CN104662928A - Retractable storage system for handheld electronic device - Google Patents

Abstract

A retractable storage system for handheld electronic device comprises a removable panel with one or more storage chambers for storing an accessory item, such as a wireless earbud, cabled earbud, headphone cable or e-cigarette, and a retractable mechanism to retrieve and dispense the stored accessory item through an accessory station. The removable panel can be replaced with another removable panel configured with different structure to store different accessory item., such as a battery to charge a wireless earbud or e-cigarette.

Description

Retractable Storage System for Handheld Electronic Devices

technical field

The invention relates to a retractable storage system for a handheld electronic device. More precisely, the present invention provides a protective carrier system as a protective shell for a handheld electronic device, and provides a retractable earphone, an earphone placement area and a storage function for the handheld electronic device.

Background technique

Handheld electronic devices are becoming more and more popular as daily consumer goods and are frequently used to meet our daily communication needs. Devices such as iPhone ^TM , iPad ^TM , iPod ^TM , Blackberry ^TM , cell phones, mobile video players, Kindle ^TM e-books and Android ^TM devices are now an integral part of our daily lives. With the popularization of handheld electronic devices, there is a demand for protective shells and various options for aesthetic freshness, so that consumers can make devices with their favorite appearance styles at a limited cost. In addition, these protective casings are becoming stronger and stronger to protect the equipment from accidental damage.

For example, US Patent No. 7,648,027 (incorporated herein in its entirety) discloses a protective device capable of housing a portable device, such as a cell phone, including a cord wrapping arrangement on its rear panel. However, this invention does not deal with the problem of knotted earphone wires (including earphones, auricular earphones and ear canal earphones) caused by such winding. Not only can the headphone cable be damaged, but it can also get tangled if you are not careful.

US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0233078 (incorporated into this specification in its entirety) also discloses a storage solution for portable devices, which provides a storage compartment for earphones. This solution uses a spring-loaded cord reel, which can place undue stress on the cords of headphones, including headphones, pinna earphones, and ear canal earphones. When the spring-loaded cord reel releases the spring-loaded device and rewinds the cable, it creates violent and uncontrolled speeds on the swivel wheel that can damage or shorten the life of the cable. Related inventions are U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0170732 (Parker), U.S. Patent No. 6,731,956 (Hanna et al.), and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0279743 (Sim) (all of which are incorporated herein in their entirety). The technical solutions in the above-mentioned documents all adopt a spring-loaded reel to pull back the earphone wire, which similarly puts the earphone wire (including headphone, auricular earphone and ear canal earphone) under excessive pressure. Spring-loaded cord reels create violent and uncontrolled speeds on the swivel wheel or spring spool as the spring-loaded device is released and the cable is rewound, putting the cable under undue stress and damaging or shortening The lifespan of the headphone cable.

Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a storage system for a handheld electronic device, which can safely pull back and store various objects.

Contents of the invention

The present invention discloses a novel carrier system with built-in retractable earphone system. The system is suitable for use with many forms of headsets, and with a variety of handheld electronic devices.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an easy-to-fit carrier case, optionally made of molded plastic, including surround-wrapped side walls, a rear panel, and a front opening into which a hand-held electronic device can slide. The rear panel is of one-piece construction and has an enlarged compartment built into the top that contains the earphone (both pinna and canal earphones) placement areas. The storage area provides a secure and secure holder for a pair of pull-out or pop-out headphones, so the headphones can rest in place when not in use. Various openings are arranged on the side wall surrounding the covering, and various buttons on the handheld electronic device can be directly used through the openings.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, two bounded areas or compartments are directly integrated on the rear panel, and each area or compartment has a corresponding earphone wire channel to accommodate earphone wires (including pinna earphones and ear canal earphones). ). The earphones and their long earphone cords are housed in said area or compartment; a channel keeps the earphone plug securely in the earphone placement area, allowing the earphone plug to be easily inserted into the earphone jack of the handheld electronic device.

According to one embodiment of the invention, an intermediate panel or box member, similar to the previous embodiment, is provided with two compartments and operable cord channels for receiving and guiding earphone cords (including pinna earphones) and in-ear headphones).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, one of the compartments is fixedly installed with an external antenna/transmitter integrated circuit chip, which amplifies the signal of the mobile phone secondary to solve the problem of mobile phone signal due to the limitation of the internal space of the mobile phone (such as iPhone ^TM or iPad ^TM ). Zoom in on limited issues.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a retractable storage system for a hand-held electronic device includes a protective housing formed from a rear panel and a plurality of side walls forming a surrounding boundary member, the shape and size of which can be Operatively enclosing the border of the handheld electronic device and enabling the protective housing to enclose the handheld electronic device. The enlarged compartment is arranged close to the rear panel, and the compartment is connected to the top wall of the protective shell. The top wall forms an opening connected to the compartment. The accessory placement area installed in the compartment forms an opening structure for restraining and releasing the accessories of the handheld electronic device. A removable middle panel removably installed in the protective shell is parallel to the rear panel and has an upper edge close to the compartment and located below the compartment. One or more storage compartments are provided on the removable middle panel for storing the accessories and are connected to one or more accesses to the accessory placement area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned retractable storage system further includes an earphone cable with an earphone and a plug; and a retractable device, operatively configured in one of the storage compartments, for automatically pulling Storage headphone cable. The earphone is detachably placed in the accessory placement area, the earphone cord is detachably wound in the spring-loaded bobbin of the retractable device, the plug of the earphone cord is connected to the hand-held electronic device connected to the headphone jack of the device. Moreover, when in use, the earphone is pulled out from the accessory placement area, and at the same time, the earphone wire is protruded from the storage compartment.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned retractable means comprise a friction braking system that reduces the rotational speed of said spring-loaded spool when pulling back said earphone cord.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned friction braking system comprises at least one shock absorbing pad that reduces the rotational speed of said spring-loaded spool when said earphone cord is pulled back.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned retractable storage system further includes a retractable button for controlling the retractable device for retracting the earphone cord.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned pull-back button is spring-loaded so that unless the pull-back button is moved and held in the second position to pull the earphone cord back into the storage compartment, the pull-back button will remain On or back to first position.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforesaid retractable storage system further includes a plug driving system, operable to connect or separate the plug on the earphone cable and the earphone jack of the handheld electronic device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned retractable storage system further includes an accessory button for releasing the earphone from the accessory placement area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned accessory button is spring-loaded, and unless the accessory button is moved and held in the second position to release the earphone body from the accessory placement area, the accessory button will remain at or Return to first position.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the retractable storage system further includes two earphones, and each earphone is connected to a separate earphone cable. Two retractable devices, each retractable device is installed in the corresponding storage compartment for automatically retracting the corresponding earphone cord, the retractable devices can be independently controlled, so that each earphone cord can be independently pull back.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned retractable storage system further includes a first retractable button and a second retractable button, which are used to independently control the corresponding retractable device.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, each of the aforementioned pull-back buttons is spring-loaded unless each of the pull-back buttons moves and remains in the second position to pull the corresponding earphone cord back to the corresponding storage compartment , otherwise each of the pull-back buttons remain in or return to the first position.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned retractable storage system includes a headset cord having an audio plug and a headset plug; and a retractable device operably mounted on the One of the storage compartments is used to automatically pull back the headphone cable to be stored. The headphone plug is detachably arranged in the accessory placement area. The headset cord is removably wound within a spring-loaded spool of the retractable device, and the audio plug is connected to a headphone jack of the handheld electronic device. When used in conjunction with a headset, the headset plug is pulled out from the accessory placement area, and the headset cord protrudes from the storage compartment.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforesaid retractable storage system further includes a retractable button for controlling the retractable device to retract the headphone cord.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned retractable storage system includes two earphones, each earphone is connected with a separate magnetized earphone wire, and each magnetized earphone wire is attracted to each other by magnetic force to form a single-strand wire, and the single-strand wire The wire is removably wound within the same spring-loaded spool of the retractable device. When in use, the earphone is pulled out from the accessory placement area, and the single-strand wire can be stripped into two independent earphone wires after protruding from the storage compartment.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the aforementioned accessory is one of the following items: lipstick, lip gloss, cigarettes and cigars. The aforementioned retractable storage system further includes an accessory button to release the accessory from the storage compartment through the accessory placement area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the retractable storage system further includes at least one battery installed in one of the storage compartments to charge the accessory or the handheld electronic device. The accessory placement area is a charging area that is conductively connected to the battery, and charges the accessories stored in the charging area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned accessory is a wireless earphone or an electronic cigarette. The aforementioned retractable storage system also includes an accessory button that releases the accessory from the charging area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned accessory placement area includes an area adapter made of elastic material for adjusting the opening size of the accessory placement area.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the aforesaid retractable storage system further includes colored light-emitting diodes, which display logos, advertisements or aesthetically pleasing patterns on the rear panel of the protective shell; wherein, the handheld electronic device It is operatively connected with the light-emitting diode to control and change the logo, advertisement or pattern presented by the light-emitting diode.

Whether it is the aforementioned or other matters, technical features or beneficial effects of the present invention, it can be understood after reading the drawings and specific implementations in combination. The same number in the accompanying drawings of the description represents the same technical feature.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a retractable storage system covering and protecting a portable electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the upper side of the compartment area as an earphone (including auricular earphone and ear canal earphone) storage area in one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an expanded view of a retractable storage system for storing earphone cables and a handheld electronic device combined with it in an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a further expanded view of the retractable storage system in Fig. 3, showing a detachable panel for storing earphone wires and a handheld electronic device combined with it in an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a retractable storage system for storing earphone cables according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of the retractable storage system in Fig. 5;

Figure 7 is an exemplary front view of the retractable storage system in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 8 is an illustrative rear view of the retractable storage system in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 9 is an illustrative right side view of the retractable storage system in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 10 is an illustrative left side view of the retractable storage system in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 11 is an exemplary top view of the retractable storage system in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 12 is an illustrative bottom view of the retractable storage system in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a wedge drive system for removing and installing an audio plug (3.5mm or other type) from a handheld electronic device in one embodiment of the present invention;

14 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a lever actuation system for removing and installing an audio plug from a handheld electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 15 is a schematic diagram of the operation of a rotary drive system for removing and installing an audio plug from a handheld electronic device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 16 is a partial cross-sectional view of a retractable storage system including a battery compartment in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 17 is an illustrative perspective view of a retractable storage system for storing, charging and releasing wireless earphones in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 18 is an illustrative rear view of a retractable storage system including multiple colored LEDs in one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 19 is an exploded perspective view of a retractable device for receiving and retracting an earphone cord according to an embodiment of the present invention;

20A-B are perspective views of a retractable storage system including a retractable device for retracting an earphone cord in one embodiment of the present invention, with the device released in A and engaged in B;

21A-B are perspective views of a retractable retractable system including a retractable device and a friction brake system to control the speed of a spring-loaded spool in one embodiment of the present invention. The device in A is released, and the device in B is engaged;

Figure 22 is an exploded perspective view of a retractable device for receiving and retracting an earphone cord according to an embodiment of the present invention;

23 is an exploded perspective view of a retractable storage system including retractable means for storing and retracting an earphone cord in one embodiment of the present invention;

24A-B are exploded perspective views of a retractable storage system for storing and retracting earphone cords, including a pull-back button controlling the retracting mechanism and removing the two earphones from the accessory storage area, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Released accessory button; and

25A-B are rear and perspective views of a retractable storage system for storing, charging, and releasing an e-cigarette in one embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed ways

Embodiments of the present invention will be described here in detail. As far as possible, in the detailed description and the drawings of the specification, the same or similar reference numbers refer to the same or similar configurations or steps. The drawings are simplified diagrams and not to exact scale. For convenience and clarity, the use of directional terms (up/down, etc.) or directional terms (front/rear, etc.) may be relative to the drawings, but these expressions should not be construed in any way to limit the scope of the claimed invention. protected range.

Earphones include singular and plural earphones, earphones and ear canal earphones, earphone systems and earphone components, all of which fall within the scope of the present invention.

For simplicity and clarity in description, the drawings only schematically show general structures, and known technical features and technical solutions will be appropriately omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the focus of the present invention.

If terms such as "first", "second", "third" and "fourth" are used in the claims and specific implementation methods, they are used to distinguish several similar technical features and do not necessarily mean that A specific sequence or chronological order. These terms should be understood as interchangeable. "Example" or "version" should be understood to be used interchangeably without limitation, and there is no limitation that one term is more or less restrictive or specific than the other. Furthermore, the terms "comprises," "comprising," "including," and "containing," as well as any such terms, are intended to refer to a non-exclusive collection. When we state that a program, a method, an object, a device or a composition include the enumerated features, it is not limited to these features, and may also include other items not explicitly listed or not included in the program, method, or object. , other features inherent in the device or composition itself.

Embodiments or versions of the present invention can be modified without hindrance to fit any size handheld electronic device that provides an audio output or interconnection system, such that these devices would have a headphone jack. For the sake of clarity, the embodiments given by the present invention are all based on iPod ^TM or iPhone ^TM , but the present invention should be understood as being applicable to any handheld electronic device, mobile phone, smart phone, computer, notebook computer, Tablets, e-readers, or other such devices. The protective shell can be made of metal, rubber, plastic or other plastic materials. It is also possible to combine several materials to make modules with different elasticities, so a hard plastic bottom can be molded with more elastic plastic side walls and smooth low friction side guide channel sections. Variety of colors and material patterns are also available to vary the style and style.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 , a handheld electronic device 110 —such as an iPod ^™ /iPhone ^™ —is enclosed within a protective shell 111 of a carrier case 100 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the protective shell 111 is formed of a thin layer of plastic, leather, rubber or other formable, resilient and durable lightweight material, providing a protective layer for the handheld electronic device 110 to prevent scratches or other damage. The protective housing 111 can be configured in various shapes and sizes to closely match different designs of handheld electronic devices, and is not limited to the shapes shown in the drawings. For example, the protective case may be rectangular with sufficient thickness to match an iPhone ^(TM) device, or square to match a Kindle ^(TM) e-reader. The protective case can provide users with personalized and custom-made patterns and colors, resulting in a sense of fashion or personal decoration. Various openings 103 can be configured on the side wall or top of the carrier box 100 to use various buttons and interfaces of the handheld electronic device 110 , such as power, volume control buttons or USB interface.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the carrier case 100 has no front panel to allow direct and unobstructed access to the front screen 122 of the handheld electronic device 110 . Especially for touch screen devices, this front opening is very convenient in function and elegant in appearance. The edge of the side wall of the protective shell 111 is slightly curved as a fixed lip to increase the gripping force for the handheld electronic device 110 . As an alternative, the sidewall of the protective housing 111 is a rubberized surface to increase the gripping force of the handheld electronic device 110 .

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the portion of the top 400 of the carrier case 100 covering the earphone jack 112 is configured as a slightly enlarged compartment or bounded area 125 to accommodate the earphone placement area 115 (see FIGS. 3 and 4 ). According to one aspect of the present invention, the earphone placement area 115 includes an opening or two cylindrical openings sized to frictionally restrain the two earphones 117, 119 (e.g., wireless earphones, auricular earphones, or earphones). channel headphones). The earphone placement area and the carrier box 100 can be made into an integral structure (not two separate structures) and connected to each other (the earphone placement area and the carrier box share an opening). As an alternative, the earphone placement area 107,109 includes an opening to receive a pair of earphones 117,119. In order to make the earphone placement area 115 elastic, it can be made of plastic, artificial rubber or composite materials. An adapter ring (shown but not numbered) can be provided to adjust the universal opening to a smaller size so that any earphone can be perfectly matched to the earphone placement area 115 . The earphone wires 121, 123 are accommodated in the protective casing 111 through the opening of the earphone placement area 115, and rolled in or out during use.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4 , the carrier case 100 includes an intermediate box or insert 300 configured with one, two or more storage compartments 127 , 129 to house the earphone cords 121 , 123 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, a retractable device 127A, 129A, such as a spring reel or spool 610, is repositionably inserted into the storage compartment 127, 129 to automatically retract the headphone cord 121, 123 after use. The retractable devices can be individually scaled (pull back, partially retracted or fixed position) and each retractable device can be operated independently (one or two earpieces). An additional external antenna receiver/transmitter chip (not shown) can be permanently installed in the storage compartment, or installed near the protective case to enhance the mobile phone signal receiving/transmitting capabilities. As an option, a pair of earphones 117, 119 can be connected to a single earphone cord, thereby requiring only one storage compartment 127 to house the earphone cord 121, and only one retractable device 127A to automatically retract the earphone cord 121 after use.

The headphone cords 121, 123 are guided through channels into corresponding storage compartments 127, 129 where the remaining cords are coiled. The pin 105 of the earphone/canal earphone is guided through one of the channels to the top adjacent to the earphone jack of the handheld electronic device 100 . Earphones 117 , 119 are placed or accommodated within the earphone placement area 115 . During use, one or two earphones are pulled out from the earphone placement area 115, and are pulled back in the earphone placement area 115 with a known continuous puller or a known ratchet after use.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the panel 300 is configured to be easily assembled with the protective shell 111, and fixed by friction or micro-protrusions arranged inside the protective shell 111, and can also be fixed by sonic wave fixing (welding) or other methods. Similarly, the earphone placement area 201 is assembled in a detachable manner or in a fixed manner. As shown in FIG. 23 , the carrier case 200 includes a hinged cover 203 for opening and closing the opening of the earphone placement area 201 or the charging area 510 .

Those skilled in the art know that the outer wall of the protective shell 111 may have openings or transparent parts to display the brand area on the handheld electronic device. Similarly, such apertures or transparent portions may stylized display pullbacks 127A, 129A. Referring to FIG. 18 , according to one embodiment of the present invention, the carrier case 200 includes a plurality of colored light emitting diodes (LEDs) 550 for displaying logos, advertisements or other aesthetically pleasing patterns on the rear panel of the carrier case. Preferably, the light emitting diode 550 is wired or wirelessly connected to the handheld electronic device, so that the handheld electronic device can control and change the logo, advertisement or pattern displayed on the light emitting diode 550 .

The back panel of the protective housing 111 is provided with a slightly enlarged bounded area or compartment 125 to accommodate the earphone placement area 115 . According to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 , the earphone placement area 201 is an elongated tubular structure including two or more openings 203 , 205 adapted to the earphones, which can be detachably or fixedly installed. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the earphone placement area 201 may be integrated at the rear of the carrier case 100,200. In consideration of elasticity and tight fit, the opening of the earphone placement area 201 can be slightly larger than most earphones, but the opening is filled with materials such as rubber, and can be adapted to O-rings or other adjustable structures. The middle panel 300 may be replaced with other configurations suitable for a particular handheld electronic device. The middle panel 300 may include openings or areas required by any handheld electronic device for a camera or video recorder, aperture, or branding.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the compartment structure and the channel can be molded directly on the middle box, the plug-in middle panel 300 or the rear panel of the protective shell 211 in an integrated manner. 5 and 6, the carrier case 200 for a handheld electronic device includes a protective housing 211 and one or more storage compartments 605 to removably accommodate one or more accessories, such as earphone cords, wireless earphones, headset cords , electronic cigarettes, cigars, cigarettes, lipstick and lip balm, etc. According to one embodiment of the present invention, storage compartment 605 may house one or more retractable devices 600 . A storage compartment 605 with one or more guide channels 213 , 215 , 216 may be arranged on the inner wall of the rear panel of the protective housing 211 or on the plug-in middle panel 300 . Headphone placement area 201 may be mounted on top of channels 213,215. The channel 216 is used to accommodate the earphone plug 225 for plugging into the earphone jack of the handheld electronic device 110 . The channels 213, 215 guide the earphone wires 229, 231 to be pulled out when in use, and then pulled back to the corresponding retractable device 600 when stored.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, each retractable device 600 houses a spring case that automatically and independently retracts the earphone cords 229, 231 when not in use. As shown in FIG. 19 , the retractable device 600 includes a spool to receive the headphone cord, and a spring spring 620 and a spool contact plate 630 to conductively connect the headphone cords 231 , 229 to an audio jack or a headphone jack connected to the handheld electronic device 110 225 on. When the earphone wires 231, 229 are pulled back, the retractable device 600 releases the spring spring 620, and the spring spring rotates the bobbin 610 to coil or wind the earphone wire on the bobbin. The user can untie one or both earphone cords 231, 229 from their respective spring-loaded spools 610; when not in use, the device 600 can be pulled back to wind the earphone cords back onto the spring-loaded spools 610. As an alternative, as shown in FIGS. 22-23, the retractable device 600 includes: a washer 625, adjacent to the back plate of the protective housing 211; a spring spring 620; a spool 610; a spool contact fixed or attached to the spool 610 disc 630; and a contact film 635, preferably a printed circuit board (PCB), secured to the plug-in intermediate panel 300 . The contact points on the spool contact disc 630 enable the earphone wires 231 , 229 on the spool 610 to maintain a conductive connection with the contact film 635 . The contact film is electrically connected to the earphone plug 225 .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, referring to FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 , the automatic pull-back of the earphone wires 229, 231 can be triggered by lightly pulling the earphone wires 229, 231; The pull-back button 650 may be a button with an on-off state or a button that can slide to a first position and a second position. Each retractable device 600 can be independently operated and controlled via a corresponding retract button 650 . As shown in FIG. 20A , move the slidable pull-back button 650 to the second position (or move up to the top of the carrier case) to interface with the retractable device 600 to pull back the headphone cord. As shown in FIG. 20B , moving the slidable pull-back button 650 to the first position (or down to the bottom end of the carrier case) prevents the pull-back device 600 from pulling the headphone cord back into the spool 610, but allows the use of Or pull out the headphone cable more.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 21A-B , the slidable pull-back button 650 is spring-loaded, and it can remain in the first position until the pull-back button 650 is moved to the second position to pull back. The headphone cord, and automatically returns to the first position when the pull-back button 650 is released. That is, the pull-back button 650 must remain in the second position to pull back the headphone cord 229, 231, otherwise the pull-back button 650 will return to the first position. The user moves the pull-back button 650 to the second or "pull-back" position by sliding the button toward the bottom end of the carrier case, and holds the pull-back button 650 there to pull the corresponding headphone cord 229, 231 back onto the spool or on the reel 610; releasing the retract button 650 stops or undocks the retractable device 600. The two earphone wires 229, 231 can be pulled out of different lengths from the corresponding spool 610, for example, the earphone wire 231 is pulled out 1 foot, and the headphone wire 229 is pulled out 2 feet. To give another example, the earphone wire 231 can be pulled back independently of the earphone wire 229, so that the earphone 221 connected to the earphone wire 231 can be completely pulled back to the earphone placement area 201, while the earphone 223 connected to the earphone wire 229 remains in the earphone. Place outside zone 201.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the two earphones 221, 223 are connected to the same earphone cable, so only one retractable device as shown in Figs. 20A-B and 24A-B is sufficient. The earphones 221 and 223 temporarily stored or stored in the earphone placement area 201 when not in use can be taken out or ejected from the earphone placement area 201 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the carrier case 200 includes an accessory button 655 to slide the earphones 221 , 223 out of the earphone placement area 201 as shown in FIGS. 24A-B . The accessory button 655 moves toward the earphone placement area 201 to slide the earphones 221 , 223 out; the accessory button 655 moves away from the earphone placement area 201 to slide the earphones 221 , 223 into the earphone placement area 201 . As an alternative, the accessory button 655 is spring-loaded, similar to the pull-back button 650, unless the accessory button 655 is moved or held in the second position to pop or slide the headset 221, 223 out of the headset placement area 201 (as shown in FIG. 24B ). ), otherwise the accessory button 655 remains in or returns to the first position (as shown in FIG. 24A ).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 21A-B , each retractable device 600 includes a friction brake system 640 for controlling the and reduce the speed of the spring reel or spool 610. Without other supporting devices, the spring spring 620 of the spring-loaded retractable device 600 may cause the spring reel or spool 610 to spin at a violent, uncontrolled speed when the retractable device 600 is released to retract the headphone cord, thereby Improper stretching or even damage to headphone cables 229,231. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the friction braking system 640 includes one or more shock absorbing pads 660 to slow down the speed of the spring spool or spool 610 . For example, when the spring-loaded retractable device 600 is in the retractable mode (as shown in FIG. 21B with the retractable button 650 in the second or retracted position), the docking pad 660 applies pressure to the spool 610 to lower it. spinning speed.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 26A-B, the storage compartments 501, 605 and the retractable device 600 retract and store the earphone plug and earphone cord 550 of a conventional headset (not shown). The retractable device 600, preferably including a friction brake system 640, automatically pulls the earphone plug and earphone cord 550 of the headset after use. Similar to the aforementioned earphone cords 229 , 231 , the automatic retraction of the earphone cord 550 in this embodiment can be triggered by gently pulling the earphone cord 550 or docking the pull-back button 650 . The earphone plug 550 temporarily stored or stored in the earphone placement area 201 when not in use can be taken out or ejected from the earphone placement area 201 . Similar to the aforementioned earphones 221, 223, the earphone placement area 201 is configured to accommodate the earphone plug 550, as shown in Figures 26A-B, the accessory button 655 slides the earphone plug 550 into the earphone placement area 201 and out of the earphone placement area 201 . The accessory button 655 moves toward the earphone placement area 201 to slide the earphone plug 550 out; the accessory button 655 moves away from the earphone placement area 201 to slide the earphone plug 550 into the earphone placement area 201 . Optionally, the accessory button 655 is spring loaded so that the accessory button 655 will remain or return to the first or "rest" position until the accessory button 655 is moved to the second position to pop or slide the earphone plug 550 out of the earphone placement area 201. out. When the headphone plug 500 is used with a headphone, the pulled out headphone plug 550 is inserted into the audio jack on the headphone or the earmuff of the headphone.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the earphone cords 231, 229 are magnetized so that the two earphone cords are used as one cord. Add magnetic powder to the molten rubber/plastic surface of the first headphone wire 231 and ferrous metal powder to the molten rubber/plastic surface of the second headphone wire 229. After being cured and shaped, the two separate earphone wires 231, 229 can be magnetically attracted to each other to form a single wire, but the user can peel it off into two separate earphone wires. Depending on the application of the invention, the magnetized earphone cords 231, 229 can be operated with either double retractable means 600 or a single retractable means 600. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the two magnetized earphone wires 231 , 229 are respectively retracted by the corresponding dual retractable means 600 . Channels 213 , 215 separate the two magnetized earphone wires 231 , 229 and guide the two magnetized earphone wires 231 , 229 as they are pulled out and back into the corresponding dual retractable device 600 . When the two earphones 221, 223 connected to the two magnetized earphone wires 231, 229 are pulled out from the earphone placement area 201, the two magnetized earphone wires 231, 229 are magnetically attracted to each other to form a single strand, and the user can peel off the two magnetized earphone wires 231, 229 A segment thus separates the two earphones 221,223.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the two magnetized earphone wires 231, 229 are magnetically attracted to each other to form a single strand earphone wire and pulled back into the same retractable device. That is, the two magnetized earphone wires 231 , 229 are guided by one of the channels 213 , 215 when pulled out and pulled back from the same retractable device 600 . When the two earphones 221 , 223 connected to the two magnetized earphone wires 231 , 229 are pulled out, the user can separate the two magnetized earphone wires 231 , 229 into two separate earphone wires 231 , 229 of desired length.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. The device 600 can be pulled back. Although the storage compartment 501 shown in FIG. 16 is circular, those skilled in the art can understand that the storage compartment 501 can be made into different shapes to accommodate batteries of different shapes, such as square or rectangular batteries 500 . The battery 500 is operable to extend the battery life of the handheld electronic device and/or—when the headset is placed in the charging zone 510—to charge a wireless headset 520 (preferably a Bluetooth ^™ headset 520). The wireless earphone 520 can be accurately put into or taken out from the charging area 510 . Wireless headset 520 communicates with handheld electronic device 110 via wireless means, such as Bluetooth ^™ . Preferably, the accessory button 655 releases or ejects the wireless headset 520 from the charging area 510 as shown in FIGS. 24A-B . The battery compartment 501 is conductively connected to the handheld electronic device and the charging area 510 . According to an aspect of the present invention, channels 213, 215 accommodate earphone wires connected to the earphone placement area 510; channel 216 accommodates wires connected to the battery 500 and the handheld electronic device. Thus, the system of the present invention provides protection, storage and battery management for wireless bluetooth headsets and smartphones. Although two storage compartments 501 and two batteries 500 are shown in FIG. 16 , those skilled in the art can understand that if the carrier box 200 has only one storage compartment 501 for storing one battery 500 , it is also acceptable.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 25A-B , the rear panel of the carrier box 200 or one side of the insert panel 300 may be directly integral with the storage compartment and/or channel to house one or more Accessories 530, such as lip gloss, lip balm, cigarettes, cigars or electronic cigarettes. The eject button 655 can be used to retrieve, eject or eject the accessory from the storage compartment 501 . Although the storage compartment shown in Figure 16 is circular, those skilled in the art can understand that the storage compartment can be molded into different shapes with accessories; as shown in Figure 25A-B, the tubular storage compartment can be used to store electronic cigarettes, cigars Cigarettes, lip balm or gloss. Just like the aforementioned wireless headset 520, when the electronic cigarette is stored in the storage compartment 501, the charging area 510 can use the internal battery 500 to charge the electronic cigarette 530, and the electronic cigarette can be removed from the storage compartment by pulling the button 650 as shown in Figure 25B. 501 pops up.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the external antenna transmitter/receiver can be fixedly installed in the storage compartment 605 to enhance the signal receiving capability of the handheld electronic device, such as cellular or wireless router (WiFi) signal of a mobile phone.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 18 , the carrier case 200 includes a plurality of colored light-emitting diodes 550 , and displays logos, advertisements or visually pleasing pictures on the rear panel of the carrier case. Preferably, the light-emitting diode 550 is connected to the handheld electronic device by wire or wirelessly, so that the handheld electronic device can control and change the pictures, logos or advertisements displayed by the light-emitting diode 550 .

As shown in Figure 7-12, in order to fit the handheld electronic device, the side of the carrier box needs to be equipped with enough openings to use the buttons of the handheld electronic device. All drawings do not limit the scope of protection, but are illustrations of the invention. As shown in Figure 13, the upper lip area of the carrier case is slightly larger to surround a specific headphone jack (3.5mm type); if the jack is located in the bottom area, the larger lip area can optionally be at the bottom of the carrier case to allow the headset plug to be inserted and removed from the handheld electronic device. Although the carrier case shown in Figures 7-12 is for use with a cell phone or smartphone, the carrier case of the present invention can be adapted for use with any handheld electronic device, such as a tablet computer, e-reader, MP3 device, or for controlling other Remote controls for electronic devices such as TVs, Blu-ray players, and video streaming players.

Figures 13-15 illustrate drive systems 301, 302, 303 used in one embodiment of the present invention. As in the driving system 301 of Fig. 13A-B, the earphone plug or other plug part (such as 105 or 225) can be removed or inserted; As shown), move or slide the plug button 315 to drive the wedge-shaped element 310 from below, thereby pulling the earphone plug out of the receiving hole 112 (such as an earphone jack) of the handheld electronic device 110 . Then, the plug button 315 moves away from the earphone plug or other plug part 225 (as shown in FIG. 13B ), at which point the earphone plug or other plug part 225 is pushed down into the receiving hole 112 for use. A user can easily (or with one hand) remove and reinsert the earphone plug or other plug member 225 to activate or deactivate the earphone system.

As shown in FIG. 14, the lever member 314 includes a protruding portion 315 passing through the carrier box opening and also includes a fixed portion 316 so that the lever member 314 acts as a rotating lever. The lever member 314 is configured to capture the earphone plug or other plug component 105, 225 and control its movement relative to the insertion axis. The lever element rotates toward the A direction, and the earphone plug or other plug parts 105, 225 can be pulled up or removed from the receiving hole 112 of the handheld electronic device; into the receiving hole 112.

As shown in FIG. 15, the pivot member 320 is axially rotatable with limited freedom relative to the carrier housing 100, 200 to operatively secure the earphone plug or other plug component 105, 225 to the handheld electronic device. When the pivot member 320 is rotated in direction A, the earphone plug or other plug part 105, 225 is removed from the receiving hole 112 of the handheld electronic device; in hole 112. The rotation can be helical (rotate up, rotate down); or a pivot-wedge system (press or pull on the pivot to drive the wedge, thereby causing the jack to rise and fall), without departing from the invention scope or ideas. Those skilled in the art can know that each alternative, operable device or method mentioned in the specification is just a means of inserting and removing the earphone plug or other plug components, and the present invention should not be limited to these embodiments, but includes All relevant changes that would implement similar functionality are included.

If a claim using a functional limitation or a method limitation is used in the claim, in addition to the structure described in the specification that can perform the desired function, it also includes all equivalent structures defined in accordance with the principle of equivalents in patent law, and not limited to structural equivalents. Nails, screws, and bolts, for example, may not be structurally equivalent: the nail relies on the friction between the wood part and the cylindrical surface; the helical face of the screw engages directly with the wood part; Both sides; but in the context of fastening wooden parts, those skilled in the art will understand nails, screws and bolts as equivalent structures.

With reference to the drawings, there has been provided one or more embodiments of the claimed invention. Those skilled in the art can understand that the present invention should not be limited to these embodiments. On the premise of not departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention, the present invention also includes various modifications and variations. Therefore, the present invention certainly includes the above-mentioned various modifications and variations as long as they do not deviate from the claims and their equivalents.

Claims (20)

1. one kind for the retracted storage system of hand-hold electronic equipments, comprising:

Protecting sheathing, is made up of rear plate and multiple sidewall, and described sidewall is formed and surrounds boundary member, and its profile and size are operationally surrounded the border of described hand-hold electronic equipments and enable the coated described hand-hold electronic equipments of described protecting sheathing;

The separation amplified, be arranged on the position of described rear plate, described separation is connected with the roof of described protecting sheathing, and described roof forms the opening be connected with described separation;

Be arranged on the accessory rest area in described separation, form the hatch frame being used for the accessory restraining and disengage described hand-hold electronic equipments;

Removably be arranged on the demountable centre panel in described protecting sheathing, parallel with described rear plate, top edge and described separation close on, and are positioned at below described separation; With

Being arranged on the storage cabin in described demountable centre panel, for receiving described accessory, and being connected with one or more passage leading to described accessory rest area.

2. according to claim 1ly retract storage system, also comprise:

At least one earphone cord, described earphone tape earphone and plug; With

At least one can retracting device, is operationally configured in storage cabin described in one of them, for automatically retracting the earphone cord that will receive, wherein:

Described headset body is removably placed in described accessory rest area, and described earphone cord removably can be wound around in the spring-loaded bobbin of retracting device described, and the plug of described earphone cord is connected with the earphone jack of described hand-hold electronic equipments; Further, during use, described earphone pulls out from described accessory rest area, and described earphone cord stretches out from described storage cabin simultaneously.

3. according to claim 2ly retract storage system, wherein said at least one can comprise friction type brake system by retracting device, reduce the rotating speed of described spring-loaded bobbin when retracting described earphone cord.

4. according to claim 3ly retract storage system, wherein said friction type brake system comprises at least one cushion blocking, reduces the rotating speed of described spring-loaded bobbin when retracting described earphone cord.

5. according to claim 2ly retracting storage system, also comprise and retract button, being used for controlling that at least one can retracting device for retracting described in described earphone cord.

6. according to claim 5ly retract collection system, the wherein said button that retracts has spring to load, unless described in retract button and move and remain on the second place described earphone cord is withdrawn into described storage cabin, otherwise described in retract button and can remain on or turn back to primary importance.

7. according to claim 2ly retract storage system, also comprise plug drive system, operationally make the plug on described earphone cord be connected with the earphone jack of described hand-hold electronic equipments or separately.

8. according to claim 2ly retract storage system, also comprise appliance button, described earphone is disengaged from described accessory rest area.

9. according to claim 8ly retract storage system, wherein said appliance button has spring to load, unless described appliance button moves and remains on the second place, described headset body is disengaged from described accessory rest area, otherwise described appliance button can remain on or turn back to primary importance.

10. according to claim 2ly retract storage system, also comprise:

Two earphones, each earphone is connected with independent earphone cord respectively; With

Two can retracting device, and each can be arranged on for automatically retracting corresponding earphone cord in corresponding storage cabin by retracting device, describedly can independently control by retracting device, thus each earphone cord described can retract independently.

11. according to claim 10ly retract storage system, also comprise first and retract knob and second and retract button, be used for controlling independently corresponding described can retracting device.

12. according to claim 10ly retract storage system, wherein each retracts button has spring to load, unless retracted button described in each to move and remain on the second place corresponding described earphone cord is withdrawn in corresponding described storage cabin, otherwise each described in retract button and remain on or get back to primary importance.

13. according to claim 1ly retract storage system, also comprise:

Headphone line, described headphone tape has audio jack and headphone plug; With can retracting device, be operationally arranged in storage cabin described in one of them, for automatically retracting the described headphone line that will receive, wherein:

Described headphone plug is removably placed in described accessory rest area, described headphone line be removably wrapped in described can in the spring-loaded bobbin of retracting device, and described audio jack is connected with the earphone jack of described hand-hold electronic equipments; Further, and headphone with the use of time, described headphone plug pulls out from described accessory rest area, and described headphone line stretches out from described storage cabin.

14. according to claim 13ly retract storage system, also comprise and retract button, can retract described headphone line by retracting device described in being used for controlling.

15. according to claim 2ly retract storage system, also comprise two earphones, each earphone is connected with independent magnetization earphone cord, each magnetization earphone cord to be attracted each other formation single cord by magnetic force, described single cord be removably wrapped in described can in the same spring-loaded bobbin of retracting device; During use, described earphone pulls out from described annex rest area, and described single cord can peel off into two independently earphone cords after stretching out from described storage cabin.

16. according to claim 1ly retract storage system, and wherein said accessory is one of following article: lipstick, lip gloss, cigarette and cigar; Also comprise appliance button, by described accessory rest area, described accessory is disengaged from described storage cabin.

17. according to claim 1ly retract storage system, also comprise at least one battery be arranged in storage cabin described in one of them, for described accessory or the charging of described hand-hold electronic equipments, wherein, described accessory rest area is the charging zone that can be connected conductively with at least one battery described, for being accommodated in the described accessory charging of described charging zone.

18. according to claim 1ly retract storage system, and wherein said accessory is wireless headset or electronic cigarette; Also comprise appliance button, described accessory is disengaged from described charging zone.

19. according to claim 1ly retract storage system, and wherein said accessory rest area comprises the region adapter made with elastomeric material, are used for adjusting the openings of sizes of described accessory rest area.

20. according to claim 1ly retract storage system, also comprise colorful light-emitting diode, show label, advertisement or make us the pattern producing aesthetic feeling on the rear plate of described protecting sheathing; Wherein, described hand-hold electronic equipments is operationally connected with described light-emittingdiode, to control and to change mark that described light-emittingdiode presents, advertisement or pattern.