Headphone Telescoping Joint Locking for Thinner Housing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing earphones have larger dimensions at the junction between the headband assembly and the connecting assembly due to the use of screws, which necessitate deep insertion for connection strength, hindering miniaturization.

Innovation Solution

The earphone design incorporates a telescoping assembly with a locking member and limiting portions to secure the housing components along the telescoping direction, eliminating the need for connecting holes in the second housing, thereby reducing its thickness and facilitating miniaturization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If screws are used to fix the headband assembly and the connecting assembly, then connection strength is ensured, but the dimensions of related components at the junction become large

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidthickness of second housing
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the screw connection structure from the second housing by extracting the need for connecting holes. Instead of using screws that require deep insertion into the second housing, the design uses a telescoping assembly with a locking member that engages with the first housing and plugging portion, eliminating the need for holes in the second housing and thereby reducing its thickness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the connection function into the first housing and plugging portion through the telescoping assembly. The locking member integrates the locking function within the telescoping cavity, merging the connection strength requirement into a structure that does not compromise the second housing thickness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If screws are inserted deeply to ensure connection strength, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and dimension increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection reliabilityVSAvoidstructure complexity at junction
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of inserting screws into the second housing to achieve connection strength, the patent inverts the approach by having the locking member engage with the first housing and plugging portion from the opposite direction. The locking member locks these components along the telescoping direction, ensuring connection reliability without requiring deep insertion into the second housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the dimensional approach by using a telescoping assembly that moves along the telescoping direction within the telescoping cavity. The locking member operates in this dimensional space, providing reliable connection through a different spatial arrangement that avoids the need for deep screw insertion and reduces structural complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP4683344A1headphones
Publication Date: 2026.01.21 SHENZHEN SHOKZ CO LTD
  • EP4683344A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4683344A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4683344A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The present disclosure provides an earphone, which relates to the technical field of electronic devices. The earphone includes a headband assembly, a connecting assembly, and a speaker assembly; the connecting assembly includes a fixing assembly and a telescoping assembly, the fixing assembly includes a housing assembly and a locking member, the housing assembly includes a first housing and a second housing, the telescoping assembly includes a telescoping member; the housing assembly is provided with a plugging hole, the headband assembly has a plugging portion, the plugging portion is plugged within the plugging hole along a telescoping direction, the locking member is disposed to lock the first housing and the plugging portion along the telescoping direction, the second housing is provided with a first limiting portion and a second limiting portion. In the earphone provided in the present disclosure, the locking member locks the first housing and the plugging portion along the telescoping direction, the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion limit a movement of the second housing along the telescoping direction, and the second housing does not need to be provided with a connection hole. The thickness of the second housing at a junction between the headband assembly and the connecting assembly can be reduced, thereby reducing the dimension of the second housing and facilitating the miniaturization of the earphone.