Headset cable retraction system

• US 20050072872A1
• Filed: 10/06/2004
• Published: 04/07/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Andrew Shack, Charles J. Schmucker, Natalie Driessen, Nathan J. Tierney, Robert H. Palmer
• Original Assignee: Andrew Shack, Charles J. Schmucker, Natalie Driessen, Nathan J. Tierney, Robert H. Palmer
• Inventors: Palmer, Robert H., Driessen, Natalie, Tierney, Nathan J., Shack, Andrew, Schmucker, Charles J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,086,512 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 242/388.910
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/15 Protecting or guiding telephone cords

Abstract

A headset cable retraction system and device is described, the system including a housing, the housing having a cavity. In addition, the system includes a cord capable of transmitting an electrical signal, wherein a portion of the cord is contained in the cavity. The system further includes an earpiece attached to the cord; and, a retracting mechanism in the housing, the retracting mechanism including a drive wheel, a spring coupled to the drive wheel and a idler wheel, the cord being pressed between the drive wheel and the idler wheel; wherein when the cord is extracted from the cavity, the spring becomes tensioned. A method for using the system and device is also described.

Claims

1. A headset cable retraction system, comprising:

a housing, the housing including a cavity;

a cord capable of transmitting an electrical signal, wherein a portion of the cord is removably contained in the cavity;

an earpiece attached to the cord; and

,

a retracting mechanism in the housing, the retracting mechanism including a drive wheel, a spring coupled to the drive wheel, and a idler wheel, the cord being pressed between the drive wheel and the idler wheel;

wherein when the cord is extracted from the cavity, the spring becomes tensioned.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a wave washer biasing the drive wheel.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a wave washer biasing the idler wheel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a flat washer between the wave washer and the idler wheel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the drive wheel includes a rubberized surface.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the cord connector includes a plug for connecting to a receptacle on a mobile phone.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a stop mechanism in the housing and operatively connected to the retractable mechanism for holding the cord when extracted from the housing at selected positions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the stop mechanism includes a plurality of ridges in the drive wheel and a matching plurality of ridges in the housing;

at least one of the plurality of ridges engaging one of the matching plurality of ridges to prevent release of the tensioned spring.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the earpiece includes a speaker.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the earpiece includes a speaker and a microphone.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein a side of the housing is configured to mate with a side of a mobile phone.

12. A phone having a retractable cord, comprising:

a phone circuit contained in a housing, the housing including a cavity;

a cord capable of transmitting an electrical signal, wherein a portion of the cord is removably contained in the cavity;

an earpiece attached to the cord and coupled to the phone circuit; and

,

a retracting mechanism in the housing, the retracting mechanism including a drive wheel, a spring coupled to the drive wheel, and a idler wheel, the cord being pressed between the drive wheel and the idler wheel;

wherein when the cord is extracted from the cavity, the spring becomes tensioned.

13. The phone of claim 12, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a wave washer biasing the drive wheel.

14. The phone of claim 12, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a wave washer biasing the idler wheel.

15. The phone of claim 14, wherein the retracting mechanism includes a flat washer between the wave washer and the idler wheel.

16. The phone of claim 12, wherein the drive wheel includes a rubberized surface.

17. The phone of claim 12, wherein the cord connector includes a plug for connecting to a receptacle on a mobile phone.

18. The phone of claim 12, further including a stop mechanism in the housing and operatively connected to the retractable mechanism for holding the cord when extracted from the housing at selected positions.

19. The phone of claim 18, wherein the stop mechanism includes a plurality of ridges in the drive wheel and a matching plurality of ridges in the housing;

at least one of the plurality of ridges engaging one of the matching plurality of ridges to prevent release of the tensioned spring.

20. The phone of claim 12, wherein the earpiece includes a speaker.

21. The phone of claim 12, wherein the earpiece includes a speaker and a microphone.

22. A hand-held headset cable retraction device comprising:

a housing having an internal cavity with a cable storage section;

a cable capable of transmitting an electrical signal therethrough, wherein at least a portion of the cable is disposed within the cable storage section;

an earpiece attached to one end of the cable and accessible from the housing;

a cable retraction mechanism disposed within the housing, the cable retraction mechanism comprising;

a drive wheel rotatably disposed within the housing and positioned upstream of the cable storage section;

an idler wheel rotatably disposed within the housing and positioned adjacent and diametrically opposed to the drive wheel; and

,

a spring coupled to one of the drive wheel and idler wheel to bias the rotational movement of the one of the drive wheel and idler wheel;

wherein the cord is interposed between and contacts both the drive wheel and the idler wheel, and the cord is retractably extracted from the housing by pulling it away from the housing, causing the spring to be tensioned.

23. The hand-held headset cable retraction device of claim 22, wherein the housing is formed from two housing members.

24. The hand-held headset cable retraction device of claim 22, wherein the wherein the axis of rotation for the idler wheel is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation for the drive wheel.

25. The hand-held headset cable retraction device of claim 22, wherein the cavity is defined by a wall internal to the housing, the wall including an aperture through which the cord is extracted.

26. The hand-held headset cable retraction device of claim 22, further including means for removably locking the cable retraction mechanism in a first position when the cord is extracted from the housing.

27. The hand-held headset cable retraction device of claim 22, further including means for removably unlocking the cable retraction mechanism into a second position when the cable is retracted into the housing.

28. A method for removing and replacing a cable from a cable retraction device, the method comprising the steps of:

retracting a cable from an internal cavity of a housing comprising a drive wheel and an idler wheel rotatably disposed therein, wherein the cable is interposed between and contacts only a portion of both the drive wheel and the idler wheel, and wherein a portion of the cable stored within the device is positioned in a section of the internal cavity separate from the drive wheel and idler wheel; and

,

locking the device into a first position when the cable is extracted to maintain the cable in an extracted position.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising the step of unlocking the device into a second position for retracting the cable into the housing.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of retracting the cable includes tensioning a spring coupled to one of the drive wheel and the idler wheel.