This invention relates to portable electronic apparatus and, more particularly, to waterproof electronic apparatus for continuous outdoor use.
In recent years, a variety of portable electronic devices have been designed for personal use by an individual while engaged in some form of physical activity. Examples of such devices include broadcast receivers, cassette tape and compact disc players. These devices are battery operated and employ headphones as sound transducers, and include a variety of attachment configurations such as belt clips and headstraps to permit the device to be attached to the user. One of the most successful brands of such devices is the Walkman series, manufactured by Sony Corporation, Toyko, Japan.
Because these portable devices are used outdoors and during exercising, a variety of "water resistant" versions have been developed to increase device reliability in a moist environment. These water resistant versions employ resilient seals formed of a material such as Neoprene to cover the openings surrounding the operating controls, battery compartment and headphone jack. While this type of design provides some degree of protection from moisture, it does not enable the device to be used on a continuous basis in an unsheltered outdoor environment. For operation in such an environment, the device should be waterproof, i.e. designed to operate continuously when totally submerged.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof electronic device which is inexpensive to produce and which can operate continuously in an unsheltered outdoor environment.