Retractable Speaker Earbud Headset for Thin Profile Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional earbud headsets have a fixed speaker capsule that contributes to a bulky profile, making them less suitable for convenient storage and integration with handheld devices.
Innovation Solution
An earbud headset with a retractable and extendable speaker portion, allowing the speaker capsule to fold into a base portion, reducing the overall thickness to approximately 7 mm, enabling more compact storage and integration with handsets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a fixed speaker capsule is used in traditional earbud headsets, then the speaker can be rigidly fixed to the headset, but the profile thickness increases to 10 mm or more
Solution Approach 1:
The speaker capsule is made movable relative to the headset body through a telescoping neck portion that can extend and retract. This dynamic structure allows the speaker capsule to be positioned outside the ear canal during use for stable acoustic coupling, then retracted inside during storage to reduce profile thickness below 10 mm, resolving the contradiction between rigid fixation and thin profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The speaker capsule is nested within the headset body when retracted, with the telescoping neck portion allowing the speaker capsule to be stored inside the hollow interior of the headset. This nesting arrangement enables the thin profile form factor during storage while maintaining the ability to extend the speaker capsule for proper ear canal positioning during use.
2Ease of operation
If the speaker capsule is positioned outside the ear canal, then the headset can be worn, but the profile thickness increases making storage inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The telescoping neck portion enables dynamic adjustment of the speaker capsule position between extended (for wearability) and retracted (for compact storage) states. This resolves the contradiction by allowing the headset to achieve thin profile during storage while maintaining proper speaker positioning during actual use.
Solution Approach 2:
The headset is segmented into a fixed body portion and a movable speaker capsule portion connected by the telescoping neck. This segmentation allows the speaker capsule to be independently positioned for wearability while the body portion maintains a thin profile for convenient storage, eliminating the need for the entire headset to be thick.
3Length of stationary object
If the headset is designed with a thin profile, then storage and integration with handsets become convenient, but the speaker capsule cannot be rigidly fixed
Solution Approach 1:
The headset employs a dynamic telescoping mechanism that provides rigid fixation of the speaker capsule to the body portion when extended, while allowing retraction to achieve thin profile. The spring-loaded or magnetically-assisted telescoping mechanism ensures stable coupling during use while enabling compact storage, resolving the contradiction between fixed structure and thin profile.
Solution Approach 2:
The telescoping neck portion acts as an intermediary mechanism between the fixed body portion and the speaker capsule. It provides the necessary connection and positioning functionality while enabling the thin profile form factor, serving as a mediator that reconciles the conflicting requirements of rigid fixation and compact dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
An earbud headset, a handset including the same, and methods of operating the headset and handset are provided. In one embodiment, an earbud headset includes a speaker portion that is retractable into and extendable from a base portion, thereby allowing for a thin profile form factor. Advantageously, the earbud headset allows for more convenient storage and/or integration with a handset such that a user may carry the handset and headset much like a single item.