PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8246383-B2
Application Number: US-72817110-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Sealed connectors for portable electronic devices

Abstract:
A portable electronic device may have a sealed connector secured within a device housing. The sealed connector may have a metal shell. A plastic contact housing may be insert molded within the shell. Conductive signal contacts may be laterally spaced in the contact housing. An elastomeric gasket may be assembled or compression molded onto the metal shell. Left and right metal brackets may be welded onto the metal shell to moisture-seal latch windows. A water-resistant sealing layer may be attached to the bottom plate of the metal shell to moisture-seal alignment rail windows. The sealed connector may be pressed against the device housing to place the gasket in a compressed state. The connector may be secured to the device housing by screwing down the metal brackets to a circuit board assembled within the housing while the gasket is in the compressed state.

Claims:
1. A connector, comprising:
 a metal shell, wherein the metal shell has top and bottom plates that are connected by left and right side portions, wherein the left side portion has a left latch hole, and wherein the right side portion has a right latch hole; and 
 left and right sealing structures that are attached respectively to the left and right side portions, wherein the left and right sealing structures each have a protruding portion that forms a cup and wherein the left and right sealing structures respectively moisture-seal the left and right latch holes. 
 
     
     
       2. The connector defined in  claim 1 , wherein the left sealing structure comprises a metal bracket that is welded to the metal shell and wherein the right sealing structure comprises an elastomeric sealing member. 
     
     
       3. The connector defined in  claim 1 , wherein the left and right sealing structures comprise metal brackets that are welded to the metal shell. 
     
     
       4. The connector defined in  claim 3 , wherein the metal brackets have screw holes. 
     
     
       5. The connector defined in  claim 1 , wherein the left and right sealing structures comprise elastomeric sealing members. 
     
     
       6. The connector defined in  claim 5 , wherein the left and right sealing structures form integral parts of an elastomeric gasket that covers the top plate and the left and right side portions of the metal shell. 
     
     
       7. The connector defined in  claim 6 , further comprising a layer of pressure sensitive adhesive on the bottom plate of the metal shell. 
     
     
       8. The connector defined in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a substantially rectangular compression molded gasket on the metal shell. 
 
     
     
       9. A connector, comprising:
 a metal shell having top and bottom plates that are connected by left and right side portions, wherein the bottom plate of the metal shell has at least one through-hole; and 
 a flexible sheet of polymer attached to the bottom plate that moisture-seals the at least one through-hole. 
 
     
     
       10. The connector defined in  claim 9 , wherein the flexible sheet of polymer comprises a mylar film. 
     
     
       11. The connector defined in  claim 9 , further comprising adhesive between the bottom plate of the metal shell and the flexible sheet of polymer. 
     
     
       12. The connector defined in  claim 9 , wherein the left side portion has a left latch window and wherein the right side portion has a right latch window. 
     
     
       13. The connector defined in  claim 12  further comprising a metal bracket and an elastomeric sealing member each having a protruding portion that forms a cup, wherein the metal bracket and the elastomeric sealing member respectively moisture-seal the left and right latch windows. 
     
     
       14. The connector defined in  claim 9  further comprising:
 a substantially rectangular compression molded gasket on the metal shell. 
 
     
     
       15. A connector comprising:
 a metal shell; 
 an insert molded plastic contact housing within the metal shell; 
 a plurality of conductive signal contacts that are insert molded into the plastic contact housing, wherein a left side portion of the metal shell has a left latch hole and wherein a right side portion of the metal shell has a right latch hole; and 
 left and right sealing structures that are attached respectively to the left and right side portions, wherein the left and right sealing structures each have a protruding portion that forms a cup and wherein the left and right sealing structures respectively moisture-seal the left and right latch holes. 
 
     
     
       16. The connector defined in  claim 15 , wherein the insert molded plastic contact housing includes reverse mating structures at the corners of the metal shell and wherein the reverse mating structures prevent insertion of improperly oriented mating plugs into the connector. 
     
     
       17. The connector defined in  claim 15 , wherein the metal shell has top and bottom plates and wherein the left and right side portions are each connected between the top and bottom plates. 
     
     
       18. The connector defined in  claim 17 , wherein the bottom plate of the metal shell has alignment rails and alignment rail windows adjacent to the alignment rails, the connector further comprising:
 a sheet of polymer attached to the bottom plate that moisture-seals the alignment rail windows.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     This relates generally to sealed connectors, and more particularly, to moisture-sealed connectors for electronic devices such as portable electronic devices. 
     Handheld electronic devices and other portable electronic devices are becoming increasingly popular. Examples of handheld devices include handheld computers, media players, cellular telephones, and hybrid devices that include the functionality of multiple devices of this type. 
     Portable electronic devices such as handheld electronic devices may contain complex electronic circuitry in a compact area. Electronic components such as memory, processors, and other circuits are 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 more prone to be exposed to moisture, dust, or other contaminants than stationary electronic devices. 
     Portable electronic devices often have connectors that can mate with external mating connectors. A connector in a conventional portable electronic device may be constructed by pressing pins into holes in a plastic contact housing. The plastic contact housing is then fit into a stainless steel shell. The plastic housing with the stainless steel shell can be mounted within a port opening in the housing of the portable electronic device. A conventional connector formed in this way has multiple junctions that are not fully sealed. This is because the interfaces in these junctions are only held in contact with each other by a friction fit. Friction-fit junctions allow liquids and other contaminants to intrude into the interior of the housing. 
     One friction-fit junction that may be present is the interface between the connector pins and the plastic contact housing. Another friction-fit junction that may be present is the interface between the plastic contact housing and the stainless steel shell. Yet another friction-fit junction that may be present is the interface between the stainless steel shell and the housing of the portable electronic device. The stainless steel shell has male plug latch windows (holes) and alignment rails that are used to form a connection with the external mating connector. The process of forming the alignment rails creates alignment rail windows (holes). The friction-fit interfaces, the latch windows, and the alignment rail windows are not sealed and represent possible conduits through which undesirable moisture and debris can infiltrate the portable electronic device. 
     It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide electronic devices with connectors that can more effectively prevent moisture infiltration. 
     SUMMARY 
     Electronic devices may be provided with sealed connectors. A moisture-sealed connector can help prevent moisture infiltration into a device interior. 
     A portable electronic device may have a sealed connector that is used as a data port. The sealed connector may be adapted to connect to a mating connector such as a plug on a cable or accessory. The connector may have contact leads (“contacts”). A shot of thermoplastic material may be injected within a metal shell using an insert molding process to form a plastic contact housing that is molded around the contact leads. There may be multiple (e.g., 30) laterally spaced contacts in a connector. The interface between the metal shell and the thermoplastic contact housing is sealed by mechanical bonds. 
     In one suitable arrangement, a U-shaped silicone gasket may be assembled on the metal shell to seal top and side portions of the metal shell. Pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) may be applied to a bottom plate of the metal shell to attach the sealed connector to the device housing. 
     In another suitable arrangement, a silicone gasket may be used to seal the top, bottom, and side portions of the metal shell. The silicone gasket may be molded directly onto the metal shell using a compression molding process and may have the shape of a rectangular ring. 
     The sealed connector may have latch windows. The latch windows may be sealed using metal brackets with corresponding latch cups that are welded directly to the metal shell. The latch windows may also be sealed using elastomeric sealing members (e.g., the sealing members may be integral parts of a U-shaped silicone gasket). 
     The sealed connector may have alignment rail windows. The alignment rail windows may be sealed by attaching a water-resistant sealing layer to the bottom plate of the metal shell to seal the alignment rail windows against moisture. 
     The connector may be mounted within a device housing. When assembled, the sealing member in the connector may press against the walls of the device housing to compress the gasket and to seal the interface between the connector and the device housing. 
     A printed circuit board within the device may have screw holes. The connector may have left and right metal brackets. The left and right metal brackets may have screw holes that correspond to the screw holes in the circuit board. Corresponding screws may be inserted into the screw holes to secure the sealed connector within the device housing while the gasket is in a compressed state. 
     Further features of the connector, 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 perspective view of an illustrative portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an illustrative sealed connector showing potential ingress areas in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagram showing how an illustrative sealed connector may be formed with conductive signal contacts in place using an insert molding tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a diagram showing how an illustrative sealed connector may be formed with contact stitching holes for conductive signal contacts using an insert molding tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an illustrative sealed connector showing a metal shell with through holes that are filled with plastic during an insert molding process in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram showing how a U-shaped gasket may be formed using a compression molding tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an illustrative sealed connected that is moisture-sealed with a U-shaped gasket of the type shown in  FIG. 6  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative sealed connector of  FIG. 7  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram showing how an O-shaped gasket may be formed using a compression molding tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of an illustrative sealed connector that is moisture-sealed with an O-shaped gasket of the type shown in  FIG. 9  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional side view of the illustrative sealed connector of  FIG. 10  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional side view of an illustrative sealed connector that is moisture-sealed with a metal bracket and an elastomeric sealing member in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the illustrative sealed connector of  FIG. 12  in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 14  is a bottom perspective view of an illustrative sealed connector with exposed alignment rail windows in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 15  is a bottom perspective view of an illustrative sealed connector with a water-resistant sealing layer in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention relates to sealed connectors for electronic devices. 
     The electronic devices may be portable electronic devices such as laptop computers or small portable computers of the type that are sometimes referred to as ultraportables. Portable electronic devices may also be somewhat smaller devices. Examples of smaller portable electronic devices include wrist-watch devices, pendant devices, headphone and earpiece devices, and other wearable and miniature devices. With one suitable arrangement, the portable electronic devices may be wireless electronic devices. 
     The wireless electronic devices may be, for example, handheld wireless devices such as cellular telephones, media players with wireless communications capabilities, handheld computers (also sometimes called personal digital assistants), remote controllers, global positioning system (GPS) devices, and handheld gaming devices. The wireless electronic devices may also be hybrid devices that combine the functionality of multiple conventional devices. Examples of hybrid portable electronic devices include a cellular telephone that includes media player functionality, a gaming device that includes a wireless communications capability, a cellular telephone that includes game and email functions, and a portable device that receives email, supports mobile telephone calls, has music player functionality and supports web browsing. These are merely illustrative examples. 
     An illustrative portable electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . Device  10  of  FIG. 1  may be, for example, a handheld electronic device that supports handheld computing device functions such as music player functionality, games, internet browsing, email and calendar functions, cellular telephone and data functions, local wireless communications capabilities (e.g., IEEE 802.11 and Bluetooth®), etc. 
     Device  10  may have device housing  12 . Device housing  12 , which is sometimes referred to as a case, may be formed from any suitable materials including, plastic, glass, ceramics, metal, or other suitable materials, or a combination of these materials. 
     Device housing  12  may have a display such as display  14  that is formed on a top face of housing  12 . Display  14  may be a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an electronic ink display, or any other suitable display. The outermost surface of display  14  may be formed from one or more plastic or glass layers. 
     In the example of  FIG. 1 , display screen  14  is shown as being mounted on the front face of handheld electronic device  10 , but display screen  14  may, if desired, be mounted on the rear face of handheld electronic device  10 , on a side of device  10 , on a flip-up portion of device  10  that is attached to a main body portion of device  10  by a hinge (for example), or using any other suitable mounting arrangement. 
     If desired, touch screen functionality may be integrated into display  14  or may be provided using a separate touch pad device. Display screen  14  is merely one example of an input-output device that may be used with electronic device  10 . If desired, electronic device  10  may have other input-output devices. Suitable user input interface devices for electronic device  10  include buttons (e.g., alphanumeric keys, power on-off, power-on, power-off, and other specialized buttons, etc.), a touch pad, pointing stick, or other cursor control device, a microphone for supplying voice commands, or any other suitable interface for controlling device  10 . For example, electronic device  10  may have user input interface devices such as touch pad  16  and button  18 . In one suitable arrangement, touch pad  16  may surround button  18  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 1 ). Button  18  may be, for example, a menu button. 
     A user of electronic device  10  may supply input commands using user input interface devices such as touch screen  14 , touch pad  16 , and button  18 . Although shown as being formed on the top face of electronic device  10  in the example of  FIG. 1 , buttons such as button  18 , touch pad  16 , and other user input interface devices may generally be formed on any suitable portion of device  10 . 
     Device  10  may have audio and video jacks (e.g., jack  20 ) that allow device  10  to interface with external components. 
     Data ports in device  10  such as port  22  may include power pins to recharge a battery within device  10  or to operate device  10  from a direct current (DC) power supply, 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  22  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  22  may have a sealed connector such as moisture-sealed data port connector  24 . Connector  24  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  22  and sealed connector  24  may sometimes be referred to as a dock connector. Connector  24  may be sealed (e.g., moisture-sealed) sufficiently with respect to the walls of housing  12  to prevent ingress of moisture, dust, dirt, or other debris that could cause electronic device  10  to malfunction. 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of sealed connector  24 . Sealed connector  24  may include conductive signal contacts such as conductive signal contacts  30  (e.g., contact pins or contact leads) formed in a plastic contact housing such as plastic contact housing  28 . Plastic contact housing  28  may serve to insulate contacts  30  and to prevent short-circuit current from flowing between contacts  30 . There may be thirty laterally spaced contacts formed in plastic contact housing  28  (as an example). 
     Plastic contact housing  28  may be surrounded by a metal shell such as metal shell  26 . Metal shell  26  may have parallel top and bottom plates that are connected by left and right side portions. Metal shell  26  may have latch windows (holes) such as latch windows  34  on the left and right side portions of shell  26  and alignment rail windows (holes) such as alignment rail windows  36  on the bottom plate of shell  26 . Latch windows  34  are openings that allow the mating connector to secure itself to connector  24 . Alignment rail windows  36  are byproducts of alignment rails  37  that are bent up from the bottom plate of metal shell  26 . The alignment rails may provide physical guidance for the mating connector. 
     Connector  24  may be placed within device housing  12 . Potential ingress areas include gaps between contacts  30  and plastic contact housing  28  (sometimes referred to herein as contact stitching gaps), gaps between metal shell  26  and plastic contact housing  28  (sometimes referred to herein as shell-to-insulator gaps), gaps between metal shell  26  and housing  12  (sometimes referred to herein as shell-to-housing gaps  32 ), latch windows  34 , and rail alignment windows  36 . These potential ingress areas represent locations associated with connector  24  where moisture could potentially enter device  10 . It is therefore generally desirable to provide ways of moisture-sealing these ingress areas. 
     Mounting structures such as left metal bracket  38  and right metal bracket  40  may be attached to metal shell  26 . Brackets  38  and  40  may, for example, be welded to metal shell  26 . Brackets  38  and  40  may include holes such as screw holes (see, e.g., hole  39 ). The screw holes may be positioned over a substrate such as printed circuit board (PCB)  42 . Circuit board  42  may be a rigid PCB, a flexible circuit board (e.g., a flex circuit), a rigid-flex circuit board, or other types of substrate. Screws such as screw  44  may be used to secure connector  24  to circuit board  42  that is mounted within device housing  12 . 
     Sealed connector  24  may be formed using an injection molding process such as an insert molding process. Injection molding is a manufacturing process for producing parts from thermoplastic materials. Suitable thermoplastics for injection molding can be formed from polymers that assume a liquid (moldable) state when heated and that solidify to a solid plastic state when sufficiently cooled. Thermoplastic materials that may be used for forming connector  24  may include polyethylene, polypropylene, and other polymers suitable for use in injection molding techniques. 
       FIG. 3  shows cross-sectional side views of an injection molding system during steps involved in forming an illustrative connector using an insert molding process. A connector that is formed in this way may have metal shell  26 . Metal shell  26  may be formed from a thin sheet of stainless steel or any suitable metal or material. 
     At step  49 , shell  26  and pins  30  may be held in place by holding structure  48 . Pins  30 , which may also sometimes be referred to as contact leads or contacts, may each be formed from a thin piece of conductor (e.g., copper, plated copper, brass, or any suitable metal). Mold  50  may be placed around shell  26  so that mold  50  forms a mold cavity that is inside shell  26  and that surrounds pins  30 . A shot of pelletized thermoplastic material (e.g., thermoplastic granules or “resin”) may be added to hopper  52 . The material may be gravity fed into a screw-type plunger  54  (or an injection ram) that is heated by heating unit  56 . The heat generated by unit  56  and the rotation of the screw in plunger  54  result in elevated temperatures and a shearing action on the thermoplastic pellets that causes the pellets to melt into molten plastic. Screw rotation in plunger  54  may push the molten plastic towards the mold cavity. Mold  50  may have an opening through which nozzle  58  may be inserted to connect with the mold cavity. Plunger  54  may inject the molten plastic into the mold cavity through nozzle  58 . The molten plastic may be injected with a high enough pressure to completely fill the mold cavity. 
     When the mold cavity has been completely filled, the molten plastic may be cooled by running water through channels in mold  50 . The plastic that solidifies within the mold cavity forms plastic contact housing (insulator)  28  that molds around pins  30 . This process is referred to as insert molding, because thermoplastic is injected into a mold cavity around an insert piece (i.e., pin  30 ). At the completion of the cooling cycle, mold  50  may be released. Metal shell  26  with the inserted-molded plastic contact housing may be ejected (step  51 ). 
     The top and bottom plates of metal shell  26  may be parallel to axes  60  and  60 ′ respectively. It may be desirable to form the top and bottom plates of shell  26  to be slightly angled from one another to facilitate the release of mold  50 . For example, axes  60  may be drafted 0.25 degrees from axes  60 ′. Any other desirable angle may be used. Axes  60  and  60 ′ may be parallel, if desired. 
     A tightly sealed mechanical bond may be formed when the insert structures are formed of a different material than the resin. For example, a mechanical bond may be formed between metal shell  26  (e.g., a metal casing) and plastic contact housing  28  (e.g., a plastic housing). To achieve a well-formed mechanical bond, metal shell  26  may be provided with a surface capable of retaining the encased plastic housing under normal conditions (e.g., normal operating temperatures and stresses). The mechanical bond between metal shell  26  and plastic contact housing  28  and the mechanical bond between plastic contact housing  28  and pins  30  (e.g., the metal insert pieces of the connector) may form interfaces that sufficiently seal the shell-to-insulator gaps and the contact stitching gaps from moisture, respectively. 
     Another suitable approach for forming connector  24  is shown in  FIG. 4 . At step  53 , metal shell  26  may be held in place by holding structure  48 . Mold  50 ′ may be placed around shell  26  so that mold  50 ′ forms a mold cavity that is inside shell  26  and forms contact stitching holes such as contact stitching holes  62 . Contact stitching holes  62  are openings through which contacts  30  may be inserted at a later processing step. 
     A shot of pelletized thermoplastic material (e.g., thermoplastic granules or “resin”) may be injected into the mold cavity formed by mold  50 ′ to form plastic contact housing  28  as described in connection with  FIG. 3 . 
     Mold  50 ′ may subsequently be released. Contacts  30  may be inserted into contact stitching holes  62  manually or automatically with suitable assembly equipment (step  55 ). Inserting contacts  30  into holes  62  in this way may form tight friction-fit interfaces between contacts  30  and plastic contact housing  28 . Sealing the contact stitching gaps using this approach may be acceptable provided that the risk for liquid ingress through the contact stitching gaps is relatively low compared to the risk for moisture ingress through the shell-to-insulator gaps. 
     In summary, the mechanical bond between metal shell  26  and plastic contact housing  28  and the friction-fit between contacts  30  and plastic contact housing  28  may form interfaces that satisfactorily seal the shell-to-insulator gaps and the contact stitching gaps from moisture, respectively (step  57 ). 
     Metal shell  26  may have through holes such as through holes  46 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . Through holes  46  may be filled with plastic material during the insert molding process that forms plastic housing  28 . The portions of plastic material that fill through holes  46  may be used for shell-to-insulator retention (e.g., to provide mechanical support for the placement of plastic contact housing  28  within metal shell  26 ). Reverse mating structures such as reverse mating structures  47  may also be formed during the insert molding process. Reverse mating structures  47  may be used to ensure proper connection with the mating connector. 
     Shell-to-housing gaps  32  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 ) may present relatively high risks for moisture ingress. Sealed connector  24  may be assembled within device housing  12  and may be secured against the walls of port (opening)  22  to close gaps  32 . For example, elastomeric sealing structure (e.g., a silicone gasket) may be assembled onto metal shell  26  to seal shell-to-housing gaps  32 . 
     An elastomeric sealing structure such as U-shaped gasket  80  may be formed using a compression molding process, as shown in  FIG. 6 . At step  75 , a layer of silicone such as layer  66  may be placed between upper molding structure  68  and lower molding structure  70 . Layer  66  may be formed from silicone, rubber, or other suitable elastomeric (compressive) materials. Lower molding structure  70  may be attached to a computer-controlled positioning structure such as control structure  74 . Upper molding structure  70  may be attached to control structure  74  through support member  72 . Control structure  74  may have motors, gears, or other mechanical equipment that moves support member  72  and upper molding structure  68  downwards in the direction of arrow  76 . 
     At step  77 , control structure  74  may move upper molding structure  68  downwards so that upper molding structure  68  comes in contact with lower molding structure  70 . Lowering structure  68  in this way may cause layer  66  to bend into an upside down “U” configuration (when viewed from the front). Upper and lower molding structures  68  and  70  may compressively mold layer  66  into U-shaped gasket  80 . Once molded into a U shape, gasket  80  will generally retain its shape upon release of the molding structures (step  79 ). Heat need not be required in the compression molding process. 
     Gasket  80  may be assembled onto metal shell  26  to create a seal along the top and side portions of shell  26 , as shown in  FIG. 7 . Left and right brackets  38  and  40  may have screw holes through which screws  44  may be inserted to secure sealed connector  24  within device housing  12 . The bottom of shell  26  may be covered with pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) material such as PSA  82 . PSA  82  is an adhesive that is activated upon an applied pressure. PSA  82  may be used to create a seal along the bottom side of metal shell  26  when metal shell  26  is secured within housing  12 . 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional side view showing sealed connector  24  mounted within housing  12 . A top portion of gasket  80  that lines the top of shell  26  may be pushed against corresponding surface  84  of device housing  12  to compress gasket  80  between the connector and the device housing. Side portions of gasket  80  that line the sides of shell  26  may be pushed against corresponding surfaces  86  of device housing  12  to compress gasket  80 . PSA  82  may be activated while gasket  80  is in the compressed state to seal the bottom portion of shell  26 . Sealed connector  24  may be screwed down by screws  44  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 7 ) when gasket  80  and PSA  82  are in the compressed state. In the compressed state, gasket  80  may seal shell-to-housing gaps  32  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 ) to prevent moisture from entering the housing. Gasket  80  is merely an example of an elastomeric sealing structure for sealing connector  24 . Sealing structures of another type and shape may be used to seal gaps  32 , if desired. 
     Another suitable elastomeric sealing structure that may be used to moisture-seal connector  24  is gasket  102 . An elastomeric sealing structure such as O-shaped gasket  102  may be formed using the compression molding process, as shown in  FIG. 9 . At step  91 , an elastomeric layer such as layer  66  may be attached to a front face of metal shell  26 . Upper molding structure  88 , middle molding structure  92 , and lower molding structure  90  may each be connected to control structure  74  through support members  72 . A positioner such as control structure  74  may direct the upper, middle, and lower molding structures to move in the directions of arrows  94 ,  98 , and  96 , respectively (e.g., by controlling support members  72 ). 
     At step  93 , the upper molding structure may be lowered until it comes into contact with the top plate of metal shell  26 , the lower molding structure may be raised until it comes into contact with the bottom plate of shell  26 , and the middle molding structure may be pushed until it comes into contact with plastic contact housing  28 . Pushing structure  92  in the direction of arrow  98  way may remove a center portion of layer  66  to form a substantially rectangular ring (O-shaped) gasket such as gasket  102 . Molding structures  88 ,  90 , and  92  may be used to compressively mold gasket  102  in the directions of arrows  100 . Gasket  102  may be formed and molded directly onto shell  26  without requiring an additional assembly step. Gasket  102  may retain its molded shape after molding and may remain attached to shell  26  upon release of the molding structures (step  95 ). 
     Gasket  102  may create a seal along all four edges of metal shell  26 , as shown in  FIG. 10 . PSA need not be necessary with this type of configuration, because the bottom edge of shell  26  can be effectively sealed by gasket  102 . If desired, PSA may be applied to the bottom of connector  24  to provide additional sealing capabilities. 
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional side view showing sealed connector  24  mounted within housing  12 . Top and bottom portions of gasket  102  that line the top and bottom edges of shell  26  may be pushed against corresponding surfaces  104  of device housing  12  to compress gasket  102  between the connector and the device housing. Side portions of gasket  102  that line the two sides of shell  26  may be pushed against corresponding surfaces  106  of device housing  12  to compress gasket  102 . In the compressed state, gasket  80  may seal the shell-to-housing gaps to prevent moisture from entering the housing. Sealed connector  24  may be secured by screws  44  to circuit board  42  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 7 ) mounted within housing  12  when gasket  102  is in the compressed state. 
     Other potential high-risk ingress areas include latch windows  34  (described in connection with  FIG. 2 ).  FIG. 12  is a side view of sealed connector  24  as viewed from the side of connector  24  that faces left bracket  38 . Connector  24  of  FIG. 12  includes gasket  80  assembled onto metal shell  26 . Dotted line  108  represents a cross-sectional cut across connector  24 . Line  108  is drawn directly over left bracket  38 . 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the sealed connector of  FIG. 12  sectioned along a cross-sectional cut on plane  108 . Left metal bracket  38  may have a sealed protruding portion such as portion  110  that forms a cup that seals the left latch window. Left metal bracket  38  may be welded to metal shell  26  to form a chemical bond. Chemical bonds may be formed between two similar types of materials (e.g., metal with metal or plastic with plastic). Chemical bonds tend to be stronger and even less likely to leak than mechanical bonds. Cup  110  is recessed sufficiently to accommodate the latches on the male plug while also sealing the left latch window. 
     The right latch window may be sealed by an elastomeric sealing member such as elastomeric sealing member  80 -R. Sealing member  80 -R may sometimes be referred to as a silicone boot. As with protrusion  110 , sealing member  80 -R may form a cup that receives the latches on the male plug while also sealing the right latch window. Sealing member  80 -R may be formed as part of a gasket of the type described in connection gasket  80  of  FIG. 7 . 
     These techniques to seal the latch windows are merely illustrative. If desired, the right latch window may be sealed by a metal bracket with a latch receiving cup or the left latch window may be sealed by an elastomeric sealing member such as elastomeric sealing member  80 -L (which may also be formed as part of gasket  80 ). In general, metal brackets having latch receiving cups and/or silicone boots may be used to seal latch windows  34 . 
     Alignment rail windows  36  described in connection with  FIG. 2  may present another high-risk area for moisture ingress.  FIG. 14  is a bottom perspective view of sealed connector  24  showing the alignment rail windows. Alignment rail windows  36  are created as a byproduct of a shell stamping process that is used to form alignment rails  37  (see, e.g.,  FIG. 2 ). The alignment rails are raised up from the bottom plate of shell  26 , and the rail windows are formed as a remainder of this process. As shown in  FIG. 14 , silicone boot  80 -L and  80 -R may be integral portions of gasket  80 . 
     To prevent moisture from entering device  10  through the alignment rail windows, a water-resistant sealing layer such as water-resistant mylar film  112  may be used to cover the bottom plate of shell  26 , as shown in  FIG. 15 . Other water-resistant materials may be used to seal window openings  36 , if desired. A layer of adhesive may be formed between the bottom plate of shell  26  and film  112  to adhere film  112  to shell  26 . Adhesive is preferably not applied at regions  114  that correspond to the rail window openings, because it is generally undesirable to expose an adhesive surface to an environment that is external to the device. 
     Sealed connector  24  may be moisture-sealed using any desired combination of the various techniques described in connection with  FIGS. 1-15 . In particular, insert molding techniques may be used to seal the contact stitching gaps and the shell-to-insulator gaps, silicone gaskets (e.g., gasket  80  or gasket  102 ) may be used to seal shell-to-housing gaps  32 , welded metal brackets and/or elastomeric sealing members may be used to seal the latch windows, and a water-resistant sealing film may be used to seal the alignment rail windows. Any sub-combination of these techniques may be used to moisture-seal connector  24  as desired. 
     For example, consider a scenario in which the high risk areas for liquid ingress include the shell-to-housing gaps, the latch windows, and the alignment rail windows. Sealed connector  24  in this scenario may be formed using silicone gasket  102  of the type described in connection with  FIG. 10  (as an example). Sealed connector  24  may have left metal bracket  110  and right sealing member  80 -R to seal the latch windows and may have water-resistant mylar film  112  to seal the alignment rail windows. The plastic contact housing within metal shell  26  may be formed using insert-molding, if desired. 
     Consider another scenario in which the high risk areas for liquid ingress include the shell-to-insulator gaps, the shell-to-housing gaps, and the latch windows. Sealed connector  24  in this scenario may be formed using the insert-molding process described in connection with  FIG. 3  or  FIG. 4  (as examples). Sealed connector  24  may be formed using silicone gasket  80  of the type described in connection with  FIG. 7  (as an example). Sealed connector  24  may have left and right elastomeric sealing members  80 -L and  80 -R (e.g., as integral parts of silicone gasket  80 ) that are used to seal the latch windows. 
     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: 20100319
Publication Date: 20120821
Grant Date: 20120821
Priority Date: 20100319
Inventors: SCHMIDT MATHIAS
JOL ERIC
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H01R13/627", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/52", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29L2031/3481", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29L2031/34", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29C2043/181", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29C45/14639", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "B29C43/18", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/4921", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/722", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49176", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R43/24", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/629", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6594", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6273", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5219", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5219", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49146", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5216", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6582", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R43/24", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/405", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6582", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5216", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/4922", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5202", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R43/16", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49146", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/4922", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/722", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/7047", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/49176", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/629", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R12/7047", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6594", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/5202", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/6273", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R43/16", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H01R13/405", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "Y10T29/4921", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 44121546