Earphone charging box

Abstract

The utility model provides an earphone charging box, and relates to the technical field of electronic equipment. The earphone charging box comprises a metal shell and an antenna, and the metal shell is coupled with the floor so as to improve the use safety of the earphone charging box. In addition, the metal housing includes a slot, which may be filled with a non-metallic structural member to form a complete appearance surface. In the utility model, the antenna comprises a radiator, the radiator is also coupled with the floor, and the projection of the open end of the radiator on the surface where the slot is located falls within the outline range of the slot. According to the design scheme of the earphone charging box provided by the utility model, the slot on the metal shell is used as a transmission area of electromagnetic waves of the antenna, so that the earphone charging box has an all-metal appearance effect while the communication performance of the antenna is ensured; and the earphone charging box with an all-metal appearance effect can realize an off-line searching function, so that the market competitiveness of the earphone charging box can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of electronic equipment technology, and in particular to an earphone charging case. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread use of true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, offline location tracking has been proposed to enable the earbuds to be located and retrieved when lost.

[0003] To enable the find-and-find function, an antenna is typically placed inside the earphone charging case. This antenna uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to upload BLE broadcasts, allowing for offline finding. Therefore, the design of the BLE antenna on the earphone charging case is crucial for achieving this offline find-and-find functionality.

[0004] Currently, most TWS earbuds and charging cases on the market are made of non-metallic materials such as plastic, and their exterior components are manufactured using conventional processes such as non-metallic spraying. However, with the increasing demand from users for metallic-looking earbud charging cases, all-metal charging cases have broad development prospects. However, the shielding properties of a metal shell against electromagnetic waves hinder the offline location function of the earbud charging case. Therefore, antenna design for all-metal earbud charging cases becomes a challenge. Utility Model Content

[0005] This invention provides an earphone charging case that improves the antenna performance of an earphone charging case with an all-metal exterior.

[0006] This invention provides an earphone charging case comprising a metal shell and an antenna. The metal shell is coupled to a ground plane to improve the safety of the earphone charging case. Additionally, the metal shell includes a slot, which can be filled with a non-metallic structural component to form a complete exterior surface. In this invention, the antenna includes a radiator, the grounding end of which is also coupled to the ground plane. The projection of the open end of the radiator onto the surface containing the slot falls within the outline of the slot. By utilizing the slot on the metal shell as the transmission area for the antenna's electromagnetic waves, this design ensures the antenna's communication performance while providing an all-metal appearance. Furthermore, it enables offline location functionality for earphone charging cases with an all-metal appearance, thus enhancing the product's market competitiveness.

[0007] In one possible implementation of this invention, at least a portion of the radiator's projection onto the surface containing the slot falls within the outline of the slot. This ensures the radiating performance of the radiator, thereby improving the antenna's communication performance.

[0008] This invention does not limit the specific location of the radiator. For example, in one possible implementation, the radiator is disposed on the side wall of a non-metallic structural component facing the interior of the earphone charging case. Alternatively, the radiator is disposed inside the earphone charging case, spaced apart from the aforementioned side wall. This achieves the design effect of a hidden antenna, allowing the radiator to occupy less space, or even no space inside the earphone charging case, thus facilitating the miniaturization of the earphone charging case.

[0009] In another possible implementation of this invention, the radiator is disposed on the outer side of the earphone charging case, and the radiator is located within the contour range of the slot. This design improves the radiation performance of the radiator.

[0010] In addition, the radiator may include a hollowed-out pattern to enhance the overall appearance and aesthetics of the earphone charging case.

[0011] In one possible implementation of this invention, the grounding terminal of the radiator is coupled to the ground via a metal casing. This allows for local grounding of the radiator, avoiding the need to increase the space occupied by the antenna. Furthermore, since the metal casing has a large metal area, it can effectively increase the ground area of ​​the antenna, thereby improving the antenna's radiation performance.

[0012] In another possible implementation of this invention, since the earphone charging case also includes a battery holder for accommodating the battery of the earphone charging case, the radiator can be disposed on the battery holder. This improves the integration of the earphone charging case and effectively reduces the space occupied by the radiator.

[0013] In one possible implementation of this invention, the metal casing can also be used as the radiator of the antenna, with the edge of the slotted outline being the open end of the radiator. This forms a slotted antenna. Since the metal casing has a large area, it is beneficial to improve the antenna's performance and can also simplify the antenna's structure.

[0014] In addition, in this implementation, the feed point and ground point of the radiator can be positioned across both sides of the slot so that electromagnetic waves can be transmitted through the slot, thereby meeting the requirements of the radiator for transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves.

[0015] In one possible implementation of this invention, the minimum distance d1 from the feed point to the edge of the slot outline satisfies: 0 ≤ d1 ≤ 2 mm. The minimum distance d2 from the ground point to the edge of the slot outline satisfies: 0 ≤ d2 ≤ 2 mm. This is beneficial to improving the communication performance of the Bluetooth antenna, thereby enabling the earphone charging case to support offline search functionality.

[0016] In one possible implementation of this invention, the ratio 'a' of the slot area to the area of ​​the metal surface of the metal casing satisfies: (1 / 30) ≤ a ≤ (1 / 10). This allows the earphone charging case to have a relatively complete metallic appearance while meeting the communication requirements of the antenna.

[0017] In one possible implementation of this invention, the antenna is a Bluetooth antenna, operating in the frequency band of 2.4GHz to 2.48GHz. Furthermore, this antenna is used to communicate with a mobile terminal to enable offline location functionality for the earphone charging case, thereby improving the user experience. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an earphone charging case provided in an embodiment of this utility model;

[0019] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the earphone charging case shown;

[0020] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The front view of the earphone charging case shown;

[0021] Figure 4 Another structural schematic diagram of the earphone charging case provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0022] Figure 5 Another structural schematic diagram of the earphone charging case provided in this embodiment of the utility model;

[0023] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The image shows a front view of the earphone charging case.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 1-Metal casing; 101-First casing; 102-Second casing; 103-Slot; 2-Non-metallic structural component; 3-Radiator; 301-Feed point;

[0026] 302 - Grounding point; 303 - Hollowed-out pattern; 4 - Grounding branch; 5 - Metal sheet. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, the embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The same reference numerals in the figures denote the same or similar structures, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. The terms describing position and direction in the embodiments of this utility model are illustrative based on the accompanying drawings, but changes can be made as needed, and all such changes are included within the protection scope of this utility model. The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this utility model are for illustrating relative positional relationships only and do not represent actual proportions.

[0028] It should be noted that specific details are set forth in the following description to facilitate understanding of the present invention. However, embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in many ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar extensions without departing from the spirit of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0029] The following explains the terminology that may appear in the embodiments of this utility model.

[0030] Radiator: In an antenna, this is the device used to receive / transmit electromagnetic wave radiation. In some cases, the term "antenna" is narrowly defined as a radiator, which converts guided wave energy from the transmitter into radio waves, or converts radio waves into guided wave energy, for radiating and receiving radio waves. The modulated high-frequency current energy (or guided wave energy) generated by the transmitter is transmitted to the transmitting radiator via a feed line, where it is converted into electromagnetic wave energy of a specific polarization and radiated in the desired direction. The receiving radiator converts the electromagnetic wave energy of a specific polarization from a specific direction in space back into modulated high-frequency current energy, which is then transmitted to the receiver input via a feed line.

[0031] Ground / Plane: This can broadly refer to at least a portion of any grounding layer, ground plane, or grounding metal layer within an electronic device (such as an earphone charging case), or at least a portion of any combination of the aforementioned grounding layers, ground planes, or grounding components. "Ground / Plane" can be used for grounding components within an electronic device. In one embodiment, "Ground / Plane" may include any one or more of the following: a grounding layer of the electronic device's circuit board, a ground plane formed by the frame of the electronic device, a grounding metal layer formed by a thin metal film beneath the screen, a conductive grounding layer of a battery, and conductive components or metal parts electrically connected to the aforementioned grounding layer / ground plane / metal layer. In one embodiment, the circuit board may be a printed circuit board (PCB), such as an 8-layer, 10-layer, or 12-14-layer board having 8, 10, 12, 13, or 14 layers of conductive material, or components separated and electrically insulated by dielectric or insulating layers such as glass fiber or polymers.

[0032] Any of the aforementioned grounding layers, ground planes, or grounding metal layers are made of conductive materials. In one embodiment, the conductive material may be any of the following: copper, aluminum, stainless steel, brass and their alloys, copper foil on an insulating substrate, aluminum foil on an insulating substrate, gold foil on an insulating substrate, silver-plated copper, silver-plated copper foil on an insulating substrate, silver foil on an insulating substrate and tin-plated copper, graphite-impregnated cloth, graphite-coated substrates, copper-plated substrates, brass-plated substrates, and aluminum-plated substrates. Those skilled in the art will understand that grounding layers / ground planes / grounding metal layers may also be made of other conductive materials.

[0033] Radio frequency (RF) chips are a combination of all components used for receiving and transmitting radio frequency (RF) signals. They can be considered to include the RF front end and the transceiver. In the case of a receiving antenna, the RF chip can be considered the antenna section from the first amplifier to the front-end transmitter. In a transmitting antenna, the RF chip can be seen as the section after the last power amplifier. In some cases, the RF chip can also be understood as the feed unit. Typically, it is considered part of the antenna system, used to convert radio waves into electrical signals, and vice versa. Antenna design should consider the maximum power transfer capability and efficiency. For this purpose, the antenna feed impedance must be matched to the load resistance. The antenna feed impedance is a combination of resistance, capacitance, and inductance. To ensure maximum power transfer conditions, the two impedances (load resistance and feed impedance) should be matched. This matching can be achieved by considering frequency requirements and antenna design parameters such as gain, directivity, and radiation efficiency.

[0034] In some contexts, the term "power supply / feeding circuit" narrowly refers to a radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC). A power supply circuit converts radio waves (e.g., RF signals) into electrical signals (e.g., digital signals). It is typically considered part of the RF component.

[0035] In some embodiments, the electronic device may also include a test socket (or, RF socket or RF test socket). This test socket can be used to insert a coaxial cable to test the characteristics of the RF front-end circuitry or the radiator of the antenna. The RF front-end circuitry can be considered as the circuitry coupled between the test socket and the transceiver.

[0036] In some embodiments, the radio frequency front-end circuit can be integrated into a radio frequency front-end chip in an electronic device, or the radio frequency front-end circuit and the transceiver can be integrated into a radio frequency chip in an electronic device.

[0037] It should be understood that any two feed circuits in the first / second / ...Nth feed circuit of this utility model can share the same transceiver, for example, by transmitting signals through a radio frequency channel (e.g., a port (pin) of a radio frequency chip) in a transceiver; they can also share a radio frequency front-end circuit, for example, by processing signals through a switch or amplifier in a radio frequency front-end.

[0038] It should also be understood that the two feed circuits in the first / second / ...Nth feed circuit of this utility model usually correspond to two radio frequency test sockets in electronic devices.

[0039] Feed line: Also called a transmission line, it refers to the connection line between the antenna's radio frequency chip and the radiator. Depending on the frequency and form, the transmission line can directly transmit current waves or electromagnetic waves. The connection point on the radiator where it connects to the transmission line is usually called the feed point. Transmission lines include conductive transmission lines, coaxial transmission lines, waveguides, or microstrip lines. Depending on the implementation, transmission lines can include bracket antenna bodies or glass antenna bodies. Depending on the carrier, transmission lines can be made of liquid crystal polymer (LCP), flexible printed circuit boards (FPC), or printed circuit boards (PCBs).

[0040] Resonant frequency: The resonant frequency is also called the resonance frequency. The resonant frequency can have a frequency range, that is, the frequency range where resonance occurs. The resonant frequency can be a frequency range where the return loss characteristic is less than -6dB. The point of strongest resonance can be called the resonant point, and the frequency corresponding to the resonant point is the center frequency. The return loss characteristic of the center frequency can be less than -20dB. It should be understood that, unless otherwise specified, when the antenna / radiator in this invention generates "first / second...resonance," the first resonance should be the fundamental mode resonance generated by the antenna / radiator, or in other words, the lowest frequency resonance generated by the antenna / radiator. It should be understood that the antenna / radiator can generate one or more antenna modes according to a specific design, and each antenna mode can correspond to a fundamental mode resonance.

[0041] Resonant frequency band: The range of resonant frequencies is the resonant frequency band. The return loss characteristics at any frequency point within the resonant frequency band can be less than -6dB or -5dB.

[0042] Communication / Operating Frequency Band: Regardless of the type of antenna, it always operates within a certain frequency range (bandwidth). For example, an antenna supporting the B40 band operates within the frequency range of 2300MHz to 2400MHz, or in other words, its operating frequency band includes the B40 band. The frequency range that meets the specifications can be considered the antenna's operating frequency band. The width of the operating frequency band is called the operating bandwidth. The operating bandwidth of an omnidirectional antenna may reach 3-5% of the center frequency. The operating bandwidth of a directional antenna may reach 5-10% of the center frequency. Bandwidth can be considered as a frequency range on both sides of the center frequency (e.g., the resonant frequency of a dipole), where the antenna characteristics are within the acceptable range of the center frequency.

[0043] The resonant frequency band and the operating frequency band can be the same or different, or their frequency ranges can partially overlap. In one embodiment, the resonant frequency band of the antenna can cover multiple operating frequency bands of the antenna.

[0044] Antenna pattern: also known as radiation pattern. It refers to the graph showing how the relative field strength (normalized modulus) of the antenna's radiated field changes with direction at a certain distance from the antenna. It is usually represented by two mutually perpendicular planar patterns passing through the direction of maximum radiation of the antenna.

[0045] Antenna radiation patterns typically have multiple radiating beams. The beam with the highest radiating intensity is called the main lobe, and the remaining beams are called side lobes. Among the side lobes, the side lobe in the opposite direction to the main lobe is also called the back lobe.

[0046] Radiation efficiency refers to the ratio of the power radiated by an antenna into space (i.e., the power effectively converted into electromagnetic waves) to the active power input to the antenna. The active power input to the antenna equals the antenna's input power minus the power loss. Power loss mainly includes return loss power, ohmic loss power of the metal, and / or dielectric loss power. Both metal loss and dielectric loss are factors affecting radiation efficiency.

[0047] Those skilled in the art will understand that radiation efficiency is generally expressed as a percentage, and there is a corresponding conversion relationship between it and dB. The closer the radiation efficiency is to 0 dB, the better the radiation efficiency of the antenna.

[0048] dB: This stands for decibel, a logarithmic concept with base 10. Decibels are used to evaluate the proportional relationship between two physical quantities; they themselves have no physical dimensions. For every 10-fold increase in the ratio between two quantities, their difference can be expressed as 10 decibels. For example: A = 100, B = 10, C = 5, D = 1, then A / D = 20 dB; B / D = 10 dB; C / D = 7 dB; B / C = 3 dB. In other words, a 10-decibel difference between two quantities is a 10-fold difference, a 20-decibel difference is a 100-fold difference, and so on. A 3-decibel difference is a 2-fold difference between the two quantities.

[0049] The term "end" in the context of the main radiator's first / second / third / fourth / grounded / open ends should not be narrowly interpreted as a point or end physically disconnected from other radiators. It can also refer to a segment of the main radiator including the first endpoint, which is the endpoint of the main radiator at the gap. For example, the first end of the main radiator can be considered a segment of the main radiator within a range of one-eighth of a first wavelength from the first endpoint. The first wavelength can be the wavelength corresponding to the operating frequency band of the main radiator, the wavelength corresponding to the center frequency of the operating frequency band, or the wavelength corresponding to the resonant point. In one embodiment, "end / point" can include a connection / coupling region on the radiator that is coupled to other conductive structures. For example, a feed end / feed point can be a coupling region on the antenna radiator that is coupled to a feed structure (e.g., a region facing a part of the feed structure). Similarly, a ground end / grounding point can be a connection / coupling region on the antenna radiator that is coupled to a ground structure.

[0050] Open and Closed Terminals: In some embodiments, open and closed terminals are defined relative to whether or not they are grounded; the closed terminal is grounded, and the open terminal is not grounded. In one embodiment, the open terminal may also be referred to as a floating terminal, a free terminal, an open terminal, or an open-circuit terminal. In one embodiment, the closed terminal may also be referred to as a grounded terminal or a short-circuit terminal. It should be understood that in some embodiments, other conductors can be coupled through the open terminal to transfer coupled energy (which can be understood as transferring current).

[0051] In some embodiments, the open end and the closed end are, for example, relative to other conductors, with the closed end electrically connected to other conductors and the open end not electrically connected to other conductors.

[0052] To put it simply, the "open end" of a radiator can be defined as one end of the radiator that is spaced apart from the floor or coupled to the floor through a capacitive device.

[0053] To put it simply, the "grounding terminal" of a radiator can be understood as: if one end of the radiator is directly connected to the floor or coupled to the floor through an inductive device, it can be regarded as the grounding terminal of the radiator.

[0054] In some embodiments, the understanding of "closed end" can also be from the perspective of current distribution. A closed end or ground end can be understood as a point of high current or low electric field on a radiator. In one embodiment, coupling electronic devices (e.g., inductive devices) through a closed end can maintain the current distribution characteristics of the point of high current / low electric field. In one embodiment, opening a slit at or near the closed end (e.g., filling the slit with insulating material) can maintain the current distribution characteristics of the point of high current / low electric field.

[0055] In some embodiments, the understanding of "open terminal" can also be from the perspective of current distribution. An open terminal or a floating terminal can be understood as a point with a small current or a point with a large electric field on the radiator. In one embodiment, coupling electronic devices (e.g., capacitive devices) through an open terminal can maintain the current distribution characteristics of the point with a small current or a large electric field.

[0056] It should be understood that when an electronic device (e.g., capacitor, inductor, etc.) is coupled at the radiator end of a gap (which, from the perspective of the radiator's structure, resembles a radiator at the opening of an open or suspended end), the radiator end can be a point with a large current / small electric field. In this case, it should be understood that the radiator end at the gap is actually a closed end or a grounded end, etc.

[0057] Capacitance: can be understood as lumped capacitance and / or distributed capacitance. Lumped capacitance includes capacitive components, such as capacitor elements; distributed capacitance (or distributed capacitance) includes the equivalent capacitance formed by two conductive components separated by a certain gap.

[0058] Coupling: In this invention, "coupling connection" can be understood as indirect coupling. "Indirect coupling" can be understood as two conductors conducting electricity through a gap / non-contact method. In one embodiment, indirect coupling can also be called capacitive coupling, for example, signal transmission is achieved by forming an equivalent capacitance through coupling between the gaps between two conductive components.

[0059] To facilitate understanding of the earphone charging case provided in this embodiment of the invention, its application scenario will be introduced first. Wireless audio devices have become one of the fastest-growing products in wearable devices, with TWS earphones being the most prominent example. Because these wireless audio devices use wireless signal transmission technology and need to meet the requirements of a lightweight design, TWS earphones have small batteries that can only store power for short-term use. This necessitates providing a device that can charge the TWS earphones at any time, thus giving rise to the product combination of an earphone charging case and TWS earphones. As TWS earphone technology matures, consumers are placing higher demands on its performance.

[0060] Since TWS earbuds are typically stored in their charging case when not in use, and most TWS earbuds are lost while in the charging case with the case closed, offline locating of TWS earbuds currently relies on the charging case uploading BLE broadcasts. This allows nearby devices to access the locator network and encrypt their location information, enabling offline searching. Therefore, the design of the BLE antenna on the charging case is crucial for implementing this offline locating function.

[0061] Currently, most TWS earbuds and charging cases on the market are made of non-metallic materials such as plastic, and their exterior components are manufactured using conventional processes such as non-metallic spraying. However, as users' demands for the appearance of earbud charging cases gradually increase, sleek metallic designs are more attractive to consumers. For example, the high-end technology, metallic texture, and feel of aluminum alloy or titanium alloy shells, along with rich CMF (color, material, finish) effects such as brushed and high-gloss finishes, will greatly enhance product sales. Therefore, all-metal earbud charging cases have broad development prospects. However, the shielding properties of metal shells against electromagnetic waves hinder the implementation of offline location functionality for earbud charging cases.

[0062] In view of this, the earphone charging case provided by this utility model, by opening an antenna signal radiation area on the all-metal exterior surface, meets the communication requirements of the antenna, thus making it possible for an earphone charging case with an all-metal appearance to achieve offline search functionality. To facilitate understanding of the solution provided by this utility model, a detailed description will be provided below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0063] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an earphone charging case provided in an embodiment of the present utility model, as shown below. Figure 1As shown, the earphone charging case includes a metal shell 1. In this invention, the metal shell 1 refers to the part of the earphone charging case that has a metallic appearance surface. This can mean that the material of the earphone charging case shell is metal, or that the appearance surface of the earphone charging case shell is a metallic coating.

[0064] It is understandable that the metal casing 1 is coupled to the ground to ground the metal casing 1, thereby preventing the metal casing 1 from becoming electrified and improving the safety of the earphone charging case.

[0065] It is worth mentioning that, typically, to facilitate the storage of earphones in the earphone charging case, the earphone charging case may include two hinged shells, which can be referred to as the first shell 101 and the second shell 102, respectively. The first shell 101 and the second shell 102 can be connected by a pivot mechanism to realize the opening and closing of the earphone charging case. In this utility model, key components of the earphone charging case, such as the battery for powering the earphones, the charging assembly, and the structure for realizing wireless communication, can all be set in the first shell 101. The second shell 102 can be used to form an earphone storage cavity with the first shell 101. Therefore, in a possible embodiment of this utility model, the volume of the first shell 101 can be larger than the volume of the second shell 102, so as to facilitate the setting of the above-mentioned key components and also to facilitate the miniaturization design of the earphone charging case.

[0066] Based on this, it can be understood that the metal casing 1 may include a first casing 101 and a second casing 102, which is beneficial for the earphone charging case to form a more complete metal appearance effect.

[0067] Figure 2 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the earphone charging case is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the earphone charging case provided by this utility model also includes an antenna, which is also coupled to the ground. To meet the communication requirements of the antenna, the metal shell 1 includes a slot 103, which can be filled by a non-metallic structural component 2. This forms an electromagnetic wave transmission area on the metal shell 1 of the earphone charging case and allows the earphone charging case to have a complete appearance.

[0068] It is worth mentioning that, in one possible embodiment of this utility model, the ratio 'a' of the area of ​​the slot 103 to the area of ​​the metal surface of the metal shell 1 satisfies: (1 / 30) ≤ a ≤ (1 / 10). For example, a is 1 / 15 or 1 / 10, etc. This allows the earphone charging case to have a relatively complete metallic appearance while meeting the communication requirements of the antenna.

[0069] exist Figure 2In the illustrated embodiment, the slot 103 can be disposed on the first housing 101. Since the first housing 101 has a large surface area, it imposes less constraint on the size of the slot 103, thereby improving the design flexibility of the slot 103. In other embodiments of this utility model, the slot 103 can also be disposed on the second housing 102; or the slot 103 can be disposed on both the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, that is, the slot 103 can be disposed at the junction between the first housing 101 and the second housing 102, wherein a portion of the slot 103 is located on the first housing 101, and the other portion of the slot 103 is located on the second housing 102.

[0070] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The front view of the earphone charging case shown is in... Figure 3 Non-metallic structural component 2 is omitted, as are parts that might affect the antenna structure, in order to clearly show the relative positional relationship between the antenna and the slot 103. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the antenna includes a radiator 3, and the projection of the open end of the radiator 3 onto the surface where the slot 103 is located falls within the outline of the slot 103.

[0071] It is worth mentioning that, in this utility model, the outline range of the slot 103 includes both the outline edge of the slot 103 and the area defined by the outline edge. That is to say, the projection of the open end of the radiator 3 onto the surface where the slot 103 is located can be as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the projection of the open end of the radiator 3 onto the surface containing the slot 103 may also fall on the edge of the slot 103.

[0072] You can continue to refer to Figure 3 In this embodiment, the projection of the entire radiator 3 onto the surface where the slot 103 is located falls within the outline of the slot 103, which can ensure the radiation performance of the radiator 3, thereby improving the communication performance of the antenna.

[0073] exist Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, since the projection of the entire radiator 3 onto the surface containing the slot 103 falls within the outline of the slot 103, and the length of the radiator 3 is relatively long, for example, one-quarter of the electrical length of the antenna, the size of the slot 103 is large. Therefore, the size of the non-metallic structural component 2 filling the slot 103 is also large. Based on this, the non-metallic structural component 2 can be used as an exterior decorative component of the earphone charging case. The material of the non-metallic structural component 2 can be plastic or glass, and its color can be similar to the color of the metal shell 1, so that the earphone charging case has a relatively complete metallic appearance effect. In addition, the color of the non-metallic structural component 2 can also be any other color, so as to reduce the design difficulty of the non-metallic structural component 2 and improve the appearance diversity of the earphone charging case.

[0074] like Figure 3 As shown in the figure, in this utility model, the radiator 3 may include a portion with length L1 and a portion with length L2, thus the radiator may be a bent structure. In some other possible embodiments of this utility model, only the portion with length L1 may be used as the radiator 3, in which case the radiator 3 is a long strip structure. That is, this utility model does not limit the specific arrangement of the radiator 3.

[0075] In this utility model, the specific shape of the non-metallic structural component 2 is not limited; an exemplary shape could be... Figure 1 The rectangle shown is used to reduce the design difficulty of the non-metallic structural component 2. In other possible embodiments of this utility model, the non-metallic structural component 2 can also be other regular or irregular shapes to improve the appearance and personalized design of the earphone charging case, thereby enhancing the product's market competitiveness.

[0076] In this invention, the radiator 3 of the antenna can be arranged in various ways. For example, the radiator 3 can be disposed on the side wall of the non-metallic structural member 2 facing the interior of the earphone charging case. Exemplary examples include a metal coating layer or a flexible printed circuit (FPC). In some other possible embodiments of this application, the radiator 3 is disposed inside the earphone charging case and spaced apart from the side wall of the non-metallic structural member 2. This achieves the design effect of hiding the antenna, allowing the radiator 3 to occupy less space, or even not occupy the internal space of the earphone charging case, thereby facilitating the miniaturization design of the earphone charging case.

[0077] Since the metal casing 1 is coupled to the ground, in this invention, the grounding terminal of the radiator 3 can also be coupled to the ground through the metal casing 1. For example, the grounding point of the radiator 3 can be directly connected to the metal casing 1, simplifying the design of the antenna for the earphone charging case. Alternatively, the grounding point of the radiator 3 can also be connected through a... Figure 3The grounding branch 4 shown is connected to the metal casing 1 to improve the grounding flexibility of the radiator 3.

[0078] It is understood that in the above embodiment, since the radiator 3 is disposed on the non-metallic structural component 2, and the non-metallic structural component 2 fills the slot 103 of the metal casing 1, the grounding terminal of the radiator 3 is coupled to the ground through the metal casing 1, which can achieve local grounding of the radiator 3, thus avoiding increasing the space occupied by the antenna. Furthermore, the metal casing 1 can also be used as the radiation ground of the antenna, and since the metal area of ​​the metal casing 1 is relatively large, it can effectively increase the ground area of ​​the antenna, thereby improving the radiation performance of the antenna.

[0079] Furthermore, as described above regarding the headphone charging case, the charging case includes a battery for charging the headphones. Therefore, to accommodate the battery, the charging case also includes a battery holder. In one possible embodiment of this invention, as follows... Figure 2 As shown, the radiator 3 can also be mounted on the battery holder. Figure 2 (Not shown in the image), the radiator 3 can be laser-engraved onto the surface of the battery holder facing the non-metallic structural member 2 using laser-direct-structuring (LDS) technology, or it can be formed on the surface of the battery holder facing the non-metallic structural member 2 by coating. This improves the integration of the earphone charging case and effectively reduces the space occupied by the radiator 3.

[0080] In this embodiment of the invention, the material of the battery holder is not limited; it can be either non-metallic or metallic. When the battery holder is made of metal, it is coupled to the floor, or in other words, it can be part of the floor. In this embodiment, the radiator 3 can be grounded through the battery holder, achieving local grounding of the radiator 3 and avoiding increasing the space occupied by the antenna. Furthermore, using this design, the metal casing 1 can also be used as the antenna's radiation ground to improve its radiation performance.

[0081] The above is only an exemplary description of the specific arrangement of the radiator 3. In other possible embodiments of this utility model, the specific arrangement of the radiator 3 can be adapted according to the actual design requirements. They will not be described one by one here, but they should all be understood to fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0082] In this embodiment of the invention, the antenna may further include a feed circuit and a feed line. The feed circuit is connected to the feed point of the radiator 3 via the feed line to feed radio frequency signals to the radiator. Figure 3In the embodiment shown, the feed point of the radiator can be located in a portion of length L2 to facilitate the connection between the feed line and the feed point.

[0083] It is worth mentioning that in this invention, the operating frequency band of the antenna is not limited. An exemplary example could be a Bluetooth antenna, in which case its operating frequency band could be 2.4GHz to 2.48GHz. Furthermore, this Bluetooth antenna can be used to communicate with a mobile terminal to support offline search functionality, thereby enabling the earphone charging case with an all-metal appearance to achieve offline search functionality.

[0084] The design of the earphone charging case provided by this utility model utilizes the slot 103 on the metal shell 1 as the transmission area of ​​the electromagnetic waves of the antenna. This design ensures the communication performance of the antenna while giving the earphone charging case an all-metal appearance. Furthermore, it enables the earphone charging case with an all-metal appearance to achieve offline search functionality, which is beneficial to enhancing the product's market competitiveness.

[0085] Figure 4 This is another structural schematic diagram of the earphone charging case provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the embodiments described above, in... Figure 4 In the earphone charging case shown, the metal casing 1 serves as the radiator 3. In a specific implementation, as... Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the slot 103 is a slit, meaning its width is much smaller than its length.

[0086] It is understandable that, since the metal casing 1 serves as the radiator 3 of the antenna, the outline edge of the slot 103 is the open end of the radiator 3. Furthermore, in order for the radiator 3 to transmit electromagnetic waves, in this embodiment of the present invention, the feed point 301 and the ground point 302 of the radiator 3 are positioned across both sides of the slot 103, thereby forming a slot antenna. Because the metal casing 1 has a large area, it is beneficial to improving the antenna's performance and also simplifies the antenna's structure.

[0087] You can continue to refer to Figure 4 In this embodiment of the present invention, the minimum distance d1 from the feed point 301 of the radiator 3 to the contour edge of the slot 103 satisfies: 0 ≤ d1 ≤ 2 mm, for example, d1 is 1 mm or 1.5 mm, etc. Similarly, the minimum distance d2 from the ground point of the radiator 3 to the contour edge of the slot 103 satisfies: 0 ≤ d2 ≤ 2 mm, for example, d2 is 1 mm or 1.5 mm, etc. This facilitates the excitation of the slot antenna mode, thereby improving the radiation performance of the slot antenna.

[0088] Furthermore, as described above, in this invention, the antenna of the earphone charging case can be a Bluetooth antenna. Therefore, to meet the radiation requirements of the Bluetooth antenna, in one possible embodiment, the width of the slot 103 can be 2–6 mm. For example, in… Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the width d31 of the two ends of the slot 103 is 2.5mm, 3.5mm, or 4mm, etc., and the width d32 of the middle portion of the slot 103 is 4.5mm, 5.26mm, or 5.5mm, etc. This is beneficial to improving the communication performance of the Bluetooth antenna, thereby enabling the earphone charging case to support offline search functionality.

[0089] In order to give the earphone charging case a complete appearance, Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the non-metallic structural component 2 filling the slot 103 may include injection-molded filler and a glass sheet covering the injection-molded filler, so that the earphone charging case has a relatively complete metallic appearance. Of course, Figure 4 The non-metallic structural component 2 in the illustrated embodiment can also be configured in accordance with the above embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0090] It is worth mentioning that, in this utility model Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the ratio 'a' of the area of ​​the slot 103 to the area of ​​the metal surface of the metal casing 1 can also satisfy: (1 / 30) ≤ a ≤ (1 / 10). For example, a is 1 / 30 or 1 / 25, etc. This allows the earphone charging case to have a relatively complete metallic appearance while meeting the communication requirements of the antenna.

[0091] This utility model does not limit the shape of the slot 103; an example of it could be... Figure 4 The U-shape shown can also be a regular shape such as an N-shape or a V-shape, or some irregular shape. Furthermore, in this invention, the area with a higher electric field strength in the slot 103 (e.g., Figure 4 The middle part of the slot shown in the figure is longer and wider, which is beneficial to improving the radiation performance of the antenna.

[0092] because Figure 4 The smaller size of the slot 103 in the illustrated embodiment helps to improve the integrity of the metal appearance of the earphone charging case, thereby enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the earphone charging case.

[0093] Based on the above description of the design principle of the antenna for the metal-looking earphone charging case provided by this utility model, in other embodiments of this utility model, the antenna configuration can be adjusted according to specific design requirements. For example, referring to... Figure 5 , Figure 5This is another structural schematic diagram of the earphone charging case provided in an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the radiator 3 is disposed on the outer side of the earphone charging case, and the radiator 3 may be located within the outline of the slot 103. It is understood that the specific formation of the radiator 3 can be various. For example, the radiator 3 may be a metal sheet 5 divided by the slot 103 on the metal shell 1. In this case, the radiator 3 and the metal shell 1 are made of the same material, and the radiator 3 can be understood as part of the metal shell 1. As another possible embodiment of the present invention, the radiator 3 may be a metal sheet 5 attached or coated within the outline of the slot 103. Its material may be the same as or different from that of the metal shell 1, and is not limited here.

[0094] Additionally, refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 for Figure 5 The image shows a front view of the earphone charging case. Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the radiator 3 is spaced apart from the metal casing 1 on all sides. That is, the radiator 3 and the metal casing 1 are not connected on the outer surface of the headphone charging case. Therefore, if it is necessary to couple the ground terminal of the radiator 3 to the ground through the metal casing 1, the radiator 3 and the metal casing 1 can be connected inside the headphone charging case. In other possible embodiments of this invention, the radiator 3 can be connected to the metal casing 1 on the outer surface of the headphone charging case, so that the radiator 3 is coupled to the ground through the ground terminal of the metal casing 1, which simplifies the antenna structure.

[0095] You can continue to refer to Figure 6 The radiator 3 may also include a hollow pattern 303, which may be, but is not limited to, a brand logo or a personalized pattern, to enhance the appearance integration and aesthetics of the earphone charging case.

[0096] As can be seen from the above introduction, the earphone charging case uses... Figure 5 and Figure 6 In the setup shown, there is also a gap between the metal sheet 5 and the metal casing 1. Based on the design principle of the slot antenna, the metal casing 1 and the metal sheet 5 can be used to form a slot antenna. The specific setup can be referred to the above embodiment, and will not be described in detail here.

[0097] In addition, when the metal sheet 5 includes a hollow pattern 303, if the hollow pattern 303 also includes a gap, the gap of the hollow pattern 303 can also be used to form a gap antenna.

[0098] The above is merely an exemplary description of the specific antenna configuration of the earphone charging case with a metallic appearance provided by this utility model. Based on its design principles, a series of modifications can be made, which will not be listed here, but all of them should be understood to fall within the protection scope of this utility model.

[0099] In the various embodiments of this utility model, unless otherwise specified or in case of logical conflict, the terminology and / or descriptions between different embodiments are consistent and can be referenced by each other. Technical features in different embodiments can be combined to form new embodiments according to their inherent logical relationships.

[0100] The above are merely specific embodiments of this utility model, but the protection scope of this utility model is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this utility model should be included within the protection scope of this utility model. Therefore, the protection scope of this utility model should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. An earphone charging case, characterized in that, The earphone charging box comprises a metal shell and an antenna, wherein: The metal shell is coupled with a floor, the metal shell comprises a slot, and the slot is filled by a non-metal structural member; The antenna comprises a radiator, a ground end of the radiator is coupled with the floor, and a projection of an open end of the radiator on a plane where the slot is located falls within a contour range of the slot.

2. The earphone charging case of claim 1, wherein, At least a part of the radiator falls within the contour range of the slot.

3. The earphone charging case of claim 2, wherein, The radiator is arranged on a side wall of the non-metal structural member which faces an interior of the earphone charging box; or the radiator is arranged in the interior of the earphone charging box and is arranged in a spaced manner with the side wall.

4. The earphone charging case of claim 2, wherein, The radiator is arranged on an outer side of the earphone charging box, and the radiator is located within the contour range of the slot.

5. The earphone charging case of claim 4, wherein, The radiator comprises a hollow pattern.

6. The earphone charging case of claim 4, wherein, The ground end of the radiator is coupled with the floor through the metal shell.

7. The earphone charging case of claim 2, wherein, The earphone charging box further comprises a battery support for accommodating a battery of the earphone charging box, and the radiator is arranged on the battery support.

8. The earphone charging case of claim 1, wherein, The metal shell serves as the radiator of the antenna, and a contour edge of the slot is the open end of the radiator.

9. The earphone charging case of claim 8, wherein, A feed point of the radiator and a grounding point of the radiator are arranged on two sides of the slot.

10. The earphone charging case of claim 9, wherein, A minimum distance d1 from the feed point to a contour edge of the slot satisfies: 0≤d1≤2mm; and a minimum distance d2 from the grounding point to the contour edge of the slot satisfies: 0≤d2≤2mm.

11. The earphone charging case according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein, A ratio a of an area of the slot to an area of a metal surface of the metal shell satisfies: (1 / 30)≤a≤(1 / 10).

12. The earphone charging case of any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The antenna is a Bluetooth antenna.

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