Patent Publication Number: US-10312627-B2

Title: Electronic device having flexible cable and method of manufacturing the same

Description:
PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Korean Patent Application Serial number 10-2014-0152004, which was filed on Nov. 4, 2014 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Disclosure 
     The present disclosure relates generally to an electronic device, and more particularly, to an electronic device having a flexible cable and a method of manufacturing the electronic device having the flexible cable. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Wearable devices, e.g., an earphone, a headset, a smart watch, a smart glasses, etc., which are used in conjunction with one or more types of electronic devices, e.g., smart phones, table PCs, etc., have been developed. 
     Cables that can be used with the wearable devices for connecting the wearable devices to an electronic device have a constant cross-sectional area. Accordingly, the cable is sometimes not consistent with design and functional requirements of the wearable device. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure has been made to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electronic device that is consistent with design and functional requirements of a wearable device using a cable having appearance continuously varied. 
     An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a method of manufacturing an electronic device that is consistent with design and functional requirements of a wearable device using a cable having appearance continuously varied. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an electronic device. The electronic device includes a first coupling part, a second coupling part that is detachably connectable to the first coupling part, and a connection part connecting the first coupling part to the second coupling part. The connection part includes an upper end portion, a lower end portion that is connected to the upper end portion, and a wire part that is disposed between the upper end portion and the lower end portion. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method of manufacturing an electronic device comprising a flexible cable. The method includes disposing a wire on a first mold, performing a first injection molding process to form a first portion of the flexible cable and a fixing portion connected to the first portion, performing a second injection molding process to form a second portion of the cable, and removing the fixing portion. 
     Other aspects, advantages, and features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certain embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is view showing an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method of forming a connection part using an injection molding process, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 3A-3C  are diagrams illustrating an injection molding process to form a connection part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrams illustrating a connection part including a joint part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a necklace-type wearable device having a sound output function, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a first coupling part having a sound output function, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a second coupling part having a sound output function, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIGS. 8A and 8B  are diagrams illustrating an internal circuit board of a coupling part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating an internal battery of a coupling part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbers are used to depict the same or similar elements, features, and structures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that various changes and modifications of the embodiments described herein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness. The same reference symbols are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
     It should be noted that various embodiments described below may be applied or used individually or in combination. 
     The terms “include,” “comprise,” “including,” or “comprising” used herein indicates disclosed functions, operations, or existence of elements but do not exclude other functions, operations or elements. 
     The meaning of the terms “or” or “at least one of A and/or B” used herein include any combination of words listed together with the term. For example, the expression “A or B” or “at least one of A and/or B” may indicate A, B, or both A and B. 
     The terms, such as “first”, “second”, and the like used herein may refer to various elements of various embodiments of the present disclosure, but do not limit the elements. For example, such terms do not limit the order and/or priority of the elements. Furthermore, such terms may be used to distinguish one element from another element. For example, “a first user device” and “a second user device” may indicate different user devices. For example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. 
     In the description below, when one part (or element, device, etc.) is referred to as being “operatively or communicatively coupled” with/to or “connected” to another part (or element, device, etc.), it should be understood that the former can be “directly connected” to the latter, or “electrically connected” to the latter via an intervening part (or element, device, etc.). It will be further understood that when one component is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly linked” to another component, it means that no intervening component is present. 
     The term “configured to” as used herein may be interchangeably used with terms, such as “suitable for”, “having the capacity to”, “designed to”, “adapted to”, “made to”, “capable of”, etc., depending on circumstances. The term “configured to” used herein should not be limited to “specifically designed to” in terms of hardware. The term “device configured to” as used herein may indicate “device capable of being provided with” other devices or components. For instance, the phrase “processor configured to perform A, B, and C” may indicate a dedicated processor, e.g., an embedded processor, to perform a corresponding operation or a general-purpose processor, e.g., a CPU, an application processor, etc., to perform the corresponding operation by running at least one program stored in a memory. 
     The term “module” as used herein may represent, for example, a unit including one or more combinations of hardware, software and firmware. The term “module” may be interchangeably used with the terms “unit”, “logic”, “logical block”, “component” and “circuit”. The “module” may be an integrated component or may be a part thereof. The “module” may be for performing one or more functions or a part thereof. The “module” may be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, the “module” may include at least one of an application-specific IC (ASIC) chip, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and a programmable-logic device for performing some operations. 
     Terms used in this specification are used to describe embodiments of the present disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The terms of a singular form may include plural forms unless otherwise specified. Unless otherwise defined herein, all the terms used herein, which include technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning that is generally understood by a person skilled in the art. It will be further understood that terms, which are defined in a dictionary and commonly used, should also be interpreted as is customary in the relevant related art and not in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein in various embodiments of the present disclosure. 
     Electronic devices according to the various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one of smart phones, smart pads, tablet personal computers (PCs), mobile phones, video phones, electronic book readers, desktop PCs, laptop PCs, netbook computers, workstations, servers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), portable multimedia players (PMPs), motion picture experts group (MPEG-1 or MPEG-2) Audio Layer 3 (MP3) players, mobile medical devices, cameras, wearable devices (e.g., head-mounted-devices (HMDs), such as electronic glasses), electronic apparels, electronic bracelets, electronic necklaces, electronic appcessories, smart watches, or the like. 
     The electronic devices may be smart home appliances. The smart home appliances may include at least one of, for example, televisions (TVs), digital versatile disc (DVD) players, audios, refrigerators, air conditioners, cleaners, ovens, microwave ovens, washing machines, air cleaners, set-top boxes, home automation control panels, security control panels, TV boxes (e.g., Samsung HomeSync®, Apple TV®, or Google TV®), game consoles (e.g., Xbox®, PlayStation®), electronic dictionaries, electronic keys, camcorders, electronic picture frames, or the like. 
     In addition, the electronic device may include at least one of, for example, various medical devices (e.g., various mobile medical meters (a blood glucose meter, a heart rate meter, a temperature meter, etc.), a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) device, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, a computed tomography (CT) device, a camcorder, an ultrasonic device, etc.), navigation devices, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, event data recorders (EDRs), flight data recorders (FDRs), car infotainment devices, marine electronic equipments (e.g., a marine navigation device, a gyro compass, etc.), avionics, security equipments, car head units, industrial or household robots, automates teller machines (ATMs) for financial institution, point of sales (POS) in store, or internet of things (e.g., a bulb, various sensors, an electric or gas meter, a sprinkler, a fire alarm, a thermostat, a street light, a toaster, a fitness equipment, a hot water tank, a heater, a boiler, etc.). 
     In addition, the electronic device may include at least one of, for example, portions of furniture or building/structure, electronic boards, electronic signature receiving devices, projectors, or various measuring equipments (e.g., a water, electricity, gas, or electric wave measuring device). The electronic device may be one or a combination of the above-mentioned various devices. The electronic device may be a flexible electronic device. In addition, the electronic device should not be limited to the above-mentioned devices or equipments. 
     Hereinafter, the electronic device will be described in detail with reference to accompanying drawings. In the following description, a “user” may be referred to as a person or a device (e.g., an artificial intelligence electronic device) who or which uses the electronic device. 
       FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating an electronic device  101 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , the electronic device  101  includes a first coupling part  110 , a second coupling part  120 , and a third coupling part  130 . The electronic device  101  may be a wearable device in which a portion of the first coupling part  110  and a portion of the second coupling part  120  may be coupled or connected to or separated from each other. For instance, the electronic device  101  may be a wearable device, such as a necklace-type earphone, a headset, an electronic necklace, a band-type device (e.g., a wearable hair band, a wrist band, etc.), an electronic bracelet, smart-glasses, goggles, etc. Hereinafter, the necklace-type earphone or the headset will be described as the electronic device  101 , but the electronic device  101  should not be limited to the necklace-type earphone or the headset. 
     The first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  are selectively connectable to each other. That is, a user may connect (or couple) or separate the first coupling part  110  to or from the second coupling part  120 , and thus the user may wear the electronic device  101  on a part of a body or hang the electronic device  101  on an object or thing, e.g., a bag, a desk, etc. 
     The first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may be connected to each other by the connection part  130 . The first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may include various components required to drive the electronic device  101 . For instance, the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may include a sound device used to output a sound and an input/output device, e.g., a power button, a function button, etc. 
     The first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may include a battery that is used to drive the electronic device  101 . The battery may be disposed in either or both of the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 . 
     The connection part  130  connects the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  and supports the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 . The connection part  130  includes a wire part  170  that is configured to transfer an electrical signal. The connection part  130  transfers the electrical signal between the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  through the wire part  170 . 
     The connection part  130  may have any suitable configuration or shape, in consideration of characteristics of the wearable device. For instance, in the case where the electronic device  101  is an earphone or a headset, at least a portion (e.g., portions adjacent to the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 ) of the connection part  130  may have an elliptical shape in a cross-section thereof. In the case where the user wears the electronic device  101  around a neck, the connection part  130  having the elliptical shaped cross-section may be stably placed around the user&#39;s neck. 
     The connection part  130  may be formed of any suitable material, e.g., a flexible material. For instance, the connection part  130  may be formed of a material (e.g., urethane, silicon, rubber, etc.) having high elasticity and high flexibility, and a material that is not harmful to the user&#39;s body. In the case where the user puts the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  to the ear after separating the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  from each other, the connection part  130  may be bent. 
     The connection part  130  may have a cross-sectional area that continuously varies along a length of the wire part  170 . For instance, in the case where the user wears the electronic device  101  around the neck, a portion corresponding to a rear portion of the neck may have a circular shape in a cross-section taken along a line A-A′ and a portion adjacent to the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may have an elliptical shape in a cross-section taken along a line B-B′. A diameter in a first direction, i.e., a horizontal direction, of the portion taken along the line A-A′ may be smaller than a diameter in the first direction of the portion taken along the line B-B′. The connection part  140  may be formed by an injection molding method using a mold; however, other molding methods, e.g., an extrusion molding method that extrudes a material through a hole, may also be used. 
     The connection part  130  includes an upper end portion  150 , a lower end portion  160 , and the wire part  170 . 
     The upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  may surround the wire part  170 . The upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  may insulate the wire part  170  from the outside and determine an appearance of the connection part  130 . As noted above, the connection part  130  may be formed from urethane, silicon, rubber, etc.; however, the upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  may be formed of different materials. For example, the upper end portion  150  may be formed from urethane and the lower end portion  160  may be formed from silicon, or vice versa. Likewise, the upper portion  150  and lower portion  160  may each be formed from different materials. For example, a portion of the upper portion  150  can be formed from silicon and another portion or the upper portion  150  can be formed from rubber; similar configurations can also be used for forming the lower portion  160 . 
     The upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  may be separated from each other by a parting line  180  formed by the injection molding process. The parting line  180  may be formed by a plurality of injection molding processes. For instance, one portion of the upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  may be formed by a first injection molding process and another portion of the upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  may be formed by a second injection molding process. The forming of the parting line  180  and the injection molding process will be described in more detail with reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     The wire part  170  may include or be formed from a conductive material to transfer an electrical signal. The wire part  170  may be disposed at a center portion of the connection part  130 . The wire part  170  may include one or more wires that transfer the electrical signal, and a sheath may surround the wire. The sheath may have a thickness of about 0.33 mm, which is determined for a specific injection molding process or contemplated use of the electronic device  101 . The sheath can have a thickness that is less than or greater than 0.33 mm. A coating layer formed by a painting, depositing, or transcribing process may further be disposed on a surface of the wire part  170 . 
     The first coupling part  110  may have a cross-section area  110   a  and the second coupling part  120  may have a cross-section area  120   a  that makes contact with or is separated from the cross-section area  110   a . The cross-section area  110   a  of the first coupling part  110  may have a shape corresponding to that of the cross-section area  120   a  of the second coupling part  120 . In the case where the electronic device  101  is an earphone or a headset, the user may put the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  to the ear after separating the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  from each other to listen to the sound or to make a phone call. In the case where the electronic device  101  receives calls with respect to an external device linked with the electronic device  101 , the user may make a phone call by separating the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  from each other. 
     The electronic device  101  may include the first coupling part  110 , the second coupling part  120  that is coupled to or separated from the first coupling part, and the connection part  130  for connecting the first coupling part  110  to the second coupling part  120 . The connection part  130  may include the upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  which is distinguished from the upper end portion  150  by the parting line  180 . The wire part is disposed between the upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160 . 
     The connection part  130  may have a cross-sectional area that continuously varies in a longitudinal direction of the wire part  170 . The connection part  130  may form a continuous appearance together with the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 . The connection part  130  may include a straight or curved cutting line on an external surface thereof. 
     The wire part  170  may be disposed at the center portion of the connection part  130 . The parting line  180  may be formed by one or more suitable injection molding processes. 
     The upper end portion  150  may be formed of a first material and the lower end portion  160  may be formed of a second material that is different from the first material. The connection part  130  may further include a joint part connected to both ends of the wire part  170  and coupled to the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 . The joint part may move or be extended in the longitudinal direction of the wire part  170  within a predetermined range. 
     The first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may be coupled to or separated from each other by a magnet. The first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may have substantially the same weight or a weight within a predetermined range from each other. The first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  may include a circuit board and the circuit board may include at least one flexible portion. The first coupling part and the second coupling part  120  may include a circuit board, and the circuit board may include at least one stacked structure. 
       FIG. 2  is a flowchart illustrating a method of forming the connection part  130  using an injection molding process, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in step  210 , the wire part  170  may be disposed in a mold before the upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  are formed. The wire part  170  may be disposed at the center portion of the mold to allow the wire part  170  to be disposed at the center portion of the connection part  130  after the connection part  130  is completely formed. In the case where the wire part  170  is disposed at the center portion of the connection part  130 , the wire part  170  may be prevented from being exposed to the outside and from being twisted. 
     In step  220 , a first molding part may be formed by a first injection molding process. The first molding part may be obtained by coupling a portion, which is formed in the lower end portion  160  (or the upper end portion  150 ) by additional processes, and a fixing portion. The fixing portion may fix the first molding part such that the first molding part does not move in a mold used during a second injection molding process performed after the first injection process. The fixing portion may serve as a barrier wall to prevent a fluid resin from flowing toward the first molding part during the second injection process. The fixing portion may be removed after the second injection process is completed. 
     In step  230 , the second molding part may be formed by the second injection process. The second molding part may be formed in the upper end portion  150  (or the lower end portion  160 ) by additional processes. The second molding part may be formed at an opposite side with respect to the first molding part as viewed relative to the wire part  170  and may be distinguished from the first molding part by the parting line  180 . 
     In step  240 , the fixing portion included in the first molding part may be removed. After the fixing portion is removed, the connection part  130  may be completed. A cutting line may be formed on the external surface of the connection part  130  from which the fixing portion is removed. Additional information on the injection molding process for the connection part  130  may be provided with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
       FIGS. 3A-3C  are diagrams illustrating an injection molding process to form the connection part  130 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In  FIGS. 3A-3C , the lower end portion  160  of the connection part  130  is formed before the upper end portion  150  of the connection part  130  is formed, but they should not be limited thereto or thereby. 
       FIG. 3A  is a view showing a process of forming the first molding part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3A , a first mold  310  may be prepared in the first injection molding process. The first mold  310  includes a recess  310   a  formed in a center portion thereof, in which the wire part  170  is disposed. 
     After the wire part  170  is disposed in the recess  310   a , a second mold  320  may be coupled on the first mold  310  via one or more suitable coupling methods. The second mold  320  may include an inner space through which the fluid resin (e.g., urethane, silicon, rubber, etc.) enters, after injection, to form the first molding part. The inner space may include an area  320   a  in which the lower end portion  160  is formed and areas  320   b  and  320   c  in which the fixing portion is formed. The area  320   b  may be used to form an overflow portion and the area  320   c  may be used to form a guide portion. 
     After the fluid resin enters the second mold  320 , a heat treatment process and a cooling process may be performed on the fluid resin, and thus an injection-molded object  301  may be formed. The injection-molded object  301  may include the first molding part  330  and the wire part  170 . The first molding part  330  may include a body portion  330   a , an overflow portion  330   b , and a guide portion  330   c . The guide portion  330   c  may prevent the first molding part  330  from moving in a mold used in the second injection molding process. The overflow portion  330   b  may connect the body portion  330   a  and the guide portion  330   c  and may serve as the barrier wall to prevent the fluid resin from flowing in the second injection molding process. 
       FIG. 3B  is a diagram illustrating a process of forming the second molding part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3B , a third mold  340  may be prepared in the second injection molding process. The third mold  340  may have a shape corresponding to that of the first molding part  330  formed by the first injection process. 
     After the first molding part  330  is disposed on the third mold  340 , a fourth mold  350  may be disposed on the third mold  340 . The fourth mold  350  may include an area required to form the upper end portion  150 , without a separate area required to form the fixing portion. 
     After a fluid resin enters the fourth mold  350 , a heat treatment process and a cooling process may be performed, and thus the second molding part  260  may be formed. The fixing portion, e.g., the overflow portion  330   b  and the guide portion  330   c , may prevent the first molding part  330  from moving during the second injection molding process and may serve as the barrier wall to prevent the fluid resin from flowing, which is used to form the second molding part  360 . 
     The parting line  180  may be formed between the first molding part  330  and the second molding part  360  by the first and second injection molding processes. The wire part  170  may be disposed on an inner extension portion of the parting line  180 . 
     The molds  340  and  350  may be removed and an injection-molded object  302  obtained by coupling the first molding part  330 , the second molding part  360 , and the wire part  170  may be formed. The injection-molded object  302  includes the fixing portion (the overflow portion  330   b  and the guide portion  330   c ) which may be removed by a cutting process. 
       FIG. 3C  is a diagram illustrating the process of cutting the fixing portion, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 3C , A fixing jig  370  may have a shape corresponding to the injection-molded object  302  so that the injection-molded object  302  may be seated in or fixed to the fixing jig  370  for cutting the fixing portion (the overflow portion  330   b  and the guide portion  330   c ) from the injection molded object  302 , using a cutting device  380 . 
     The fixing portion may cut using a straight or curved cutting line  371 . The cutting line  371  may be placed at a position at which the upper end portion  150  makes contact with the lower end portion  160  on the external surface of the connection part  130 . For instance, the cutting line  371  may be oriented along a straight cutting line to allow the fixing portion (the overflow portion  330   b  and the guide portion  330   c ) to be easily cut by the cutting device  380 . Alternatively, the cutting line  371  may be oriented along a curved cutting line such that the upper end portion  150  is smoothly connected to the lower end portion  160 . In  FIGS. 3A-3C , the lower end portion  160  may be formed by the first injection molding process and the upper end portion  150  may be formed by the second injection molding process, but they should not be limited thereto or thereby. For instance, the connection part  130  may be manufactured by forming the upper end portion  150  using the first injection process and forming the lower end portion  160  using the second injection process. 
     The manufacturing method of the electronic device  101  including a flexible cable may include disposing a wire part  170  in a first mold  310 , forming a first portion of the cable and a fixing portion connected to the first portion using the first injection molding process, forming a second portion of the cable using the second injection molding process, and removing the fixing portion. 
     Forming the fixing portion may include forming at least one overflow portion  320   b  extending from the first portion and forming a guide portion  320   c  extending from the overflow portion  320   b.    
     Disposing the wire in the first mold  310  may include disposing the wire in a recess  310   a  formed by partially removing the first mold  310 . 
     Forming the first portion and the fixing portion connected to the first portion may include coupling the second mold  320  to the first mold  310 , injecting the fluid resin to an inner space  320   a  of the second mold  320 , and performing the heat treatment process and the cooling process. 
     Removing the fixing portion may include separating the fixing portion from the first portion along a straight or curved cutting line. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  are diagrams illustrating a connection part  130  including a joint part  410 , according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4A , the connection part  130  may have a bilateral symmetry with respect to a center line C-C′. The connection part  130  may have the smallest cross-sectional area in an area adjacent to the center line C-C′ and may have the greatest cross-sectional area in both end areas connected to the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 . The connection part  130  may be formed by the injection molding process described above with respect to  FIGS. 2-3C  such that the cross-sectional area (or the appearance) of the connection part  130  continuously varies along a length of the connection part  130 . 
     The connection part  130  may include the joint part  410  disposed at each end of the connection part  130  for connecting to the first coupling part  110  and second coupling part  120 . 
     The joint part  410  allows a housing of the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120  to be easily coupled to the connection part  130 . A first end portion of the joint part  410  may be surrounded by the upper end portion  150  and the lower end portion  160  of the connection part  130  and a second end portion of the joint part  410  may be connected to (or connectable with) the housing of the first coupling part  110  and/or the second coupling part  120 . For illustrative purposes the second end portion is shown connected to the housing of the second coupling part. The second end portion of the joint part  410  may have a protrusion  411  at a distal portion thereof and a recess  412  at a proximal portion thereof such that the joint part  410  is easily connected to the housing of the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 . 
     The wire part  170  extends through and past the joint part  410  and may be connected to the first coupling part  110  and the second coupling part  120 . The joint part  410  may be injection-molded to be inserted into a portion of the wire part  170  or may be assembled with the wire part  170 . 
       FIG. 4B  is a diagram illustrating a joint part  410  having a moving structure, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4B , the joint part  410  may be coupled to both ends of the wire part  170 . The joint part  410  may include at least one moving structure  420 . In  FIG. 4B , the joint part  410  is shown including one moving structure  420 , but the number of the moving structures should not be limited to one. 
     The joint part  410  may be moved along the wire part  170  by the moving structure  420  within an allowed range. Due to the movement of the joint part  410 , an overall length of the connection part  130  may be controlled. The moving structure  420  may allow the mold for the wire part  170  to be easily placed and may reduced defects occurring when the connection part  130  is formed. 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a necklace-type wearable device having a sound output function, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , an electronic device  501  may be a necklace-type earphone or a headset device. The electronic device  501  may include a first coupling part  510 , a second coupling part  520 , and a connection part  530  connecting to the first coupling part  510  and the second coupling part  520 . The first coupling part  510  and the second coupling part  520  may include sound output modules  511  and  521 , respectively. Each of the sound output modules  511  and  521  may include a speaker, a sound output circuit, and an ear tip. The user may put the ear tip to the ear to listen to music or to make a phone call. 
     The electronic device  501  may include a user interface, such as a button, a display device, etc.  FIG. 5  shows various buttons and display devices, but it should not be limited thereto or thereby. 
     The first coupling part  510  may include a power button  513  and a cross-section cover  512 . The user may turn on or off the electronic device  501  using the power button  513 . The user may connect a cable to a socket of the electronic device  501  after opening the cross-section cover  512  to connect the electronic device  501  to an external device, e.g., a personal computer, or to charge the electronic device  501 . 
     The second coupling part  520  may include a function key  522 , a volume key  523 , a display part  524 , and a microphone part  525 . The user may operate the above-mentioned buttons to listen to the music or to make the phone call. For instance, the user may push the function key  522  to start making a phone call or may push the function key  522  while making the phone call to make the phone call. The structure of the first coupling part  510  and the second coupling part  520  will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
       FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating the first coupling part  510  having a sound output function, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the first coupling part  510  may include the sound output module  511 , the cross-section cover  512 , and the power button  513 . The sound output module  511  may include the speaker, the sound output circuit, and the ear tip. The user may put the ear tip to the ear to listen to the music or to make the phone call. 
     The user may turn on or off the electronic device  501  using the power button  513 . The power button  513  may be embodied in a slide switch. 
     The user may connect the cable to the socket of the electronic device  501  after opening the cross-section area cover  512  to connect the electronic device  501  to the external device, e.g., the personal computer, or charging device to charge the electronic device  501 . The cross-section area cover  512  may have a shape corresponding to that of the cross-section area of the second coupling part  520  and may have a shape, e.g., a c-cut shape, to prevent the cross-section area cover  512  from being rotated. The cross-section area cover  512  may include a connection structure  512   a  and a fixing structure  512   b  to prevent the cross-section cover area  512  from being separated. 
     The first coupling part  510  may include a magnet  514 , and a socket  515  for charging the electronic device  501 . The magnet  514  may be disposed adjacent to an end of the first coupling part  510  for making contact with the second coupling part  520 . The socket  515  may be exposed to the outside, such as when the cross-section cover  512  is opened. 
       FIG. 7  is a diagram illustrating a second coupling part having a sound output function, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the second coupling part  520  may include the sound output module  521 , the function key  522 , the volume key  523 , the display part  524 , and the microphone part  525 . The sound output module  521  may include the speaker, the sound output circuit, and the ear tip. The user may put the ear tip to the ear to listen to the music or to make the phone call. 
     The user may push the function key  522  to make the phone call or may push the function key  522  while calling to make the phone call. The user may push the function key  522 , when the electronic device  501  in a standby state, to start playing the music or to stop playing the music. The user may push the volume key  523  to control a volume output of the speaker while making the phone call or playing the music. 
     The display part  524  may indicate various states of the electronic device  501  to the user. The display part  524  may include a light emitting diode and may notify types of events through a color changing or flashing operation in the case where events, such as a call reception, a music reproduction, a notification, etc., occur. 
     The microphone part  525  may make a phone call using the electronic device  501  or may be used to receive a voice of the user. The microphone part  525  may be disposed spaced apart from the sound output module  521  by a predetermined distance to prevent sound quality from being degraded due to echo and howling, which may occur during the call. 
     The second coupling part  520  may further include a battery  526  and an antenna  527 , e.g., Bluetooth® (BT) antenna. 
       FIGS. 8A and 8B  are diagrams illustrating an internal circuit board of a coupling part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The configuration of the internal circuit board of the coupling part is not limited to those configurations shown in  FIGS. 8A and 8B . The circuit board  801  or  802  may be realized in a three-dimensional manner in a housing of the coupling part described herein. For instance, the circuit board  801  may have a three-dimensional curved surface shape rather than a flat surface shape, and thus the circuit board  801  may adaptively respond to variations in design, and a mounting efficiency of components on the circuit board  801  may be improved. 
       FIG. 8A  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the circuit board  801  of the first coupling part. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8A , the circuit board  801  includes a fixing portion  810  and a flexible portion  820  and may have a three-dimensional curved surface shape. The fixing portion  810  may be, but not limited to, a conventional printed circuit board (e.g., a rigid printed circuit board) and components required to drive the electronic device  501  may be mounted on the fixing portion  810 . The flexible portion  820  may be provided so that the first coupling part may be conveniently worn on the user&#39;s body. The flexible portion  820  may transmit and/or receive electrical signals between the fixing portions  810 . The circuit board  801  may include at least one flexible portion  820  to accommodate a variety of three-dimensional shapes. 
     The circuit board  801  may include a vibrator  830  and a socket  840 . The vibrator  830  may generate a vibration in the case where events, such as a call reception, a music reproduction, a notification, etc., occur to notify the occurrence of the events to the user. The socket  840  may be exposed to the outside in the case where the cross-section area cover  512  is opened, and may be used to charge the electronic device  501  or to transfer data. 
       FIG. 8B  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the circuit board  802  of the second coupling part. 
     Referring to  FIG. 8B , the circuit board  802  includes a fixing portion  850  and a flexible portion  860  and may have a three-dimensional curved surface shape. The fixing portion  850  may be, but is not limited to, the conventional printed circuit board and components required to drive the electronic device  501  may be mounted on the fixing portion  850 . The flexible portion  860  may be provided so that the second coupling part may be conveniently worn on the user&#39;s body. The flexible portion  860  may transmit and/or receive electrical signals between the fixing portions  850 . The circuit board  802  may include at least one flexible portion  860  to realize a variety of three-dimensional shapes. 
     The circuit board  801  or  802  may partially include a stacked structure  870  in consideration of characteristics of the wearable device in which a variety of components is mounted in a limited space. For instance, the circuit boards  801  or  802  may include the stacked structure  870  formed at both ends of the first and second coupling parts, at which the sound output modules  511  and  521  are respectively mounted. 
       FIG. 9  is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an internal battery of a coupling part, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The configuration of the internal battery of the coupling part is not limited to that shown in  FIG. 9 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 9 , an electronic device  901  includes a first coupling part  910 , a second coupling part  920 , and a connection part  930 . The electronic device  901  includes a battery  940  that supplies a power source voltage to the electronic device  901 , and the battery  940  may be disposed in the first coupling part  910  and the second coupling part  920 . The battery  940  may be divided by taking weight and shape of the components included in each of the first coupling part  810  and the second coupling part  920  into consideration. For instance, in the case where the second coupling part  920  includes a vibrator  921 , the first coupling part  910  may include batteries  940   a  and  940   b  and the second coupling part  920  may include a battery  940   c  to allow the first coupling part  910  to have substantially the same weight as that of the second coupling part  920  or to allow a difference in weight between the first and second coupling parts  910  and  920  to be within a predetermined weight range. 
     The battery  940  may be disposed in the first coupling part  910  and the second coupling part  920  in consideration of the characteristics of the wearable device. For instance, in the case where the battery  940  is disposed adjacent to the user&#39;s body, the battery  940  may be disposed in the farthest distance possible from the user or may be disposed toward a direction opposite to a direction toward the user&#39;s body. 
     Devices required to perform a specific function may be disposed adjacent to each other in the first coupling part  910  or the second coupling part  920 . In addition, devices, which are required to perform the same or similar function or frequently transmit and receive signals, may be disposed adjacent to each other in the first coupling part  910  or the second coupling part  920 . Accordingly, a time delay caused by the signal transmission and reception may be reduced and the number of the wires included in the connection part  930  may be reduced. For instance, the first coupling part  910  may include devices, e.g., a processor, a memory, a microphone, a codec, etc., which are related to the sound output function or the phone call, and the second coupling part  920  may include the battery and the vibrator. 
     The electronic devices described herein may be configured with one or more components, and the names of the elements may be changed according to the type of the electronic device. The electronic device may include at least one of the above-mentioned elements, and some elements may be omitted or other additional elements may be added. Furthermore, some of the elements of the electronic device may be combined with each other so as to form one entity, so that the functions of the elements may be performed in the same manner as before the combination. 
     At least a portion of an apparatus (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or a method (e.g., operations) may be, for example, implemented by instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage media in the form of a programmable module. The instructions, when executed by one or more processors, may cause the one or more processors to perform a function corresponding to the instruction. 
     A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium may include hardware, which is configured to store and execute a program instruction (e.g., a programming module), such as a hard disk, a magnetic media such as a floppy disk and a magnetic tape, an optical media such as compact disc read only memory (CD-ROM) and a digital versatile disc (DVD), a magneto-optical media such as a floptical disk, and hardware devices such as read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), and a flash memory. Also, a program instruction may include not only a mechanical code, such as things generated by a compiler, but also a high-level language code executable on a computer using an interpreter. The above hardware unit may be configured to operate via one or more software modules for performing an operation of the present disclosure, and vice versa. 
     A module or a programming module may include at least one of the above elements, or a portion of the above elements may be omitted, or additional other elements may be further included. Operations performed by a module, a program module, or other elements may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repeatedly, or in a heuristic method. Also, a portion of operations may be executed in different sequences, omitted, or other operations may be added. 
     The electronic devices described herein may include a cable having an appearance that continuously varies along a length of the cable, and thus the electronic devices as herein described may be molded to correspond to characteristics of various wearable devices. 
     In addition, the electronic devices described herein may include a joint part that moves within the cable, and thus the cable may be prevented from being twisted or exposed to the outside during the injection molding process. 
     While the present disclosure has been shown and described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that many variations and modifications of the method and apparatus described herein will still fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.