Earphone Protector Device With Partitioned Storage And Cord Slack Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing earphone storage solutions do not adequately protect earphones when not in use and fail to manage cord slack effectively during use, leading to damage and tangling.
Innovation Solution
An earphone protector device with a central partition creating two compartments for earphones and cords/plug, featuring a passage for cord management and a winding spool for coiling cords, allowing secure storage and easy access without disconnection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If earphones are stored together with cords in a single compartment, then storage space is utilized, but earphones are vulnerable to damage and cords become tangled
Solution Approach 1:
The storage case is divided into two separate compartments: a first compartment for storing earphones and a second compartment for storing cords and plugs. This segmentation prevents earphones from being damaged by cords while maintaining compact storage space, directly resolving the contradiction between space utilization and protection reliability.
2Ease of operation
If earphone cords have excessive slack during use, then comfort is improved, but cords sway and become tangled with nearby objects
Solution Approach 1:
The device allows users to pre-coil the earphone cord in the second compartment before use. This preliminary action of coiling the cord eliminates excessive slack that would cause swaying and tangling, while still allowing sufficient cord length for comfortable use when the compartments are opened during use.
3Ease of operation
If earphones are disconnected from the protector device for use, then ease of use is improved, but likelihood of misplacement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device combines the earphones, cords, and plug into a single integrated storage and protection system. Users can access the earphones by opening the first compartment while the device remains attached to clothing via the snap connection, eliminating the need to completely disconnect and reducing the risk of misplacement while maintaining ease of access.
4Ease of operation
If a retractable cord mechanism is used, then cord management is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a complex retractable mechanism, the device uses a simple pre-coiling approach where the cord is manually coiled in the second compartment before use. This preliminary action provides effective cord management without requiring any mechanical retractability mechanisms, significantly reducing device complexity and manufacturing cost.
Data Source
AI summary
An earphone protector device includes top and bottom compartments partitioned by and releasably attachable to opposite sides of a central partition member. A passage through the partition member is sized for insertion of earphone cords, wherein the corresponding earphones are located on the top side of the partition member and the earphone plug is located on the bottom side of the partition member. When used in conjunction with a portable media player, the earphones and earphone plug may be extended through slots located on each corresponding compartment, thereby limiting the amount of slack in the earphone cords during use. In another embodiment of the device, the central partition member does not include a passage and the device may be used for separately storing complimenting articles in the two compartments.