Apple Granted Patent for Headphone Jack and Plug With Reduced Length and Thickness

Apple has been granted a patent for a new headphone jack and connector plug with a reduced length and thickness.

The company notes that the diameter and length of current 3.5 mm and even 2.5 mm audio connectors are limiting factors in making such devices smaller, thinner and allowing the displays to be larger.

It filed a patent for a 'D-shaped connector' that discloses an audio connector plug and jack that can be used in place of the a standard low profile plug. The connector plug has a reduced plug length and thickness, an intuitive insertion orientation and a smooth, consistent feel when inserted and extracted from its corresponding receptacle connector. A portion or all of the plug connector may include a flexible material that allows the connector to bend with respect to an insertion axis along which the plug connector is designed to be inserted into a corresponding receptacle connector. A corresponding connector jack may be configured to receive the reduced length and thickness connector plug.


In one embodiment, a plug connector according to the present invention includes a shell and a sleeve coupled to the shell at its base and having a D-shaped cross section. The sleeve has a ground contact at its distal tip, a plurality of contacts are arranged around a periphery of the sleeve and a plurality of dielectric strips that electrically isolate the plurality of contacts from each other. An insulation ring is positioned between the distal tip and the plurality of contacts and each of the plurality of contacts and plurality of dielectric strips extend from the insulation ring to the shell.

Take a look at the images below for a better idea of what the connector would look like.

[via PatentlyApple]