Wireless earpiece for cell phone

• US 20060093132A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Innopia Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Innopia Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Francois, Damien, Desormiere, Oliver, Gontard, Nicolas, Ponticelli, Guillaume
• Application Number:
  US11/214,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20060093132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/431
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast

Abstract

The wireless earpiece comprises two bodies (1, 2) articulated one about the other, one of which bears a speaker for fitting into the ear of the user. The other body (2) wraps around the outer part of this ear to hold the earpiece in the use position. A metal return spring (7) is wound around the hinge pin (5) of the two bodies (1, 2) to return the latter toward one another, when at rest, while clamping the user'"'"'s ear which allows the earpiece to be held in position. The earpiece allows quick fitting and effective hold in this position.

Claims

1. A wireless earpiece for cell phones, comprising two bodies (1, 2) articulated one about the other, one of which bears a speaker (3) for fitting into the ear of the user when in the use position and the other (2) wrapping around the outer lower part of the same ear to hold the earpiece in the use position, wherein a spring (7) is linked to the hinge between said bodies (1, 2) for returning the latter toward one another, when at rest, clamping the ear of the user which serves to hold the earpiece in its use position.

2. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 1, wherein said return spring (7) is a metal spring wound around the hinge pin (5) of the two bodies (1, 2), each end (8, 9) of which acts together with one of the two bodies (1, 2).

3. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 2, wherein the hinge between the two bodies (1, 2) comprises a flexible piece (6) such as rubber fixed to one end of one of said bodies (1) and accommodating in an opening at its opposite end the hinge pin (5) borne by the other body (2), said return spring (7) being wound around this hinge pin (5).

4. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 3, wherein said hinge piece (6) has a hollow part (10) through which electrical wires or a flexible printed circuit can pass from one body of said bodies to the other.

5. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 4, wherein the speaker (3) borne by one of said bodies (1) can pivot around a longitudinal shaft (21) through at least 180°

, to provide the facility to fix the earpiece to either the left or the right ear of the user.

6. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 5, wherein the body (1) bearing the speaker (3) terminates in a projecting longitudinal shaft (21), said shaft (21) being engaged such it rotates in an internal cavity (14, 15, 16, 17, 14′

, 15′

, 16′

, 17′

) of a support piece (13, 13′

) bearing the speaker (3).

7. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 6, wherein said rotational shaft (21) of the speaker (3) comprises a part (24) of oblong cross section which acts together with parallel wall elements (19, 20) arranged on either side of the shaft (21), such that when the speaker (3) is fitted in the right or left ear of the user, the flat sides of the oblong part (24) of the shaft (21) engage on the wall elements (19, 20), which holds the speaker (3) in place, whereas when the speaker (3) rotates from one of its use positions to the other, the circular parts of the oblong part (24) of the shaft (21) are in contact with the wall elements (19, 20), causing by friction a resistance effect upon rotation.

8. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 7, which comprises a ring portion (25) concentrically borne by the rotational shaft (21), one or other end of this ring portion (25) abutting, upon rotation of the support piece (13, 13′

) of the speaker (3) in one direction or in the opposite direction to move from one use position to the other, against a lug (18) borne by the support piece (13,13′

) of the speaker (3) restricting the amplitude of rotation.

9. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 6, which comprises a ring portion (25) concentrically borne by the rotational shaft (21), one or other end of this ring portion (25) abutting, upon rotation of the support piece (13, 13′

) of the speaker (3) in one direction or in the opposite direction to move from one use position to the other, against a lug (18) borne by the support piece (13,13′

) of the speaker (3) restricting the amplitude of rotation.

10. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 1, wherein the speaker (3) borne by one of said bodies (1) can pivot around a longitudinal shaft (21) through at least 180°

, to provide the facility to fix the earpiece to either the left or the right ear of the user.

11. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 10, wherein the body (1) bearing the speaker (3) terminates in a projecting longitudinal shaft (21), said shaft (21) being engaged such it rotates in an internal cavity (14, 15, 16, 17, 14′

, 15′

, 16′

, 17′

) of a support piece (13,13′

) bearing the speaker (3).

12. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 11, wherein said rotational shaft (21) of the speaker (3) comprises a part (24) of oblong cross section which acts together with parallel wall elements (19, 20) arranged on either side of the shaft (21), such that when the speaker (3) is fitted in the right or left ear of the user, the flat sides of the oblong part (24) of the shaft (21) engage on the wall elements (19, 20), which holds the speaker (3) in place, whereas when the speaker (3) rotates from one of its use positions to the other, the circular parts of the oblong part (24) of the shaft (21) are in contact with the wall elements (19, 20), causing by friction a resistance effect upon rotation.

13. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 12, which comprises a ring portion (25) concentrically borne by the rotational shaft (21), one or other end of this ring portion (25) abutting, upon rotation of the support piece (13, 13′

) of the speaker (3) in one direction or in the opposite direction to move from one use position to the other, against a lug (18) borne by the support piece (13, 13′

) of the speaker (3) restricting the amplitude of rotation.

14. The wireless earpiece for cell phones of claim 11, which comprises a ring portion (25) concentrically borne by the rotational shaft (21), one or other end of this ring portion (25) abutting, upon rotation of the support piece (13, 13′

) of the speaker (3) in one direction or in the opposite direction to move from one use position to the other, against a lug (18) borne by the support piece (13, 13′

) of the speaker (3) restricting the amplitude of rotation.