WO2015013882A1 - Earphone having movable receiver - Google Patents

Abstract

An earphone having a movable receiver comprises an earphone body (22), the receiver (24) being connected with the earphone body (22). The earphone body (22) comprises a receiver accommodation portion (26), the receiver accommodation portion (26) defining a receiver accommodation position. At the receiver accommodation position, the receiver (24) is at least partially accommodated in the receiver accommodation portion (26), so that the receiver (24) is at least partially hidden by the earphone body (22). The receiver (24) can be moved in a direction towards the receiver accommodation position or far away from the receiver accommodation position with respect to the earphone body (22). When the user does not receive a call or listens to music, the receiver (24) can move to the receiver accommodation position, so that the earphone (20) has a neat shape and thus the appearance of the earphone (20) is improved.

Description

 Headphones with movable earpiece Technical field

 The present invention relates to an earphone, and more particularly to an earphone having a movable earpiece.

Background technique

Today, mobile phones have become part of people's lives. In order to allow users to make phone calls or listen to music in, for example, fitness, driving, or in noisy environments, headsets have become an indispensable accessory for mobile phones.

The earphone includes a headphone body and an earpiece. The earpiece generally protrudes from the surface of the earphone body to be inserted into the user's ear. With the continuous development of electronic products and the increasing demands of users, users not only need the headphones to meet the functions of answering, but also have higher and higher requirements for the appearance and/or operation of the headphones. Therefore, when designing the earphone, how to design the earphone to be more beautiful and more convenient to operate is a research and development focus of the designer.

technical problem

 In view of this, the present invention provides a new design that can increase the aesthetics of headphones.

Technical solution

The present invention provides an earphone having a movable earpiece, comprising a headphone body, the earpiece being coupled to the earphone body. The earphone body includes an earpiece housing portion defining an earpiece receiving position, wherein in the earpiece receiving position, the earpiece is at least partially received in the earpiece housing to be at least partially covered by the earphone body Concealed, the earpiece is movable relative to the earphone body in a direction toward the earpiece receiving position or away from the earpiece receiving position.

In one embodiment, in the earpiece receiving position, the earpiece is fully received in the earpiece housing to be completely hidden by the earphone body.

In one embodiment, the earpiece includes an insertion portion for insertion into a user's ear, the cross-section of the insertion portion being generally semi-circular in cross section perpendicular to the insertion direction.

In one embodiment, the earphone further includes a decorative outer casing coupled to the earphone body, the outer surface of the earpiece being flush with the surface of the decorative outer casing.

In one embodiment, the headset is a wireless headset.

In one embodiment, the earpiece is movable between the earpiece receiving position and an answering position, wherein in the listening position, the earpiece is located outside the earpiece receiving portion such that the earpiece can be inserted User's ear.

In one embodiment, the movement of the earpiece includes a rotational or linear movement relative to the earpiece body.

In one embodiment, the earphone includes a driving device that drives the earpiece away from the ear receiving position, the driving device including a resilient member, the elastic member biasing the earpiece in the ear receiving position The spring force causes the elastic element to eject the earpiece into the earpiece receiving position once the buckle is released.

In one embodiment, the earphone includes a latching device for releasably latching the earpiece in the earpiece receiving position, the latching device comprising a magnetic clasp device or a mechanical latching device, the mechanism The latching device includes one of a latch portion and a lock slot, the earpiece including one of the latch portion and the lock slot, the latch portion being inserted into the lock slot to lock the earpiece in the earpiece receiving position .

In one embodiment, the earphone includes a latching device for releasably latching the earpiece in the earpiece receiving position, the latching device being rotatably coupled to the earphone body, and A reset elastic element is coupled between the locking device and the earphone body such that when the locking device is offset from the initial position of the locking device, the reset elastic member applies a direction toward the locking device The elastic force of the initial position.

In one embodiment, the locking device includes an operating portion for receiving a user's operation to release the locking of the earpiece by the locking device.

In one embodiment, the earphone includes a latching device for releasably latching the earpiece in the earpiece receiving position, the latching device being a self-locking device coupled to the earpiece such that Pressing the earpiece releases the lock on the earpiece.

Beneficial effect

In general, the present invention provides an earphone having a movable earpiece. When not answering the phone or listening to music, the earpiece can be moved to the earpiece storage position, so that the earphone has a regular shape and enhances the aesthetics of the earphone. When needed, the handset can be moved to the listening position for the user to use.

DRAWINGS

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an earphone.

Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the earphone of Figure 1.

3 is a perspective view of another angle of the structure of the earphone portion of FIG. 1.

4 is a schematic view of another state of the earphone of FIG. 1.

Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the earphone of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the earpiece.

Figure 7 is a schematic illustration of another locking device.

Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of another locking device.

9 is a perspective schematic view of another embodiment of an earphone.

Fig. 10 is a side view showing another state of the earphone of Fig. 9.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an earphone.

Figure 12 is a schematic illustration of another state of the earphone of Figure 11;

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Before the embodiments are described in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited to the details The invention may be embodied in other ways. Also, it will be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose of description The words "including", "comprising", "having", and <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> used herein are meant to include the items listed thereafter, their equivalents, and other additional items. For example, when describing device A includes a first B element and a second B element, this description does not exclude the possibility that the device may include a third B element or more B elements unless otherwise stated. Unless otherwise stated, similar terms such as “installation”, “connection” and “support” should be interpreted broadly, including direct and indirect installation, connection, and support. Further, "connected" is not limited to physical or mechanical connections.

1 to 6 illustrate an earphone 20. The earphone 20 and the earphone in the latter embodiment may be a wired earphone or a wireless earphone such as a Bluetooth earphone. The earphone 20 includes a headphone body 22 and an earpiece 24 that is coupled to the earphone body 22. The earphone body 22 is provided with an earpiece housing portion 26 (Fig. 4). The earpiece accommodating portion 26 defines an earpiece accommodating position in which the earpiece 24 is at least partially housed in the earpiece accommodating portion 26 to make the overall shape of the earphone 20 relatively regular and enhance the aesthetic feeling of the earphone. In the particular example shown, the earpiece 24 is fully received in the earpiece housing 26 and the outer surface of the earpiece 24 is flush with the outer surface of the earphone body 22.

The earpiece 24 is movably coupled to the earphone body 22. When the earphone is not in use, the earpiece 24 can be housed within the earpiece housing 26 and located, for example, in the earpiece housing position shown in FIG. When answering an incoming call or listening to music, the earpiece 24 can be moved from the handset receiving position to, for example, the listening position shown in FIG. In the listening position, the earpiece 24 is located outside of the earpiece housing 26 so that the earpiece 24 can be inserted into the user's ear. In the illustrated embodiment, the earpiece 24 is generally perpendicular to the earphone body 22 in the listening position. After answering the call, the earpiece 24 can be moved to the earpiece storage position again, so that the earphone 20 returns to a state with a beautiful appearance. Thus, the earpiece 24 is movable relative to the earphone body 22 in a direction toward or away from the earpiece receiving position. More specifically, the earpiece 24 is movable relative to the earphone body 22 between the earpiece housing position shown in FIG. 1 and the listening position shown in FIG. 4, so that when the earphone 20 is not in use, the earphone 20 can have a regular and beautiful appearance. .

The earphone 24 has an insertion portion 25. The insertion portion 25 is inserted into the user's ear for the user to answer. As shown in Fig. 6, the cross section of the insertion portion 25 perpendicular to the insertion direction is substantially semicircular. "Substantially semi-circular" means that it can be a standard semicircle, a small semicircle or a large semicircle. The earpiece 24 thus constructed is provided with a flat surface 27 at its outer periphery which, when inserted into the ear, forms a venting hole with the ear to increase the comfort. At the same time, in the receiver receiving position, the flat surface 27 also facilitates the earpiece 24 to be flush with the surface of the earphone body.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 through 6, the earpiece 24 is rotatable between the earpiece receiving position shown in Figure 1 and the listening position shown in Figure 4. To this end, the earpiece 24 is coupled to the earphone body 22 by a pivot 28 to effect the above described rotation. It should be understood that the movement of the earpiece 24 is not limited to rotation, but may be other forms of activity, such as linear movement, as will be described later.

It should be noted that, in the receiver storage position, the earpiece 24 does not have to be completely accommodated in the earpiece housing portion 26 as shown in FIG. In other embodiments, the earpiece 24 may also be housed only within a portion of the earpiece housing 26, while the remainder may be suitably exposed to the exterior of the earphone body 22.

The earphone 20 includes a latching device 30 that locks the earpiece 24 in the earpiece receiving position and a driving device 32 that drives the earpiece 24 to move. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 through 6, the locking device 30 is a mechanical locking device that includes a latch portion 33 and an operating portion 34 that is coupled to the latch portion 33. The earpiece 24 is provided with a lock groove 36 corresponding to the latch portion 33, and the latch portion 33 is inserted into the lock groove 36 to lock the earpiece 24 in the earpiece storage position.

The operation portion 34 is accessible from the outside of the earphone 20. In the illustrated embodiment, the operating portion 34 is flat and has an outer surface that is flush with the outer surface of the earphone body 22. In order to increase the operation area to facilitate user operation, the operation portion 34 occupies most of the area on the front surface of the earphone body 22 excluding the earpiece housing portion 26. It should be understood, however, that in other embodiments, the operating portion 34 can be disposed anywhere on the earphone body 22, having any size and shape, as long as the operating portion 34 can be accessed from the outside of the earphone 20. For example, in other embodiments, the operating portion 34 can also be a circular or strip shaped button. In other embodiments, the operating portion 34 can also be disposed on any other surface of the earphone body 22.

In this embodiment, the latch portion 33 is integrally formed with the operating portion 34, but in other embodiments the operating portion 34 can be coupled to the latch portion 33 in other manners. The latching device 30 is rotatably coupled to the earphone body 22 by a pivot 38. The latch portion 33 extends from the first end of the operating portion 34 toward the earpiece 24, and a return elastic member 40 is coupled between the second end of the operating portion 34 opposite the first end and the earphone body 22. In this embodiment, the return spring element 40 is a coil spring. The operation and function of the coil spring will be specifically described below.

The drive unit 32 is exemplified by an elastic member 32 that elastically drives the earpiece 24 away from the handset receiving position. Specifically, the resilient member 32 is a torsion spring 32 that fits over the pivot 28. In the earpiece housing position, the torsion spring 32 biases the earpiece 24 in a direction away from the earpiece housing position. However, since the earpiece 24 is locked by the latching device 30, the earpiece 24 cannot be separated from the earpiece housing position. Once the latching device 30 releases the latch, the earpiece 24 will eject the earpiece receiving position under the resilient action of the resilient member 28. In the illustrated embodiment, the resilient member 28 flexibly drives the earpiece 24 from the earpiece receiving position to the listening position and resiliently retains the earpiece 24 in the listening position. In some other embodiments, however, the resilient member 28 can also only eject the earpiece 24 into the earpiece receiving position, and then the earpiece 24 can be moved to the listening position by other forces, such as by the user manually pulling the earpiece 24 to the listening position.

When the operating portion 34 of the latching device 30 is not stressed, the coil spring 40 holds the operating portion 34 in the initial position.

When the user wants to answer the phone or listen to music, the user presses down the operating portion 34, at which time the coil spring 40 is compressed, and the latch portion 33 is rotated upward about the pivot 38 to gradually disengage from the lock groove 36 of the earpiece 24, thereby locking the device 30. The lock on the earpiece 24 is gradually released. At the same time, the earpiece 24 is rotated upwardly about the pivot 28 by the drive or torsion spring 32. Once the latch is released, the drive or torsion spring 32 ejects or resiliently drives the earpiece 24 from the earpiece receiving position to the listening position. After the earpiece 24 leaves the earpiece storage position, the user releases the operating portion 34, at which time the compressed return elastic member 40 is extended upward to reset the operating portion 34 to its initial position.

When the answering call is completed, the user can rotate the earpiece 24 toward the earpiece storage position. When the earpiece 24 contacts the latch portion 33 of the latching device 30, the earpiece 24 will squeeze the latch portion 33 to cause the latch portion 33 to pivot downwardly about the pivot 38, while causing the coil spring 40 to be pulled upward. When the earpiece 24 is continuously rotated so that the lock groove 36 faces the latch portion 33, the latch portion 33 is no longer pressed, and thus the coil spring 40 is elastically recovered to pull down the second end of the operation portion 34 while the latch portion 33 is inserted into the lock groove 36. The earpiece 24 is locked in the earpiece storage position.

In the above embodiment, the lock groove 36 is provided on the earpiece 24, and the latch portion 33 is provided on the lock device 30. In other embodiments, the lock slot 36 can also be provided on the latching device 30 while the latch portion 33 is disposed on the earpiece 24. Thus, in those embodiments in which the latch is inserted into the lock slot, one of the earpiece 24 and the latch device 30 is provided with a lock slot 36, and the earpiece 24 and the latch device 30 are each provided with a corresponding latch portion 33.

In the above embodiment, the earpiece housing portion 26 is a cavity having an opening in the earphone body 22. In other embodiments, the earpiece housing 26 can also be formed in other ways. For example, in one other embodiment, the earpiece housing portion 26 can be a recess on the surface of the earphone body 22 that can be open at the locations on either side of the earphone body.

Figure 7 illustrates a schematic view of another type of latching device. In describing the present embodiment, the same elements as those in the foregoing embodiment will directly use the component numbers in the foregoing embodiments. The locking device 230 in this embodiment is a magnetic button device 230 that locks the earpiece 24 in the earpiece receiving position by magnetic force, including the first magnetic portion 232, the second magnetic portion 234, the magnetic field control circuit 236, and the operation. Department 238.

The first magnetic portion 232 is mounted on one of the earpiece 24 and the latching device 230, and the second magnetic portion 234 is mounted on the other of the earpiece 24 and the latching device 230. In the ear receiving position, the first magnetic portion 232 and the second magnetic portion 234 generate a magnetic field under the excitation of the magnetic field control circuit 236, so that the first magnetic portion 232 and the second magnetic portion 234 are attracted to each other to lock the earpiece in the The earpiece is in a storage position. The operation unit 238 receives the user's operation to open the magnetic field control circuit 236, and eliminates the attraction between the first magnetic portion 232 and the second magnetic portion 234, thereby causing the earpiece 24 to be driven away from the earpiece storage position by the driving device 32. The operation mode of the operation unit 238 is not limited, and may be, for example, pressing, dialing, or the like. As an example, the operating portion may be a power switch button.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7, one of the first magnetic portion 232 and the second magnetic portion 234 may be a permanent magnet and the other is an electromagnet. Thus, the magnetic field control circuit 236 will control that electromagnet to produce or not generate a magnetic field.

The first magnetic portion 232 and the second magnetic portion 234 may also be two electromagnets. Thus, the magnetic field control circuit 236 will control the two electromagnets to produce or not generate a magnetic field.

The remaining component configurations and operations of the Bluetooth headset of the present embodiment may be identical to those of the embodiment of Figures 1-6, and thus such identical components are not described again.

FIG. 8 is another embodiment of a magnetic clasp device 330 that utilizes magnetic force. The embodiment of Figure 8 is structurally similar to the embodiment of Figure 7, except that the magnetic field control circuit 336 can control the first magnetic portion 332 and the second magnetic portion 334 to produce the same magnetic and distinct magnetic properties. When the magnetic properties are different, the first magnetic portion 332 and the second magnetic portion 334 are attracted to each other to fix the earpiece 24 in the earpiece housing position. When the magnetic properties are the same (for example, by the user operating the operation portion 338), the first magnetic portion 332 and the second magnetic portion 334 repel each other to drive the earpiece 24 away from the earpiece housing position. Therefore, the magnetic clasp device 330 in this embodiment is also a driving device depending on the magnetic relationship. In other words, in those embodiments in which the magnetic clasp device is used, the magnetic clasp device can be used only as a latching device, and can also be used as a driving device at the same time.

In the above embodiment, the movement of the earpiece 24 is the rotation about an axis (e.g., the pivot 28). However, it should be understood that the movement of the earpiece 24 is not limited to rotation, it may also be a linear motion. 9 and 10 are another embodiment of a Bluetooth headset with a movable earpiece. In this embodiment, the Bluetooth headset 50 includes a headset body 52 and an earpiece 54 that is coupled to the headset body 52. The earphone body 52 is provided with an earpiece housing portion 56. The earpiece housing portion 56 defines an earpiece receiving position in which the earpiece 54 is at least partially received in the earpiece housing portion 56 to provide a more aesthetically pleasing appearance of the Bluetooth earphone 50 as a whole. In the specific example of FIG. 8, the earpiece 54 is completely housed in the earpiece housing portion 56.

An elastic member and a self-locking mechanism are disposed between the earpiece 54 and the earphone body 52. As shown in FIG. 9, when the earpiece 54 is in the earpiece storage position, the lock of the earpiece 54 can be released by pressing the earpiece 54, and then the earpiece 54 is released, and the elastic member can elastically drive the earpiece to as shown in FIG. The position is answered while the self-locking mechanism automatically locks the earpiece 54 in the listening position. Similarly, in the listening position, the latch of the earpiece 54 to the earpiece 54 can also be released by pressing the earpiece 54. After the earpiece 54 is pressed into the earpiece storage position and the earpiece 54 is released, the earpiece 54 can be automatically locked in the earpiece storage position by the self-locking mechanism. Therefore, in actual operation, the user can switch between the earpiece storage position and the answering position by pressing the earpiece 54, and the self-locking mechanism can automatically lock the earpiece to the earpiece storage position and the answering position. The configuration of the elastic member and the self-locking structure that realize the above functions can be adopted in the structure of the existing self-locking push button switch. Since such a self-locking mechanism is well known to those skilled in the art, it will not be described herein.

In this embodiment, the earpiece 54 is movable in a straight line. Specifically, the earpiece 54 is movable in a direction perpendicular to the front of the headphone body 52. Although the above embodiment introduces the linear motion of the earpiece in conjunction with a mechanism similar to the push button switch mode, in other embodiments, other mechanisms may be employed to achieve the linear motion. For example, the latching devices 30, 230, 330 of the previous embodiments can also be used in the embodiment of Figures 8 and 9 to replace their self-locking mechanism. At this point, the locking slot or latch on the earpiece 54 will be placed facing the side of the latching device rather than being placed on top of the earpiece (as opposed to the state shown in Figure 10) as in the previous embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the earpiece is driven by the driving means (for example, the elastic member) from the receiver accommodation position to the listening position. It should be understood, however, that in other embodiments, such a drive device may not be provided, but instead the handpiece is moved from the earpiece receiving position to the listening position by hand, in such a manner as to fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.

11 and 12 are another embodiment of an earphone with a movable earpiece. In the present embodiment, the earphone 60 includes an earphone unit 62 and a decorative outer casing 64. The earphone unit 62 is coupled to the decorative outer casing 64 to form an accessory. For example, when making a call, the earphone 60 can be placed on the ear as a face decoration. When not calling, the earphone 60 can be used as a jewelry such as a chest or a necklace. The earphone unit 62 herein may be the same as the earphone 20 or 50 described in the previous embodiment, having an earpiece 66 movable between an earpiece receiving position (Fig. 11) and an answering position (Fig. 12). The movable design of the earpiece 66 can adopt the design in any of the foregoing embodiments, and details are not described herein again. In the illustrated embodiment, the decorative outer casing 64 is coupled to the earphone body of the earphone unit 62, and in the earpiece receiving position, the outer surface of the earpiece 66 is flush with the outer surface of the decorative outer casing 64 to allow the constructed jewelry to be The surface is neat.

In general, the present invention provides an earphone having a movable earpiece. When not in use, the earpiece can be moved to the earpiece storage position, so that the earphone has a regular shape and enhances the aesthetics of the earphone. When needed, the handset can be moved to the listening position for the user to use.

The concepts described herein may be embodied in other forms without departing from the spirit and scope. The specific embodiments disclosed are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive. Therefore, the scope of the invention is to be determined by the appended claims Any changes which come within the meaning and range of the claims are intended to be within the scope of the claims.

Claims (12)

1. An earphone having a movable earpiece, comprising a headphone body, the earpiece being connected to the earphone body, wherein the earphone body comprises an earpiece receiving portion, the earpiece receiving portion defining an earpiece receiving position, wherein The earpiece housing position, the earpiece being at least partially received in the earpiece housing to be at least partially hidden by the earphone body, the earpiece being storable relative to the earphone body toward or away from the earpiece The direction of the storage position of the earpiece is described.
2. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein in the ear receiving position, the earpiece is completely accommodated in the earpiece housing to be completely hidden by the earphone body.
3. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein the earpiece includes an insertion portion for inserting into a user's ear, and a cross section of the insertion portion perpendicular to the insertion direction is substantially semicircular.
4. A headphone having a movable earpiece according to claim 1, further comprising a decorative casing coupled to said earphone body, said outer surface of said earpiece being flush with a surface of said decorative casing in said ear receiving position .
5. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein the earphone is a wireless earphone.
6. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein said earpiece is movable between said ear receiving position and an answering position, wherein said earpiece is located in said earpiece Outside the receptacle allows the earpiece to be inserted into the user's ear.
7. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein the movement of the earpiece comprises a rotation or a linear movement with respect to the earphone body.
8. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein said earphone comprises driving means for driving said earpiece away from said ear receiving position, said driving means comprising an elastic member at said ear receiving position The elastic member applies an biasing elastic force to the earpiece such that the elastic member ejects the earpiece into the earpiece housing position once the buckle is released.
9. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein said earphone comprises a locking device for releasably latching said earpiece in said ear receiving position, said locking device comprising a magnetic clasp device or a mechanical latching device, the mechanical latching device comprising one of a latch portion and a lock slot, the earpiece including the latch portion and the lock slot, wherein the latch portion is inserted into the lock slot The earpiece is locked in the earpiece storage position.
10. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein the earphone comprises a locking device for releasably locking the earpiece in the receiving position of the earpiece, the locking device being Rotatingly coupled to the earphone body, and a reset elastic element is coupled between the locking device and the earphone body, such that the reset elasticity is when the locking device is offset from an initial position of the locking device The element applies an elastic force to the locking device toward the initial position.
11. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the locking device includes an operation portion for receiving an operation of a user to release the buckle The device locks the earpiece.
12. The earphone with a movable earpiece according to claim 1, wherein the earphone comprises a locking device for releasably locking the earpiece in the ear receiving position, the locking device is A self-locking device coupled to the earpiece causes the latching of the earpiece to be released by pressing the earpiece.

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