Wireless earphone

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a wireless earphone with high fashionability as an ear ornament that the wireless earphone itself looks like none other than a pierce, an earring, an ear cuff or the like at a glance. [Solution] The present invention is to comprise: a hollow sphere 1 of pearl color or metallic color; an earphone function part Em including at least a speaker, a power source part, a control part and a communication part housed in the sphere 1; a piercing rod (post) 2 provided outward on the outer surface of the sphere 1 and connected to the communication part, concurrently serving as an antenna; and a silicon catch 3 freely attachable / detachable to / from the piercing rod (post) 2.

Description

Wireless earphones

[0001] The present invention relates to a wireless earphone designed to be highly fashionable so that at first glance it looks just like an earring (pierced earring, ear cuff, etc.).

[0002] Earphones and earspeakers (hereinafter simply referred to as "earphones"), which have traditionally been called earphones and ear speakers, are widely used both in Japan and overseas to listen to various types of music information (hereinafter simply referred to as "music") provided via the Internet on electronic audio devices such as smartphones (hereinafter simply referred to as "smartphones").

[0003] Conventional earphones required a signal cord (wired wire) to connect to a smartphone, but recently earphones that use Bluetooth (registered trademark, the same applies hereinafter) as a means of narrow-range, short-distance network communication have been supplied to the market as wireless earphones that do not require a communication cord (wire), and are trending to replace corded earphones and corded ear speakers.

[0004] However, most current wireless earphones consist of an earphone body that houses speakers and other components and fits into the ear canal entrance, with a short, stick-like grip that houses an antenna and other components at the bottom. While this is fine for listening to and enjoying music, it lacks interest in terms of design.

[0005] Furthermore, current wireless earphones have a design that largely blocks the entrance to the ear canal inside the pinna (also called ear tab), and also have a short, stick-shaped grip attached to the bottom of the earphone body, making it difficult for female users in particular to wear earrings or pierced earrings, or almost impossible to wear depending on the shape of the earrings or pierced earrings. Even if they can be worn, the area around the pinna becomes cluttered with the earphones and earrings, making it unattractive. This is also true for current wireless earphones that do not have a stick-shaped grip.

[0006] Earphones with the appearance of earrings have been proposed in Patent Documents 1 to 4, but there are no wireless earphones yet that can be said to fully combine the decorativeness of earrings with the functionality of earphones.

[0007] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 6-26390 Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 62-51893 Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1-158716 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-229179

[0008] In view of the current state of wireless earphones described above, an object of the present invention is to provide a wireless earphone that is highly fashionable as an earring that at first glance looks like nothing more than a pierced earring, earring, or ear cuff.

[0009] The wireless earphone of the present invention, which was developed to solve the above-mentioned problems, is configured with a pearlescent or metallic hollow sphere, an earphone functional unit that includes at least a speaker, a power supply unit, a control unit, and a communication unit housed within the sphere, a piercing rod (also called a post) that also serves as a needle-shaped antenna that is attached outward on the outer surface of the sphere and joined to the communication unit, and a detachable silicone catch on the piercing rod.

[0010] The hollow sphere is, for example, a type in which the openings of two split hemispheres are joined together and the joining line is hidden by painting or polishing, and is made of a molded body such as metal, plastic, or ceramic. The outer surface of the sphere has a pearlescent or metallic color due to a coating or plating film. The sphere can be made of glass, wood, or even pearlescent plastic, in addition to the metals mentioned above. The sphere can be divided into equal and unequal divisions, and the choice of division is arbitrary. The speaker is set inside the sphere with its diaphragm (surface) facing the underside of the sphere (the side where the antenna / piercing rod is located), and a sound emission hole is formed in the part of the sphere facing the diaphragm. A charging terminal connected to a power supply and an operation knob for turning the earphone function unit on and off are also located on the underside of the sphere.

[0011] The wireless earphone described above is a pierced type wireless earphone according to a first example of the present invention.

[0012] The wireless earphone of the present invention includes the following forms, which will be explained below.

[0013] That is, the sphere housing the earphone functional unit is fixed to the upper inside of the earring frame (the upper part of the inner surface of the U-shaped member) that is shaped like a shallow U when viewed from the side. The U-shaped earring frame is a hollow member with a cross section that is polygonal (e.g., rectangular) or circular. An antenna is located within the frame, and a charging terminal is provided on the lower end face of the frame facing outward. This wireless earphone constitutes a second example of an earring-type earphone according to the present invention.

[0014] The earphone functional unit housed in the sphere described above is formed, for example, by a dynamic speaker in which the speaker diaphragm, voice coil, pole, magnet, and yoke are arranged in this order, and a printed circuit board or other substrate (also referred to as the speaker driver board) on which the power supply, control unit, and communication unit are arranged below the speaker. The speaker and driver board are housed as the earphone functional unit in a hollow sphere divided into two or a hollow box of any shape. The sphere or box is designed as an ornament for earrings and attached to an earring frame or ear cuff frame to form the earphone of the present invention. Here, the sphere or other body equipped with the earphone functional unit may be detachably attached to the frame.

[0015] In the present invention, a third example of a wireless earphone according to the present invention is provided, in which an earring frame having a hollow, C-shaped interior in a side view has a hollow spherical portion or a hollow spherical portion and a hollow non-spherical portion at both ends to form an earring body. A speaker is housed in the spherical portion on one side of the C-shaped earring body, and a driver board including a power supply unit, a control unit, and a communication unit is housed in the spherical portion or non-spherical portion on the other side. The spherical portion may be detachable from the earring frame using a screw or a removable adhesive. In addition, in the present invention, the above-described earring frame may be an ear cuff frame.

[0016] A charging terminal is located on the terminal surface of the other spherical or non-spherical portion housing the driver board. An antenna is located inside the hollow C-shaped earring body and connected to the communication unit. A sound-emitting slit (hole) is formed on the inner surface of one of the spherical portions housing the speaker, and a volume control and switch are located on the outer surface.

[0017] This wireless earphone can be used as a wireless earphone that can also be used as an earring by positioning the spherical part containing the speaker on the outer surface (upper surface) of the ear tab near the entrance to the ear canal and positioning the other non-spherical part on the back surface (lower surface) of the ear tab when worn on the auricle.

[0018] The present invention can provide a wireless earphone that uses a modified version of the roughly C-shaped earring body described in paragraphs

[0014] to

[0016] above.

[0019] In this example, the wireless earphone has a roughly C-shaped earring body, one end of which is formed as a hollow, roughly spherical speaker mounting section, while the other end is a driver board mounting section equipped with at least a power supply section, a control section, and a communication section. This driver board mounting section (hereinafter also referred to as the board mounting section) is formed in an appropriate shape, such as a hollow sphere or hemisphere.

[0020] Here, the above-mentioned approximately spherical speaker mounting portion is formed by painting, polishing, etc. to give the outer surface a pearl-like texture and color, while the other substrate mounting portion and the connecting portion connecting this substrate mounting portion to the speaker mounting portion are formed by painting, polishing, plating, etc. to give them a metallic color and texture, such as gold, for example.

[0021] The method for wearing the wireless earphone is to position the speaker side facing the ear canal of the ear tab, the circuit board side facing the back of the ear tab, and to sandwich the ear tab between the components of the wireless earphone.

[0022] In addition to the above-described configuration, the wireless earphone according to the present invention has many other variations and applications, such as a wireless earphone formed into an earring or ear cuff shape by decoratively connecting a hollow spherical speaker mounting portion and a hollow, approximately hemispherical or box-shaped board mounting portion that houses and mounts a driver board on which the power supply unit, control unit, and communication unit that drive the speaker are printed or otherwise arranged, via a C-ring or torsion arm-shaped connector, and integrating the spherical speaker mounting portion and the box-shaped or other board mounting portion. These variations and applications will be described in the embodiments described below.

[0023] The wireless earphone of the present invention is configured as a wireless earphone by accommodating a speaker and a speaker driver board inside the earring body, which in its overall appearance looks like a pierced earring, earring or ear cuff, so that you can enjoy listening to music etc. simply by wearing it on your auricle as a pierced earring, earring or ear cuff.

[0024] 1 is a side view of a piercing-type wireless earphone according to a first example of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 1 with the silicone catch removed. FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of a charger that also serves as a storage case for the wireless earphones of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an earring-type wireless earphone according to a second example of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the earphone functional unit (speaker and speaker drive board) housed in a sphere in the wireless earphone of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 4 in a worn state. FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the wireless earphone of FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 7 in a worn state. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 10 in a worn state. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 12 in a worn state. FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 14 in a worn state. FIG. 13 is a front view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 16. FIG. 14 is a right side view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 17. FIG. 16 is a rear view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 16. FIG. 17 is a front view of an eighth example of a wireless earphone of the present invention. FIG. 18 is a side view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 19. FIG. 19 is a front view of a ninth example of a wireless earphone of the present invention. FIG. 20 is a side view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 21. FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the wireless earphone of FIG. 21. FIG. 22 is an exploded view illustrating an example configuration of a speaker unit provided in the wireless earphone of FIG. 21.

[0025] Next, an embodiment of a wireless earphone according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0026] 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating an example of a pierced type wireless earphone, which is a first example of a wireless earphone according to the present invention.

[0027] 1 and 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a sphere with a pearl-like appearance when finished. In this example, the sphere is formed by bonding together hemispheres made of metal, plastic, ceramic, or other materials to form a hollow sphere. The bonded portions are then concealed by polishing, painting, or plating, giving the surface a pearl-like luster and appearance. The diameter of sphere 1 is preferably around 10 mm for use as a pierced earring, but spheres with diameters smaller or larger than 10 mm are also acceptable. Furthermore, while the divided type of sphere 1 is an equally divided hemisphere, it may also be a sphere 1 formed by bonding together unequal divided spheres.

[0028] As will be described in detail later with reference to Figure 5, inside the sphere 1, a speaker that functions as a wireless earphone and a printed circuit board (driver board) that includes at least a power source, control unit, and communication unit for driving the speaker are housed as the earphone functional unit of the wireless earphone WLe of the present invention.

[0029] The sphere 1 has a piercing rod 2, which serves as a post for the earring, protruding from the bottom of the sphere 1 by approximately 15 mm. The piercing rod 2 (post) is equipped with a urethane backing 3, and can be used as an earring. Since it is an earring, two pieces, one for each ear, function as a set of earrings. The piercing rod 2 is insulating and hypoallergenic. The piercing rod 2 can also be used as an antenna.

[0030] On the side of the piercing rod 2 of the sphere 1, there are provided a ring of multiple slit-shaped sound emission holes 4 for emitting speaker sound to the outside. 5 is a charging terminal arranged alongside the sound emission holes 4. Although not shown in Figures 1 and 2, there is also a small operation knob for turning the power on and off; when this knob is turned on, the power is turned on and the control unit simultaneously turns on the connection mode for connecting to Bluetooth (registered trademark, the same applies hereinafter) devices. When this knob is turned off, the power is turned off and the Bluetooth connection mode is also turned off.

[0031] The sound emitting hole 4 may be provided not on the underside of the sphere 1 but on the side where the outer surface of the sphere 1 faces the ear canal when the earring is attached to an ear tab. In the present invention, the sphere 1 may be attached to an earring (not shown) to form an earring-type wireless earphone WLe.

[0032] The above constitutes an example of a piercing-type or earring-type wireless earphone WLe (hereinafter also referred to as earphone WLe) of the present invention. This piercing-type (earring-type) wireless earphone WLe is worn as an earring or pierced ear accessory on the left or right ear tab (or one of the ear tabs) in the same way as regular earrings or pierced earrings. When wearing the earphone, turning the control knob ON before or after wearing the earphone activates the earphone function unit, including the speaker housed in the spherical body 1.

[0033] In this case, for example, music information downloaded via the Internet using a smartphone (hereinafter referred to as a smartphone) is input via Bluetooth from the communication unit equipped in the earphone function unit, and the music information is sent through the control unit to drive the speaker, so the sound from the speaker reaches the ears of the person wearing the pierced earrings.

[0034] The earphones WLe of the present invention used as described above require the battery of the power supply unit to be charged after use. Figure 3 shows a storage case Cc for the earphones WLe, designed like a jewelry box and equipped with a charging function for the earphones WLe.

[0035] 3, the container body C1 is provided with two storage sections 6, 6, which are hemispherical recesses deep enough to accommodate the sphere 1 up to approximately half its height, and a groove-shaped catch storage section 7 that accommodates two catches 3. In FIG. 3, C2 is a lid that covers the container body C1.

[0036] Each of the two spherical concave housing sections 6 is provided with a post hole 6a into which the piercing rod 2 (post 2) is inserted, and a charging terminal 6b (e.g., a male terminal) that is connected to the charging terminal 5 (e.g., a female terminal) of the sphere 1. The gender of the charging terminal 5 of the sphere 1 and the charging terminal 6b of the housing section 6 may be reversed from that described above.

[0037] Although the pierced or earring-type wireless earphone WLe and the pierced type wireless earphone charger / storage case Cc have been described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, the wireless earphone WLe of the present invention also comes in other forms as shown in FIGS. 4 to 15, which will be described below with reference to the figures.

[0038] 4 to 6 are diagrams illustrating a second example of the wireless earphone WLe of the present invention, which is designed as an earring or ear cuff.

[0039] In the earphone WLe shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, 8 denotes a sphere 2 that houses the earphone functional section, and is formed in a roughly pearl-like appearance similar to the sphere 1 of the first example.

[0040] 4 to 6, reference numeral 9 denotes an earring frame or ear cuff frame formed from a molded body such as metal or plastic, which in the illustrated example has a rectangular cross section and a vertically elongated U-shape (or C-shape) when viewed from the side. Attached to the upper end of the inner surface of this frame 9 is a spherical body 8 formed substantially similarly to the spherical body 1 described in FIGS. 1 and 2 and incorporating an earphone functional unit, constituting a second example of the earphone WLe of the present invention.

[0041] Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the earphone functional unit Em housed in the sphere 1 in Figs. 1 and 2 and the sphere 8 in Fig. 4. In the earphone functional unit Em in Fig. 5, the speaker 10 is composed of at least a diaphragm 10a, a magnet 10b, and a coil 10c.

[0042] In Figure 5, 11 is a driver board that integrates and mounts (implements) at least a power supply unit, a control unit, and a communication unit. The communication unit acquires external music information via wireless communication, and the control unit converts the acquired music information into a frequency signal to drive the speaker 10.

[0043] The earphone functional unit Em in Fig. 5 is housed in two dome-shaped hemispherical parts 81 and 82 of a two-part sphere 8. This is also the case with the housing configuration of the earphone functional unit Em in the sphere 1 in Figs. 1 and 2. In Fig. 5, reference numeral 12 denotes a sound emission hole provided at the top of the hemispherical part 82, and reference numeral 13 denotes a charging terminal formed on the end surface of the earring frame 9. Although not shown, the antenna of the communication unit may be located on the driver board 11, or the earring frame 9 may be used as an antenna.

[0044] The earring-type or ear cuff-type earphone WLe, which is the second example of the present invention explained in Figures 4 and 5, is attached to the auricle E as an earring-type or ear cuff, as shown in Figure 6. At this time, the earring frame 9 or ear cuff frame 9 is attached to the auricle E like an earring or an ear cuff, with the sphere 8 incorporating the speaker 10 facing the ear canal behind the ear tab E.

[0045] 7 to 9 show an earring-type or ear cuff-type wireless phone WLe in which the sphere 8 and frame 9 of FIGS. 4 and 5 are fused together. The earphone WLe of FIGS. 7 to 9 is a third example of the earphone of the present invention.

[0046] The earphone WLe in Figures 7 to 9 has an overall shape that is roughly C-shaped, and this C-shaped body 14 has two spherical or semi-spherical portions 15 and 16 at both ends, and is formed into a C-shaped earring or C-shaped ear cuff body that has an overall roughly C-shaped shape via a connecting portion 17.

[0047] In the C-shaped earring or C-shaped ear cuff type earphone WLe shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the unit 10U of the speaker 10 and the unit 11U of the driver board 11 are housed in the spherical portions 15, 16 at both ends, respectively.

[0048] As shown in Fig. 8, the two spherical portions 15, 16 are each split into two, each consisting of an outer spherical portion 15a, 16a and an inner spherical portion 15b, 16b, and after the speaker unit 10U and the board unit 11U are housed in each, the outer and inner spherical portions 15a, 15b and 16a, 16b are joined together to form a single C-shaped earring or C-shaped ear cuff, as shown in Fig. 7. In Fig. 8, 12 is a sound emission hole, 13 is a charging terminal, and P is a pin-type power switch.

[0049] The third example of the earphone WLe of the present invention shown in Figures 7 and 8 is worn in such a way that the spherical portion 15 containing the speaker unit 10U is positioned on the front side of the auricle E, and the C-shaped annular body sandwiches the auricle E from the front and back, as illustrated in Figure 9.

[0050] 10 and 11 show a fourth example of the earphone WLe according to the present invention, which is a modified version of the third example of the wireless earphone WLe according to the present invention described above with reference to FIGS.

[0051] The earphone WLe of Figures 10 and 11, like the earphone WLe of the third example shown in Figures 7 to 9, has in common the earring body or ear cuff body being approximately C-shaped.

[0052] In the earphone WLe of Figures 10 and 11, one end of the C-shaped annular body 18 is formed as a sphere 19, while the other end is formed as a crushed, approximately hemisphere or approximately box-shaped body (hereinafter referred to as a non-sphere 20), and these are integrated into an approximately C-shaped annular body at a connecting portion 21.

[0053] 10 and 11, spherical body 19 may house earphone function unit Em (not shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) including the speaker described in FIGS. 1 to 5, or may house speaker unit 10U (not shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) described in FIGS. 7 and 8. When speaker unit 10U (not shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) is housed in spherical body 19 in FIG. 10, driver unit 11U (not shown in FIGS. 10 and 11) is housed in non-spherical body 20.

[0054] In the earphone WLe of the present invention shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the spherical body 19 is finished with a pearlescent appearance and texture, as in the case of FIGS. 1 and 2, while the non-spherical body 20 and connecting portion 21 are finished with a metallic color and texture such as gold, and are formed into a C-shaped earring or C-shaped ear cuff.

[0055] The fourth example earphone WLe formed as described above is worn as an earring or an ear cuff by positioning the spherical body 19 on the front side of the auricle E and the non-spherical body 20 on the back side of the auricle E, as shown in FIG. 11 .

[0056] The third and fourth examples of the wireless earphone WLe of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11 can be developed in terms of design or appearance into fifth and sixth examples of the wireless earphone WLe of the present invention shown in FIGS. 12 to 15.

[0057] 12 and 13 show a fifth example of an earring- or ear cuff-shaped earphone WLe of the present invention, in which a spherical body 19 housing an earphone functional unit Em (not shown in FIGS. 12 and 13) and a non-spherical body 20 are integrally connected by a twisted connecting portion (torsion connecting portion 22). The finished state of spherical body 19, non-spherical body 20, and torsion connecting portion 22 is the same as that of the earphone WLe shown in FIGS. 7 to 11.

[0058] Since the connecting portion 22 is twisted, the appearance when attached to the auricle E is different from the other side and is more beautiful.

[0059] Figures 14 and 15 also show a C-ring earring type or C-ring ear cuff type earphone WLe of the present invention, but the connecting part 23 is made of a row of pearl-shaped spheres connected in a C-ring shape, and two pearl-finished spheres 19, 19' of different sizes are arranged on both ends of the connecting part 23, making it a sixth example of a wireless earphone WLe of the present invention.

[0060] 14 and 15, the earphone WLe has an earphone functional unit Em housed in a large-diameter sphere 19. As shown in Fig. 15, sphere 19 containing the speaker is positioned on the front side of the auricle E, and the sphere 19' and connecting unit 23 can be worn in the ear as a C-shaped ring-shaped earring or as an ear cuff / wireless earphone. In the above-mentioned embodiments, the sphere or spherical portion containing the speaker has a sound emission hole.

[0061] The wireless earphones WLe of the first to sixth examples of the present invention described above with reference to Figures 1 to 15 include application examples and modified examples of the wireless earphones WLe shown in Figures 16 to 24. This will be explained below.

[0062] 16 to 18 show a wireless earphone WLe that is an application example of the first example of the earphone WLe of the present invention described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, and is a seventh example of the present invention.

[0063] In the seventh example of earphone WLe shown in Figures 16 to 18, the earring body housing the earphone functional unit Em consisting of a speaker and a driver board is formed into a non-spherical body 1', and an ornamental body 24 formed in a pearl-like appearance is suspended below this non-spherical body 1' via a connecting ring 25. In Figures 16 to 18, the same members and parts as in Figures 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0064] In the present invention, there is a seventh example of the earphones WLe of the present invention described with reference to Figures 16 to 18, which does not have the decorative body 24, or a modified example of the pierced earphones WLe of the first example of the present invention described with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0065] Although this modified example is not shown, the non-spherical body 1' or the spherical body 1 is formed into a hollow container body having a circular or polygonal shape, and this container body is used as a speaker mounting portion, or a speaker mounting portion and a substrate mounting portion.

[0066] Then, a piercing rod (post) is screwed into the container body, and a battery or a decorative body of an appropriate shape that houses a driver board and a battery is attached to the piercing rod in place of the silicone catch, either integrally or detachably, thereby making it possible to create a modified version of the earphones WLe of the first or seventh example of the present invention.

[0067] 19 and 20 show an eighth example of the earphone WLe of the present invention. The eighth example of the earphone WLe of the present invention shown in Figures 19 and 20 is a modified version of the earphone WLe of the present invention, in which two hollow, generally C-shaped or J-shaped ear cuff-like main bodies 26, 26' are connected by a connecting portion 27 in a generally parallel configuration.

[0068] 19 and 20, a post 28 (piercing rod 28) for piercing is provided at the free end of one ear cuff-shaped body 26. For example, the post 28 can be a detachable screw-type, and if this post 28 is not provided, the earphone WLe can be worn as an ear cuff. Meanwhile, a speaker and driver board (not shown) are housed inside the free end of the other ear cuff-shaped body 26'. In Figure 20, 26a is a decorative body.

[0069] 21 to 23 show a ninth example of the earphone WLe of the present invention. The ninth example of the earphone WLe of the present invention replaces the hollow ear cuff-shaped bodies 26, 26' of the eighth example with ear cuff-shaped bodies 29, 29' formed in a roughly C-shape similar to the standard letter "C." In the ninth example, two parallel ear cuff-shaped bodies 29, 29' are connected by a connecting portion 30 with different heights between the upper and lower parts.

[0070] 21 to 23, the earphone WLe has a speaker 10 at the free end of one ear cuff-shaped body 29, but its driver board (not shown) is housed in the other ear cuff-shaped body 29'. The free end of the other ear cuff-shaped body 29' also has a post 31 for a pierced ear, but this can also be screwed on and removed. The earphone WLe of the ninth example also has the post 31 removed when worn as an ear cuff.

[0071] Figure 24 shows an exploded view of one example of speaker unit 10U housed at the free end of ear cuff-shaped main body 29 in earphone WLe of Figures 21 to 23. This speaker unit 10U is composed of diaphragm 10a, voice coil 10b, pole 10c, magnet 10d, and yoke 10e, and is housed in split cases C1 and C2 and installed inside ear cuff-shaped main body 29. Note that speaker unit 10U used in earphone WLe of the present invention may have a configuration other than that of the above example.

[0072] As described above, the present invention is a wireless earphone that at first glance looks like a pierced earring, earring, or ear cuff, so it can be used as an earring or ear cuff, and when used in that way, it can also function as a wireless earphone.As one item can perform two roles simultaneously or selectively, it is extremely convenient in practical use.

[0073] WLe: Wireless earphone of the present invention E: Auricle 1: Sphere 2: Piercing rod (post) 3: Backing 4: Sound emission hole 5: Charging terminal Cc: Charger and storage case 8: Sphere 9: Earring frame (ear cuff frame) 10: Speaker 11: Driver board 12: Sound emission hole 13: Charging terminal

Claims

1. A wireless earphone characterized by comprising a pearlescent or metallic hollow sphere, an earphone functional unit that includes at least a speaker, power supply unit, control unit, and communication unit housed within the sphere, a piercing rod (post) that also serves as an antenna and is attached to the communication unit and faces outward on the outer surface of the sphere, and a detachable silicone catch or decorative body attached to the piercing rod (post).

2. The wireless earphone of claim 1, wherein the sphere includes a perfect sphere and a non-perfect sphere, and the sphere is provided with a sound emission hole for emitting sound from a speaker.

3. A wireless earphone according to claim 1, wherein the earphone functional unit housed in the sphere is composed of a dynamic speaker having at least a speaker diaphragm, a voice coil, a pole, a magnet, and a yoke, and a circuit board (hereinafter also referred to as the speaker driver board) located below the speaker and including at least a power supply unit, a control unit, and a communication unit.

4. The wireless earphone of claim 1, wherein an ornament of any suitable shape, including a pearl shape, is suspended below the sphere.

5. A wireless earphone according to claim 1, wherein a charging terminal connected to the power supply unit and an operation knob for turning the earphone function unit on and off are arranged on the underside of the sphere.

6. A wireless earphone according to claim 1, wherein the sphere housing the earphone functional unit is fixed to the inside of the upper part (the upper part of the inner surface of the U-shaped member) of an earring frame or ear cuff frame that is formed in a shallow, roughly U-shape when viewed from the side.

7. A wireless earphone according to claim 6, wherein the earring frame or ear cuff frame is formed from a hollow member having a polygonal or circular cross section, an antenna is disposed within the earring frame or ear cuff frame, and a charging terminal is provided on the lower end surface of the earring frame or ear cuff frame.

8. The earring frame or ear cuff frame of claim 6, which does not have a sphere, is hollow inside and is formed into an earring body or ear cuff body that is roughly C-shaped and has a spherical portion or a spherical portion and a non-spherical portion at both ends, and a wireless earphone in which a speaker is housed in the spherical portion on one side of the roughly C-shaped earring body or ear cuff body, and a driver board including a power supply unit, control unit, and communication unit is housed in the spherical portion or non-spherical portion on the other side.

9. The wireless earphone of claim 8, wherein one end of the roughly C-shaped earring or ear cuff body is formed as a speaker installation section having a shape other than a hollow sphere, and the other end is formed as a driver board installation section having at least a power supply section, a control section, and a communication section.

10. A wireless earphone in which the hollow earring frame or ear cuff frame of claim 8, which does not have spherical or non-spherical portions at either end, is formed into an earring body or ear cuff body by connecting the earring frame or ear cuff frame together at each end via a connecting portion, and a speaker is built into one free end of the earring body or ear cuff body, and a speaker driver board is built into the inside of the other free end.

Images