Holding strap for wireless ear-bud style earpieces having a stem

• US 10,728,644 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Issued: 07/28/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spigen Korea Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Spigen Korea Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Dae-Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Weinhold, Ingrid M
• Application Number:
  US15/482,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077481A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 2482132, 24129 R, 24130, 24200, 241226, 24115 A, 24115 H, 24115 K, D8395, D8356
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 63/00 Flexible elongated elements, e.g. straps, for bundling or supporting articles attached to or integral with bags or sacks B65D33/165; for securing load B60P7/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

A holding strap for wireless ear-bud style earpieces having a cylindrical or prismatic stem, includes: a pair of stem housings, each of which is constructed to form a hollow cylinder or prism having a hollow cylindrical or prismatic space to receive the cylindrical stem, wherein the hollow cylinder or prism has an inlet, an inlet rim, an outlet, and an outlet rim; a connecting strap connecting the pair of stem housings; and a strap holder for holding two places of the connecting strap. The hollow cylindrical or prismatic space is sized for the cylindrical or prismatic stem to fit in, and the stem housing is constructed so that the stem passes through the inlet, the hollow cylindrical or prismatic space and the outlet and then, the cylindrical or prismatic stem is retained in the cylindrical or prismatic space of the stem housing by a friction fit.

Claims

1. A holding strap (10) detachably coupled to ear-bud style earpieces (110) having a cylindrical stem (120), the holding strap (10) comprising:

a pair of stem housings (20), each of which is constructed to form a hollow cylinder (20) having a hollow cylindrical space (25) to receive the cylindrical stem (120), wherein the hollow cylinder (20) has an inlet (21), an inlet rim (22), an outlet (23), and an outlet rim (24); and

a connecting strap (30) extending directly from each of the stem housings (20) and connecting the pair of stem housings (20),

wherein the hollow cylindrical space (25) is constructed to receive the cylindrical stem (120) to fit in,

wherein the hollow cylinder (20) is constructed so that the cylindrical stem (120) passes through the inlet (21), the hollow cylindrical space (25) and the outlet (23) and then, the cylindrical stem (120) is retained in the cylindrical space (25) of the stem housing (20) by a friction fit, wherein the connecting strap (30) is flat and constructed to extend from the outlet rim (24), and

wherein an area of the connecting strap (30) that extends from the outlet rim (24) and abuts the stem (120) is rounded to correspond to the shape of the cylindrical stem (120) and be in contact with the stem (120).

2. The holding strap (10) of claim 1, wherein the inlet rim (22) is tapered toward the hollow cylindrical space (25) to allow insertion of the cylindrical stem (120) into the hollow cylindrical space (25).

3. The holding strap (10) of claim 1, wherein the pair of stem housings (20) and the connecting strap (30) are made of thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, or mixture of thermoplastic polyurethane and silicone.

4. The holding strap (10) of claim 1, further comprising a clip for holding the connecting strap (30) together when the connecting strap is wound.

5. The holding strap (10) of claim 4, wherein the clip is configured to attach to a charging case (200) using an adhesive.

6. The holding strap (10) of claim 1, further comprising a strap holder (40) for holding two places of the connecting strap (30) together,

wherein the strap holder (40) comprises:

a first space (41) and a second space (42) for respectively receiving first and second places (31, 32) of the connecting strap (30);

a first entry space (43) and a second entry space (44) wherein the first and second places (31, 32) of the connecting strap (30) respectively enter the first entry space (43) and the second entry space (44) to be retained in the first space (41) and the second space (42);

a dividing wall (45) which is located between the first and second spaces (41, 42);

first side walls (46) abutting opposite sides of the first space (41);

first flange walls (48) formed on both sides of the first entry space (43); and

second side walls (47) abutting the second space (42) wherein the second side walls (47) form an “

L”

-shaped wall extending from the dividing wall (45),

wherein the first and second spaces (41, 42) are sized for the connecting strap (30) to fit in and be retained therein by a friction fit.

7. The holding strap (10) of claim 6, wherein the strap holder (40) further comprises a second flange wall (49) abutting one side of the second entry space (44), wherein the dividing wall (45) abuts another side of the second entry space (44).

8. The holding strap (10) of claim 6, wherein the connecting strap (30) comprises first faces and second faces, wherein a width of the first faces is greater than a width of the second faces,

wherein the first and second entry spaces (43, 44) have opening widths less than the width of the first faces, and the opening widths of the first and second entry spaces (43, 44) are sized to receive the width of the second faces, of which, allow insertion of the connecting strap (30) into the first and second entry spaces (43, 44).

9. The holding strap (10) of claim 6, wherein a height of the first side walls (46) and the first flange walls (48) is greater than a height of the second side walls (47) and a second flange wall (49).

10. A holding strap (10) detachably coupled to ear-bud style earpieces (110) having a stem (120) that is substantially cylindrical, the holding strap (10) comprising:

a pair of stem housings (20), each of which is constructed to form a hollow body (20) having a hollow space (25) to receive the stem (120), wherein the hollow body (20) has an inlet (21), an inlet rim (22), an outlet (23), and an outlet rim (24); and

a connecting strap (30) extending directly from each of the stem housings (20) and connecting the pair of stem housings (20),

wherein the hollow space (25) is substantially cylindrical, wherein the hollow space (25) is constructed to receive the stem (120) to fit in,

wherein the hollow body (20) is constructed so that the stem (120) passes through the inlet (21), the hollow space (25) and the outlet (23) and then, the stem (120) is retained in the space (25) of the stem housing (20) by a friction fit, and

wherein the connecting strap (30) is flat and constructed to extend from the outlet rim (24), and

wherein an area of the connecting strap (30) that extends from the outlet rim (24) and abuts the stem (120) is substantially rounded to correspond to the shape of the stem (120) and be in contact with the stem (120).

11. The holding strap (10) of claim 10, wherein the inlet rim (22) is tapered toward the hollow space (25) to allow insertion of the stem (120) into the hollow space (25).

12. The holding strap (10) of claim 10, wherein the pair of stem housings (20) and the connecting strap (30) are made of thermoplastic elastomer, thermoplastic polyurethane, or mixture of thermoplastic polyurethane and silicone.

13. The holding strap (10) of claim 10, further comprising a clip for holding the connecting strap (30) together when the connecting strap is wound.

14. The holding strap (10) of claim 13, wherein the clip is configured to attach to a charging case (200) using an adhesive.

15. The holding strap (10) of claim 10, further comprising a strap holder (40) for holding two places of the connecting strap (30) together,

wherein the strap holder (40) comprises:

a first space (41) and a second space (42) for respectively receiving first and second places (31, 32) of the connecting strap (30);

a first entry space (43) and a second entry space (44) wherein the first and second places (31, 32) of the connecting strap (30) respectively enter the first entry space (43) and the second entry space (44) to be retained in the first space (41) and the second space (42);

a dividing wall (45) which is located between the first and second spaces (41, 42);

first side walls (46) abutting opposite sides of the first space (41);

first flange walls (48) formed on both sides of the first entry space (43); and

second side walls (47) abutting the second space (42)

wherein the second side walls (47) form an “

L”

-shaped wall extending from the dividing wall (45),

wherein the first and second spaces (41, 42) are sized for the connecting strap (30) to fit in and be retained therein by a friction fit.

16. The holding strap (10) of claim 15, wherein the connecting strap (30) comprises first faces and second faces, wherein a width of the first faces is greater than a width of the second faces,

wherein the first and second entry spaces (43, 44) have opening widths less than the width of the first faces, and the opening widths of the first and second entry spaces (43, 44) are sized to receive the width of the second faces, of which, allow insertion of the connecting strap (30) into the first and second entry spaces (43, 44).