Apple was granted four design patents yesterday in Hong Kong China covering the Apple Watch Sport’s retail packaging & a connector with an on-off switch at the top as noted in our cover graphic.
Unlike “patent applications,” design patents published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and/or any other Patent Office, don’t reveal pertinent information about a particular design. All we are given is a series of simple photos and/or line-art graphics of what was actually registered. The first design patent is a case in point. It’s a design patent for a ‘connector’ – but it’s not one that’s familiar. Without patent details, there’s no way to verify with certainty what the connector is for. .
Design Patent: Connector
Apple was granted a design patent in Hong Kong yesterday for a connector that is unidentified. If any reader is able to identify this connector, then please make note of it in our comment section below and we’ll update this report accordingly.
Update 5:40 a.m.: Several comments suggested that the connector design was associated with the hidden data port. After going back to the design patent and conducting a more focused search online for this, I came a across a design for a charging strap as noted in the graphic below. It’s an accessory not made by Apple.
Going back to the design patent there was a second part of the design, the male connector as presented below that’s to mate with the female connector as noted noted above. If this design is associated with the Apple Watch, then will Apple introduce this with the Apple Watch 2 design or are they licensing this design to accessory makers? Time will tell, but for now, it appears that our fan base may have had it right in suggesting the connector was for the hidden data port. Thanks to all who sent in comments on this in a timely manner. Cheers.
Design Patent: Apple Watch Sport Retail Packaging
Apple was granted three design patents yesterday in Hong Kong numbered 1502174.6M001 to .6M003 covering the retail packaging for the Apple Watch Sport as noted below.
