CHARGING OF WIRELESS EARBUDS

• US 20160073189A1
• Filed: 09/05/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Earin AB (Qamcom Group)
• Original Assignee: Epickal AB
• Inventors: Lindn, Olle, Trajkovski, Kiril, Sennstrm, Per, Sthl, Carl, Millfjord, Markus, Hovmller, Henrik
• Granted Patent: US 9,532,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1033 Cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels cord reels per se H02G11/02; arrangements for storing and repeatedly paying-out and re-storing lengths of conductors or cables B65H75/34; extensible conductors or cables, e.g. self-coiling cords H01B7/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones

Abstract

A storage and charging capsule for a pair of wireless earbuds is presented. The storage and charging capsule has a base part, an elongate intermediate part, the intermediate part having a longitudinal major axis, and a cover part being retractable over the intermediate part. The intermediate part has a first end attached to the base part, a second end, and an earbud chamber formed between the first and second ends. The earbud chamber is adapted to receive the pair of wireless earbuds arranged one after another along the longitudinal major axis of the intermediate part. The capsule further has a power source for charging the pair of wireless earbuds when placed in the earbud chamber in the intermediate part.

Claims

1. A storage and charging capsule for a pair of wireless earbuds, the storage and charging capsule comprising:

a base part;

an elongate intermediate part, the intermediate part having a longitudinal major axis; and

a cover part being retractable over the intermediate part,

wherein the intermediate part has a first end attached to the base part, a second end, and an earbud chamber formed between the first and second ends, the earbud chamber being adapted to receive the pair of wireless earbuds arranged one after another along the longitudinal major axis of the intermediate part, and

wherein the capsule further has a power source for charging the pair of wireless earbuds when placed in the earbud chamber in the intermediate part.

2. The storage and charging capsule as defined in claim 1, wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery and wherein the capsule further comprises a power transmission arrangement for feeding electric power from the rechargeable battery to both earbuds when placed in the earbud chamber in the intermediate part.

3. The storage and charging capsule as defined in claim 2, the rechargeable battery being accommodated in the base part, wherein the power transmission arrangement comprises a first charging connector disc at the first end of the intermediate part, the first charging connector disc comprising a plurality of charging connector elements symmetrically distributed over a surface of the charging connector disc to allow electric contact with a charging interface of one of the earbuds irrespective of its radial orientation in the earbud chamber.

4. The storage and charging capsule as defined in claim 3, wherein the plurality of charging connector elements are adapted to reach electric contact with a conductive pattern provided at a rear end of the earbud.

5. The storage and charging capsule as defined in claim 3, wherein the power transmission arrangement further comprises a second charging connector disc at the second end of the intermediate part, the second charging connector disc comprising a plurality of charging connector elements symmetrically distributed over a surface of the second charging connector disc to allow electric contact with a charging interface of the other earbud irrespective of its radial orientation in the earbud chamber, wherein the charging connector elements of the first charging connector disc are connected to the rechargeable battery, and wherein the charging connector elements of the second charging connector disc are connected to the charging connector elements of the first charging connector disc or to the rechargeable battery by an interconnector extending between the first and second ends of the intermediate part.

6. The storage and charging capsule as defined in claim 1, the cover part being shaped essentially as a cylinder having an open end for receiving the intermediate part, and a closed end, the cover part being placeable in a first position in which the cover part is retracted from the intermediate part to allow insertion or removal of the earbuds in/from the earbud chamber, and in a second position in which the cover part encapsulates the intermediate part with the open end of the cover part abutting against the base part.

7. The storage and charging capsule as defined in claim 6, further comprising a first magnet mounted at the second end of the intermediate part and a second magnet mounted at the closed end of the cover part, the first and second magnets urging the cover part against the base part in the second position of the cover part.