Apple filed a patent on a self-repairing connector that would lead to a waterproof iPhone

I know that the iPhone 6s / 6s Plus has improved waterproof performance enough to function without problems even if it is submerged for 1 hourHowever, according to the contents of patents newly applied by Apple, there is the possibility that the waterproofness of iPhone may be further improved.

United States Patent Application: 0150357741


Apple invention uses self-healing elastomers to weatherproof iPhone connectors, audio jack
http://appleinsider.com/articles/15/12/10/apple-invention-uses-self-healing-elastomers-to-weatherproof-iphone-connectors-audio-jack

The title of the patent submitted by Apple is "ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH HIDDEN CONNECTOR (electronic device with hidden connector)". Normally, the connection terminals such as the earphone jack of the smartphone are often exposed to the outside, but according to the documents submitted by Apple, the connector of the new deviceElastomerIt is covered with material, "self-healing" can be said. The article says that even if new materials developed by Apple are penetrated by other materials, it can maintain more than 90% of the original tension. In other words, the hole of the connector is usually hidden by a rubber-like elastomer material, and when you listen to music etc., you can insert the earphone's terminal in the elastomer material part and OK, when the terminal is removed, the elastomer material returns to the earphone jack again It is a mechanism that hides it.


With such a feeling, an idea to attach elastomer material to the entrance of earphone jack ... ...


What to paste inside.


Or the idea of ​​filling the entire interior of the earphone jack with elastomer material is also supposed.


Samsung Galaxy S6 ActiveYaXperia Z5Has already realized a waterproof earphone jack, but special cover etc is not attached. If this patented technology is applied to the iPhone, there is a possibility that the waterproofness of the device will be improved, but there is a problem from another angle of whether the material matches the design of the Apple device which emphasizes design.