Abstract:
An exemplary wire-winding device can automatically wind a wire that is connected to a plug such as the plug of an earphone set. The wire-winding device includes a rotary wire-winding unit and a locking unit. A plug inlet channel and a moving cavity are defined in the rotary wire-winding unit. The locking unit includes a moving member accommodated in the moving cavity, for controlling locking and releasing of the rotary wire-winding unit. When the plug is inserted into the moving cavity, the plug applies a thrust force to the moving member, and the moving member moves in the moving cavity under the thrust force and thereby releases the rotary wire-winding unit to allow the rotary wire-winding unit to rotate and automatically wind the wire.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Technical Field 
         [0002]    The disclosure relates to wire-winding devices used with electronic equipment such as consumer electronic products, and especially a wire-winding device typically used for an earphone set. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    An earphone set may include one or two earpieces, together with a wire having a plug on an end thereof. The plug is connected to an earphone port of an electronic device, such as a mobile phone, an MP3 (Moving Picture Experts Group, audio layer 3) player, a CD (compact disc) player and the like, and thus the earpieces can receive sound signals from the electronic device. Such an earphone set enables mobile use of electronic devices, for example when walking, running, driving a car, or working. For all these uses, an adequate length of the wire is required, but the wire may tangle and cause inconvenience. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0005]    The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wire-winding device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the wire-winding device of  FIG. 1 , the wire-winding device including a rotary wire-winding unit. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the rotary wire-winding unit of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged, perspective view of a part of the wire-winding device of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of the wire-winding device of  FIG. 1 , but omitting a top cover thereof, and showing a plug of a wire inserted in the wire-winding device. 
           [0011]      FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5 , but showing the wire-winding device without the plug and wire. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]    Examples of the present embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or similar reference numbers are used, in the drawings and the description, to refer to the same or like parts. 
         [0013]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a wire-winding device  1  includes a housing  10 , and a rotary wire-winding unit  30  accommodated in the housing  10 . A top cover  50  is seated on a top circumferential edge of the housing  10 . Thus the interior of the housing  10  is concealed by the top cover  50 , except that a through hole  530  (see  FIG. 2 ) is defined in a center of the top cover  50 . A circumferential side wall  120  of the housing  10  is almost completely closed, and thereby defines an entrance  122 . The entrance  122  allows a wire  80  (see  FIG. 5 ) of an associated earphone set to be routed into and out of the rotary wire-winding unit  30 . In the embodiment, the top cover  50  further includes a pair of accommodation grooves  510 , for stowing two earpieces of the earphone set and two corresponding end portions of the wire  80  (the end portions are not shown in  FIG. 5 ). 
         [0014]    Referring also to  FIG. 2 , a pivot  112  with a securing shaft  114  is provided on a base plate  110  of the housing  10 . In the embodiment, the pivot  112  has a cylindrical lateral surface. The securing shaft  114  extends coaxially from an end of the pivot  112  which is away from the base plate  110 . In the illustrated embodiment, the securing shaft  114  has a rectangular transverse cross-section. 
         [0015]    Referring also to  FIG. 3 , the rotary wire-winding unit  30  is configured to automatically rewind the wire  80  of the earphone set anytime after the wire  80  has been drawn out, as will be detailed below. The rotary wire-winding unit  30  includes a rotation body  200  and a torsion spring  300 . The rotation body  200  is sleeved on the pivot  112  to rotate about the pivot  112 , and includes a supporting plate  210  and an accommodation member  230  provided on the supporting plate  210 . A shaft hole  212  is defined through the supporting plate  210 , and corresponds to the pivot  112 . That is, the pivot  112  is insertable into the shaft hole  212  to sleeve the rotation body  200  on the pivot  112 . 
         [0016]    A part of the accommodation member  230  is recessed from a top face of the accommodation member  230  towards the supporting plate  210 , to form an indentation  232  in communication with the shaft hole  212 . Thus, a closed side wall  231  of the accommodation member  230  surrounds the indentation  232 . An external surface of the closed side wall  231  serves as a wire-collecting surface  239  where the wire  80  of the earphone set is wound up. The indentation  232  includes a cylindrical accommodation cavity  232   a  in which the torsion spring  300  is accommodated, and a straight moving cavity  232   b  with a smooth internal surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the accommodation cavity  232   a  and the moving cavity  232   b  are in communication with each other. In an alternative embodiment, the accommodation cavity  232   a  and the moving cavity  232   b  are not in communication with each other. A portion of the closed side wall  231  at an end of the moving cavity  232   b  farthest from the accommodating cavity  232   a  functions as an abutting wall  233 . 
         [0017]    One end  310  of the torsion spring  300  is coiled around the securing shaft  114 . The other end  310  of the torsion spring  300  is bent into a hook, and is hooked around a latching member  237  located in a bottom of the accommodation cavity  232   a.    
         [0018]    Referring also to  FIG. 4 , a plug inlet channel  235  is defined in a portion of the closed side wall  231  corresponding to the moving cavity  232   b.  The plug inlet channel  235  runs from one side face of the closed side wall  231 , through the moving cavity  232   b , to an opposite side face of the closed side wall  231 . The plug inlet channel  235  is provided for receiving a plug  90  (see  FIG. 5 ) of the earphone set, whereby the plug  90  passes through the moving cavity  232   b.  In the embodiment, the plug inlet channel  235  is slanted relative to a lengthwise axis of the moving cavity  232   b.    
         [0019]    A spring lid  430  is provided to cover a top of the accommodating cavity  232   a  and a part of the moving cavity  232   b  of the indentation  232 . The spring lid  430  includes a base cover  431 , and a protrusion block  432  extending down from a center portion of the base cover  431 . The base cover  431  is arranged to correspond to the through hole  530  of the top cover  50 , and is coplanar with the top cover  50 . The protrusion block  432  is nested in the accommodating cavity  232   a,  and abuts an inner surface of the closed side wall  231  defining the accommodation cavity  232   a.  A bottom end of the protrusion block  432  is spaced from the torsion spring  300 . A securing hole  435  is defined through the base cover  431  and the protrusion block  432 . The securing shaft  114  is engagingly received in the securing hole  435 , and the spring lid  430  is thereby fixed relative to the housing  10 . Accordingly, when the rotation body  200  rotates, the spring lid  430  is prevented from rotating with the rotation body  200 . A locking slot  433  is defined in a circumference  431   a  of the base cover  431 , and extends in a radial direction of the base cover  431 . In the embodiment, a diameter of the base cover  431  is a little less than a diameter of the through hole  530 , so that an annular gap between the base cover  431  and the top cover  50  defines an annular guideway  700  (see  FIG. 1 ). 
         [0020]    The wire-winding device  1  further includes a locking unit  40 , which is configured to lock the rotary wire-winding unit  30  in a desired position and prevent rotary movement of the rotary wire-winding unit  30  when the rotary wire-winding unit  30  is in the locked state. The locking unit  40  can also be driven to release its locking of the rotary wire-winding unit  30 , by inserting the plug  90  into the plug inlet channel  235 . When the plug  90  is inserted in the plug inlet channel  235  and no pulling force is applied on the wire  80  of the earphone set by a user (operator), the locking unit  40  allows free rotation of the rotary wire-winding unit  30  so as to make the rotary wire-winding unit  30  rotate in a first direction and rewind and gather the wire  80  automatically. On the other hand, when the wire  80  has been rewound and the plug  90  is in place in the plug inlet channel  235 , and a pulling force is applied by the user to unwind the wire  80  so as to extend the wire  80 , the rotary wire-winding unit  30  rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the wire  80  can be pulled out until the plug  90  is ready to be drawn out of the plug inlet channel  235 . In the embodiment, the first direction is clockwise, and the second direction is counterclockwise. 
         [0021]    The locking unit  40  includes a moving member  410  slidably accommodated in the moving cavity  232   b,  a locking member  413  upwardly extending from the moving member  410 , and a spring  415  such as a coil spring. 
         [0022]    A length of the moving cavity  232   b  determines the extent to which the moving member  410  can slide along the moving cavity  232   b.  The spring  415  is arranged along the lengthwise axis of the moving cavity  232   b,  and is sandwiched between the moving member  410  and the abutting wall  233 . In the embodiment, one end of the spring  415  abuts against the abutting wall  233 , and the other end of the spring  415  rests against a side surface  411  of the moving member  410  facing towards the abutting wall  233 . The locking member  413  is configured to be slidably engaged in the locking slot  433 . In an alternative embodiment, the locking member  413  extends downwardly from the spring lid  430 , and accordingly, the locking slot  433  is defined in the moving member  410 . 
         [0023]    The moving member  410  receives a thrust force from a free end of the plug  90 , when the plug  90  is pushed into the plug inlet channel  235  by the user and reaches the moving cavity  232   b.  Thereby, the moving member  410  slides outwardly along the lengthwise axis of the moving cavity  232   b  so as to make the locking member  413  disengage from the locking slot  433 . The moving member  410  includes a contact surface  412  configured for receiving the thrust force. The contact surface  412  is an oblique surface facing towards an inner opening of the plug inlet channel  235  at the moving cavity  232   b.  When the plug  90  is inserted into the plug inlet channel  235 , the free end of the plug  90  abuts against the contact surface  412  so as to generate the thrust force applied to the contact surface  412 . Thus the whole moving member  410  is moved along the moving cavity  232   b  by the thrust force, compressing the spring  415 , and making the locking member  413  disengaged from the locking slot  433 . 
         [0024]    In the embodiment, a cap  900  is sleeved on and fixed to a free end of the locking member  413 . The cap  900  cooperates with the locking member  413  to function as an operation handle  600  to receive the user&#39;s thumb press. When the locking member  413  is disengaged from the locking slot  433 , the user can push the operation handle  600  and thereby drive the locking member  413  to move along the guideway  700  so that the rotary wire-winding unit  30  rotates. Alternatively, another kind of handle can be fixed to the locking member  413 , as a substitute for the above-mentioned operation handle  600 . The other handle can be operated by the user to drive the locking member  413  to move along the guideway  700  so that the rotary wire-winding unit  30  rotates. 
         [0025]    In assembly of the wire-winding device  1 , the rotation body  200  is inserted into the housing  10 , with the securing shaft  114  passing through the shaft hole  212 , entering the accommodation cavity  232   a  and protruding beyond a top of the accommodation cavity  232   a.  Thereby, the supporting plate  210  of the rotation body  200  is sleeved around the pivot  112  of the housing  10 . One end  310  of the torsion spring  300  is placed around the securing shaft  114 , and the other end  310  of the torsion spring  300  is hooked onto the latching member  237 . Thereby, the torsion spring  300  is fixed into the rotation body  200 . At this time, the torsion spring  300  is in an elastically deformed state, storing a certain amount of elastic potential energy. Then the spring  415  together with the moving member  410  are accommodated in the moving cavity  232   b . The moving member  410  and the spring  415  sit in a straight line along the lengthwise axis of the moving cavity  232   b,  with the spring  415  sandwiched between the moving member  410  and the abutting wall  233 . The spring lid  430  covers the indentation  232 , and the securing shaft  114  is engaged in the securing hole  435 . The protrusion block  432  of the spring lid  430  is received in the accommodation cavity  232   a;  and the location of the locking slot  433  of the base cover  431  is arranged to correspond with the moving cavity  232   b,  so that the locking member  413  engages in the locking slot  433 . In this position, the top cover  50  conceals the top circumferential edge of the housing  10 , and the end of the locking member  413  with the cap  900  protrudes up higher than the guideway  700 , so that the rotary wire-winding unit  30  can freely rotate when the locking member  413  is located in the guideway  700 . 
         [0026]    In the embodiment, after finishing the assembly of the wire-winding device  1 , the torsion spring  300  is in the elastically deformed state, and the locking member  413  is received in the locking slot  433 . 
         [0027]    The operation principles of the wire-winding device  1  are briefly described below: 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 5 , when the plug  90  is inserted through the entrance  122  into the plug inlet channel  235  of the rotation body  200 , the free end of the plug  90  pushes the contact surface  412  of the moving member  410 , applying a thrust force against the moving member  410 . The moving member  410  is driven towards the abutting wall  233 , compressing the spring  415 , so as to make the locking member  413  disengage from the locking slot  433  and enter the guideway  700 . Thus, the locking unit  40  is unlocked. The torsion spring  300  releases its elastic potential energy to drive the rotary wire-winding unit  30  to rotate in the first direction. Simultaneously, the locking member  413  together with the cap  900  rotates, with the locking member  413  traveling in the guideway  700  along the first direction. Therefore, the wire  80  of the earphone set is automatically rewound onto and around the wire-collecting surface  239  by the rotation of the rotary wire-winding unit  30 . 
         [0029]    Then when an end portion of the wire  80  at the earpieces of the earphone set is pulled out from the wire-winding device  1  by the user, because the plug  90  is still inserted in the plug inlet channel  235 , the locking unit  40  is still in an unlocked status, and the rotary wire-winding unit  30  is rotated in the second direction by the pulling force. That is, the wire  80  can be pulled out until the plug  90  is able to be drawn out of the plug inlet channel  235 . During the pulling action on the wire  80 , the deformation of the torsion spring  300  is cumulatively increased, due to the reversed rotation of the rotation body  200 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , when the plug  90  is drawn out of the plug inlet channel  235 , the force applied on the moving member  410  is eliminated. Therefore, the moving member  410  is pushed back radially inwardly by the spring  415 , so that the locking member  413  is engaged in the locking slot  433 . In such case, re-rotation of the rotary wire-winding unit  30  is prevented by the locking unit  40 , and the wire  80  of the earphone set can remain completely drawn out of the wire-winding device  1 . 
         [0031]    In the embodiment, the rotary wire-winding unit  30  can for example be pushed to move along the guideway  700  by operation of the operation handle  600 , when the plug  90  is inserted into the plug inlet channel  235 . Therefore even if the torsion spring  300  does not have sufficient elastic potential energy to fully wind up the wire  80  of the earphone set, the user can still operate the operation handle  600  and thereby push the locking member  413  to move along the guideway  700  so that the rotary wire-winding unit  30  rotates and fully winds up the wire  80 . 
         [0032]    According to the above, the wire  80  of the earphone set can be automatically wound up on the rotary wire-winding unit  30  by the thrust force applied by the free end of the plug  90  when the plug  90  is inserted into the plug inlet channel  235 . This helps avoid wire tangles. Moreover, the wire  80  can be completely pulled out from the wire-winding device  1  and freed from the wire-winding device  1  by the user. Therefore, the earpieces and wire  80  of the earphone set can be completely detached from the wire-winding device  1  according to user requirements. For example, after such detachment, the user may employ a different earphone set with the wire-winding device  1 , by inserting a plug of the other earphone set into the plug inlet channel  235 . Thus the wire-winding device  1  is even more convenient for everyday portable use. 
         [0033]    Although numerous characteristics and advantages of the present embodiments have been set out in the foregoing description, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only; and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.