therefore provide increased protection against moisture ingress while still preserving the ability of a technician to view the status of the moisture indicator. Moisture barrier structure  34  may force moisture to travel longer and more complex paths before reaching interior  30  of device  10  and may therefore also help to impede the flow of moisture into interior  30  of device  10  through the connector. Positioning moisture indicator  24  farther into interior  30  of device  10  may reduce moisture exposure, while window structure  32  and opening  38  may allow the status of moisture indicator  24  to remain visible from the exterior of the device. 
     Port  20  may include conductive signal contact leads such as conductive signal contact leads  42  (e.g., contact pins or contacts) formed in connector  22 . There may be twenty to forty laterally spaced contact leads formed in connector  22  (as an example). Contact lead  42  may be formed from a thin piece of conductor (e.g., copper, plated copper, brass, other metals, or other conductive materials). 
     Device  10  may contain printed circuit boards such as printed circuit board  44  shown in  FIG. 3 . Printed circuit board  44  and the other printed circuit boards in device  10  may be formed from rigid printed circuit board material (e.g., fiberglass-filled epoxy) or flexible sheets of material such as polymers. Flexible printed circuit boards (“flex circuits”) may, for example, be formed from flexible sheets of polyimide. 
     Printed circuit board  44  may contain interconnects such as interconnect  46 . Interconnect  46  may be formed from conductive traces such as traces of gold-plated copper or other metals. Solder  48  (e.g., solder paste that has been melted using a reflow oven or other source of heat) may be formed between interconnect  46  and contact lead  42  to electrically connect connector  22  with printed circuit board  44 . Window structure  32  may be able to withstand solder reflow oven temperatures (e.g., 250° C. or more) and may therefore be applied before contact leads  42  have been soldered to printed circuit board  44 . An encapsulant such as encapsulant  52  may be formed over contact lead  42  and solder  48  to encapsulate solder  48 . Integrated circuits, discrete components such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, and other electronic components may be mounted to printed circuit board  44 . 
     Connector  22  may be at least partially enclosed by housing structures in device  10  such as peripheral housing member  16 . Gaps between connector  22  and peripheral member  16  may allow moisture to penetrate to interior  30  of device  10 . To close gaps between connector  22  and peripheral housing member  16 , a gasket or other moisture-resistant sealing structure such as adhesive gasket  50  may be formed between connector  22  and peripheral housing member  16 . Gasket  50  may have a thickness T of about 0.15 mm to about 0.25 mm and may have a width W of about 0.25 mm to 0.48 mm. Adhesive gasket  50  may be formed from pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA), epoxy, or other suitable adhesives. Adhesive gasket  50  may be used to moisture-seal connector  22  to peripheral member  16  such that moisture is prevented from reaching interior  30  of electronic device  10 . Adhesive gasket  50  may be used to moisture-seal connector  22  to other housing structures in device  10 . The use of peripheral housing member  16  of  FIG. 3  is merely illustrative. 
     In addition to connector port  20 , device  10  may have an audio jack port configured to receive a mating audio plug. A top view of device  10  in the vicinity of an audio jack port such as audio jack port  60  is shown in  FIG. 4 . Audio jack port  60  (sometimes referred to as an audio connector) may be provided with a connector housing structure such as audio jack housing  62 . Audio jack housing  62  may be formed from plastic or other suitable material. Circular opening  61  may receive the barrel of a mating audio plug (e.g., a ⅛″ tip-ring-ring-sleeve (TRRS) or tip-ring-sleeve (TRS) audio plug). Audio jack port  60  may have a raised border such as raised border  64 . Raised border  64  may be formed from plastic or other suitable material. Raised border  64  may contain alignment features such as alignment feature  66 . 
     Alignment feature  66  of  FIG. 4  may be configured to align with housing structures such as audio port housing trim structure  70  of  FIG. 5 . Trim structure  70  may be formed from plastic or other suitable material. Audio jack port  60  may be at least partially enclosed by housing structures in device  10  such as peripheral housing member  16  and trim structure  70 . Gaps between audio jack housing  62  and peripheral housing member  16  or between audio jack housing  62  and trim structure  70  may allow moisture to penetrate to interior  72  of device  10 . The junction between audio jack housing  62  and peripheral housing member  16  and the junction between audio jack housing  62  and trim structure  70  may be moisture-sealed using a gasket (sealing boot) such as elastomeric gasket  74  of  FIG. 5  or other moisture-resistant sealing structure. 
     Elastomeric sealing structure  74  may have one portion P 1  that is sandwiched between audio jack port housing  62  and peripheral housing member  16  and that is parallel to the X-axis shown in  FIG. 5 . Elastomeric sealing structure  74  may have a second portion P 2  that that is sandwiched between audio jack port housing  62  and peripheral housing member  16  and that is parallel to the Y-axis shown in  FIG. 5 . Second portion P 2  of elastomeric sealing structure  74  may bear against trim structure  70 . Elastomeric sealing structure  74  may be formed from a flexible polymer such as silicone or other elastomeric sealing material. Elastomeric sealing structure  74  may provide increased protection against moisture reaching interior  72  of device  10  by moisture-sealing the junction between audio jack housing  62  and peripheral housing member  16  and the junction between audio jack housing  62  and trim structure  70 . 
     Audio jack ports are often provided with dye-based moisture indicators. When exposed to moisture, this type of indicator changes color. It can therefore be determined whether or not the electronic device has been exposed to excessive amounts of moisture by examining the color of the moisture indicator. 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of a device in the vicinity of audio jack port  600  illustrating a conventional arrangement for employing the use of a moisture indicator. Opening  760  in rear wall  620 R of audio jack housing  620  is typically covered with moisture indicator  260 . Moisture indicator  260  includes a wicking layer and a dye layer. Front and rear moisture barrier layers cover the wicking layer and the dye layer. Adhesive layer  740  is used to mount moisture indicator  260  behind opening  760  in rear wall  620 R of audio jack port housing  620 . The status of moisture indicator  260  is determined by looking through opening  760 . 
     This conventional arrangement can present a high risk for moisture ingress because adhesive  740  is prone to failure when exposed to excessive amounts of moisture. If moisture were to seep through adhesive layer  740 , it would likely reach interior  720  of the device. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of device  10  in the vicinity of audio jack port  60  illustrating how the likelihood of unwanted moisture intrusion may be reduced. A transparent window structure such as transparent window structure  80  (sometimes referred to as a lens or moisture indication window) may be formed inside a cavity or slot in the audio jack housing such as recess  81  in rear wall  60 R of audio jack housing  62  or at other suitable locations between the interior of audio jack housing  62  and moisture indicator  24 . 
     Moisture indication window  80  may be formed from molded clear plastic or other transparent materials (e.g., glass, ceramic, etc.). Moisture indication window  80  may have a rectangular shape, a circular shape, or other suitable shape. 
     Audio jack housing  62  may have a wall opening such as opening  76 . Opening  76  in audio jack housing  62  may have a circular cross section, a rectangular cross section, or may have other cross-sectional shapes (e.g., shapes with curved edges, shapes with straight edges, shapes with combinations of one or more curved edges and one or more straight edges, etc.). For example, opening  76  may have first and second opposing ends such as ends  76 I and  76 E that are formed from circular openings in audio jack housing  62 . 
     Transparent window structure  80  may be mounted at the entrance to opening  76 , may be interposed between ends  76 I and  76 E partway along the length of opening  76 , may be located over end  76 E of opening  76  or may otherwise be placed in a location along opening  76  that helps impede the flow of moisture into the interior of device  10  through opening  76 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 7 , for example, transparent window structure may intersect opening  76  so that part of opening  76  is present on both sides of moisture indication window  80 . To hold moisture indication window  80  in place within recess  81  and audio jack housing  62 , a retention structure may be provided. The retention structure may be formed from a layer of retaining material such as retaining tape  94  and may be formed over at least part of lower surface  62 L of audio jack housing  62 . Retaining tape  94  may be formed from polyimide material or other suitable material. If desired, other retention mechanisms may be used for retaining moisture indication window (e.g., fasteners such as screws, adhesive, snaps or other engagement features, etc.). 
     End  76 E of opening  76  in rear wall  62 R of audio jack port housing  62  may be covered with a moisture indicator such as moisture indicator  24 . An adhesive such as adhesive  82  may be used to mount moisture indicator  24  over end  76 E of opening  76  in rear wall  62 R. The status of moisture indicator  24  may be determined by looking through audio connector opening  75 , wall opening  76 , and moisture indication window  80 . This arrangement may provide increased protection against moisture reaching interior  72  of device  10 , while moisture indication window  80  and opening  76  may allow the status of moisture indicator  24  to remain visible from the exterior of the device. 
     Audio ports that are used in connecting an electronic device to external equipment may have any suitable number of electrical terminals. The electrical terminals in a connector are formed from conductive materials such as metal and are typically referred to as contacts. As shown in  FIG. 7 , audio jack port  60  may be provided with electrical contacts such as electrical contacts  86 . If desired, audio jack port  60  may contain two, three, four, five, or more than five contacts. The use of five contacts in audio jack port  60  shown in  FIG. 7  is merely illustrative. Electrical contacts  86  may be soldered to a printed circuit board such as printed circuit board  88 . Printed circuit board  88  may be formed from rigid printed circuit board material (e.g., fiberglass-filled epoxy) or flexible sheets of material such as polymers. Flexible printed circuit boards (“flex circuits”) may, for example, be formed from flexible sheets of polyimide. 
     Printed circuit board  88  may contain interconnects such as interconnect  90 . Interconnect  90  may be formed from conductive traces (e.g., traces of gold-plated copper or other metals). Solder  92  (e.g., solder paste that has been melted using a reflow oven or other source of heat) may be formed between interconnect  90  and contact  86  in order to electrically connect an inserted audio jack plug with printed circuit board  88 . Retaining tape  94  may have openings that receive electrical contacts  86  so that tape  94  surrounds at least part of electrical contacts  86  and serves to electrically insulate contacts  86 . Retaining tape  94  may be able to withstand solder reflow oven temperatures (e.g., 250° C. or more, as an example) and may therefore be applied before electrical contacts  86  have been soldered to printed circuit board  88 . 
     The foregoing is merely illustrative of the principles of this invention and various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20110831
Publication Date: 20141014
Grant Date: 20141014
Priority Date: 20110831
Inventors: SLOEY JASON
ARDISANA JOHN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01R13/52", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/52", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 47744335