IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,640,514
Granted Patent B2
US 12,640,514 · App. 18/244,836 · Granted May 26, 2026

Liquid and connection detection

Inventors: Eric B. Wankoff (San Francisco, CA); Peter J. Cameron (Scotts Valley, CA); Mahmoud R. Amini (Sunnyvale, CA); Daren L. Rimando (Milpitas, CA); Sotirios Lyrintzis (Fishers, IN); Makiko K. Brzezinski (Santa Clara, CA); Adam H. Herzog (Los Altos, CA); Mohammed Nasser Khamis Al Jashmi (San Jose, CA); George Tziviskos (San Jose, CA); Aaron N. Miletich (Lodi, CA); Collin Greene (San Francisco, CA); Jason S. Sloey (Cedar Park, TX); Sydney Puckett (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H01R13/52H01R13/641
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,640,514
App. No.
18/244,836
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
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.

Claims (38)

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, the first side ground contact having a contacting portion;

a second opening in the passage; and

a first connection-detect contact positioned in the second opening in the passage, the first connection-detect contact having a contacting portion positioned further from a front of the connector receptacle than the contacting portion of the first side ground contact.

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 1 wherein the first connection-detect contact comprises a bend to increase a beam length of the first connection-detect 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 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.

7 . The connector receptacle of claim 6 wherein the first tab and the second tab are formed of plastic.

8 . 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 the bottom side of the tongue.

9 . The connector receptacle of claim 8 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.

10 . The connector receptacle of claim 8 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.

11 . The connector receptacle of claim 8 wherein at least one of the first plurality of power and data contacts is routed around the first liquid-detect contact.

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

13 . The connector receptacle of claim 11 further comprising a connection-detect contact.

14 . The connector receptacle of claim 13 wherein the connection-detect contact is positioned in a side opening in the passage.

15 . The connector receptacle of claim 14 further comprising a third liquid-detect contact on the top side of the tongue and a fourth liquid-detect contact on the 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.

16 . 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 the 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 the front edge of the tongue, where the first length and the second length are longer than the third length.

17 . The connector receptacle of claim 16 wherein the first contact includes a first angled portion such that the first contact angles around the liquid-detect contact.

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

19 . The connector receptacle of claim 18 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.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2023
From: WANKOFF, ERIK B.; CAMERON, PETER J.; AMINI, MAHMOUD R.; RIMANDO, DAREN L.; LYRINTZIS, SOTIRIOS; BRZEZINSKI, MAKIKO K.; HERZOG, ADAM H.; AL JASHMI, MOHAMMED NASSER KHAMIS; MILETICH, AARON N.; TZIVISKOS, GEORGE; GREENE, COLLIN; SLOEY, JASON S.; PUCKETT, SYDNEY
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 065111/0906 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63409633 · Sep 23, 2022
Related Publication 20240106158A1 · Mar 28, 2024
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