Assembly for coupling the housings of an electronic device

• US 8,180,093 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hankey, M. Evans, Sanford, Emery
• Primary Examiner(s): Qin, Jianchun
• Application Number:
  US11/824,180
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166007A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,783 Days
• Field of Search: 843/74, 84/67, 381/374, 381/67
• US Class Current: 381/374
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/006 Interconnection of transducer parts of diaphragm and outer suspension by moulding H04R31/003
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A headset device that includes an earbud housing, a primary housing, a threaded neck, an earbud screw, and a primary housing screw is provided. The earbud housing can include an earbud through-hole and a first neck engaging surface. The primary housing can include a housing through-hole and a second neck engaging surface. The threaded neck can include first and second neck surfaces that can mate, respectively to the first and second neck engaging surface. The earbud screw can fit through the earbud through-hole and can interlock with the threaded neck to fix the earbud housing to the threaded neck. The primary housing screw can fit through the housing through-hole and can interlock with the threaded neck to fix the primary housing to the threaded neck. The threaded neck can include a through-hole for enabling circuitry disposed in the earbud housing to electrically couple to circuitry disposed in the primary housing.

Claims

1. A headset device comprising:

an earbud housing including an earbud through-hole and a first neck engaging surface;

a primary housing including a housing through-hole and a second neck engaging surface;

a threaded neck including first and second neck surfaces, wherein the first neck surface is mated to the first neck engaging surface, the second neck surface is mated to the second neck engaging surface, and the threaded neck comprises internal threading extending from the first neck surface to the second neck surface;

an earbud screw that fits through the earbud through-hole and is interlocked with the threaded neck to fix the earbud housing to the threaded neck; and

a primary housing screw that fits through the housing through-hole and is interlocked with the threaded neck to fix the primary housing to the threaded neck.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the earbud housing includes at least one slot in the first neck engaging surface, and wherein the threaded neck includes at least one protrusion extending away from the first neck surface and constructed to fit into the at least one slot.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing includes at least one slot in the second neck engaging surface, and wherein the threaded neck includes at least one protrusion extending away from the second neck surface and constructed to fit into the least one slot.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the threaded neck comprises a through-hole.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the earbud screw and the primary housing screw each comprise a through-hole.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the earbud screw comprises at least one notch constructed to receive an installation tool.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing screw comprises at least one notch constructed to receive an installation tool.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the earbud housing includes a curved surface and the threaded neck includes a curved surface that aligns to the earbud curved surface when the earbud housing and threaded neck are fixed together.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the alignment of the curved surfaces forms a seamless transition between the earbud housing and the threaded neck.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the primary housing comprises a recessed region on the second neck engaging surface, and wherein the second neck surface is mated with the recessed region.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the mating of the second neck surface with the recessed region forms a seamless transition between the primary housing and the threaded neck.

12. The device of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive for fixing the screws to the threaded neck.

13. A method for attaching an earbud housing to a primary housing with a threaded neck, the method comprising:

placing a bottom insert into the primary housing;

securing the threaded neck to the bottom insert to secure the primary housing to the threaded neck;

placing a top insert into the earbud housing; and

securing the threaded neck to the top insert to secure the earbud housing to the threaded neck, wherein securing the threaded neck to the bottom insert comprises;

screwing the bottom insert to a predetermined depth within the threaded neck;

aligning at least one tab on the neck with at least one notch on the primary housing; and

tightening the bottom insert to a predetermined torque.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising applying an adhesive to at least one of the bottom insert, top insert, and threaded neck.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising using a customized tool to attach the threaded neck to the primary housing.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein securing the threaded neck to the top insert comprises:

aligning at least one tab on the neck with at least one notch on the earbud housing;

screwing the top insert into the neck; and

tightening the top insert to a predetermined torque.

17. A method for attaching an earbud housing to a primary housing with a threaded neck, the method comprising:

placing a bottom insert into the primary housing;

securing the threaded neck to the bottom insert to secure the primary housing to the threaded neck;

placing a top insert into the earbud housing; and

securing the threaded neck to the top insert to secure the earbud housing to the threaded neck, wherein securing the threaded neck to the top insert comprises;

aligning at least one tab on the neck with at least one notch on the earbud housing;

screwing the top insert into the neck; and

tightening the top insert to a predetermined torque.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein securing the threaded neck to the bottom insert comprises:

screwing the bottom insert to a predetermined depth within the threaded neck;

aligning at least one tab on the neck with at least one notch on the primary housing; and

tightening the bottom insert to a predetermined torque.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising applying an adhesive to at least one of the bottom insert, top insert, and threaded neck.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising using a customized tool to attach the threaded neck to the primary housing.