Bend Switch for Wired Headset Using Co-linear Elongated Bodies
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electrical switches in headset wires are bulky and offer limited control functions, requiring users to visually interact with them, which is inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A bend switch design that incorporates two co-linear elongated bodies with contact surfaces, allowing for a small and unobtrusive profile, where the switch is activated by bending the bodies to make contact, enabling control of device functions without visual interaction, and can include a movable space member for preferred bending orientations and a potentiometer for varying signal strength.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional switches are used in headset wires, then control functions are provided, but the switches become bulky and require visual interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical switches with a bend switch that uses the mechanical flexibility of the wire itself. The wire is bent to a predetermined angle to activate switch functions, substituting complex mechanical switch mechanisms with simple bending motion. This eliminates the need for bulky mechanical components while providing tactile feedback through the bending action.
Solution Approach 2:
The wire serves dual purposes: it provides electrical connection and simultaneously acts as the switch mechanism. By bending the wire itself to activate the switch, the system uses its own structural property (flexibility) for control functionality, eliminating the need for separate switch components that would increase size.
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional switches are used in headset wires, then control functions are provided, but the switches become bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The bend switch provides multiple control functions (volume control, track navigation, call management) through a single unified mechanism. By varying the bending angle and direction of the wire, different functions are activated, making one compact component replace multiple specialized switches that would otherwise be needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The switch activates different functions by changing the bending parameter (angle) of the wire. Specific angles correspond to specific functions (e.g., 45 degrees for volume up, 90 degrees for track next). This allows multiple control functions to be encoded in a single continuous parameter variation rather than requiring discrete mechanical components for each function.
3Volume of moving object
If the switch is made compact, then it becomes unobtrusive, but it may require precise bending control
Solution Approach 1:
The bend switch incorporates tactile feedback mechanisms that provide periodic sensory cues during bending. As the wire approaches predetermined bending angles, the user receives tactile feedback (such as resistance changes or audible clicks) that indicates proximity to the activation threshold, making it easier to achieve the precise bending angle without requiring excessive precision from the start.
Data Source
AI summary
This is directed to a bend switch constructed from two substantially co-linear elongated bodies having opposing contact surfaces. In an open switch position, the contact surfaces remain apart, preventing electrical coupling. To close the switch, a user can bend the elongated bodies relative to each other to cause the contact surfaces to meet, thus creating an electrical coupling. Each elongated body can have several independent conductive portions. The bend switch can include a movable space member placed between the elongated bodies to maintain the contact surfaces a predetermined distance apart in the open switch position. The movable space member can include preferred or non-preferred bending orientations, equilibrium positions, and/or a potentiometer for closing the switch. The bend switch can control one or more functions (e.g., microphone, volume, or playback controls) of an electronic device (e.g., portable media device or cellular telephone) coupled to the bend switch.