Patent Publication Number: US-2007116320-A1

Title: Communication device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The invention relates to a communication device, and in particular, relates to a communication device comprising an extendable speaker.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Communication device is a tool for transmitting voice, which can be carried around to play or receive sound signal. A communication device using Bluetooth technology (Bluetooth headset) can transmit sound signal in a wireless fashion. The communication device mainly comprises a speaker, a microphone, and a body. The speaker and the microphone are disposed on two ends of the body for playing and receiving sound.  
      The speaker of a conventional communication device protrudes out of the body, allowing insertion into ears to receive sound. However, the speaker cannot be stored conveniently when it is not in use because of the protruding speaker.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      The invention provides a communication device comprising a body and a speaker. The body comprises a protrusion, and the speaker comprises a track. The protrusion is movably received in the track for the speaker to move relatively to the body in an axial direction.  
      The communication device further comprises an elastic member disposed between the body and the speaker. The elastic member provides elasticity, allowing the speaker to move relative to the body.  
      The track allows the speaker to move and rotate relative to the body in the axial direction.  
      The track comprises a first end and a curved portion. The protrusion is located at the curved portion when the speaker is in a first position, and the protrusion is located at the first end when the speaker is in a second position.  
      The track comprises a second end. The curved portion is between the first end and the second end. When the protrusion is located at the second end, the speaker is in a third position in the axial direction.  
      The third position is between the first position and the second position along the axial direction.  
      The communication device further comprises an elastic member disposed between the body and the speaker. The elastic member provides a force to move the speaker from the first position to the second position, or from the first position to the third position during the movement of the speaker.  
      The track forms L shape.  
      The track forms V shape.  
      The body comprises a first tube and the speaker comprises a second tube. The protrusion is formed on an inner surface of the first tube, and the track is formed on an outer surface of the second tube.  
      The communication device further comprises an elastic member disposed between the first tube and the second tube. The elastic member abuts the speaker so that the speaker moves from the first position to the second position.  
      The body comprises an upper case and a lower case, wherein the upper case has an opening. The first tube is disposed in the lower case, and the second tube of the speaker connects with the first tube through the opening.  
      The communication device further comprises a microphone disposed on the body. The communication device is a bluetooth headset.  
      The invention provides another communication device comprising a body, a speaker and a hinge mechanism. The hinge mechanism hinges to the body and the speaker for the speaker to rotate relatively to the body from a first position to a second position.  
      The hinge mechanism comprises a protrusion and a track. The protrusion moves in the track when the speaker rotates.  
      The hinge mechanism further comprises a first tube and a second tube. The first tube is integrally formed on the body, and the second tube is integrally formed on the speaker. The protrusion is disposed on the first tube and the track is disposed on the second tube.  
      The track comprises a curved portion, a first end and a second end. The speaker is in the first position when the protrusion is located at the curved portion. The speaker is in the second position when the protrusion is located at the first end. The speaker is in a third position, between the first position and the second position relative to the axial direction, when the protrusion is located at the second end.  
      The communication device further comprises an elastic member disposed between the first tube and the second tube. The elastic member abuts the speaker during the rotation of the speaker.  
      The communication device further comprises a microphone which is disposed on the body and the communication device is a Bluetooth headset.  
      A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
      The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
       FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a communication device of the invention;  
       FIG. 2A  is a perspective view of the communication device, wherein the speaker is in the first position;  
       FIG. 2B  is a perspective view showing a portion of the communication device in  FIG. 2A ;  
       FIG. 3A  is a perspective view of the communication device;  
       FIG. 3B  is a perspective view showing a portion of the communication device in  FIG. 3A ;  
       FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of the communication device, wherein the speaker is in the second position;  
       FIG. 4B  is a perspective view showing a portion of the communication device in  FIG. 4A ;  
       FIG. 5A  is a perspective view of the communication device;  
       FIG. 5B  is a perspective view showing a portion of the communication device in  FIG. 5A ;  
       FIG. 6A  is a perspective view of the communication device, wherein the speaker is in the third position; and  
       FIG. 6B  is a perspective view showing a portion of the communication device in  FIG. 6A . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims.  
      Referring to  FIG. 1 , the communication device, for example, a Bluetooth headset, comprises a body  1 , a speaker  2 , a hinge mechanism  3 , an elastic member  4 , a protrusion  5 , and a track  6 . The body  1  comprises an upper case  11  and a lower case  12 , and the upper case  11  has an opening H. The hinge mechanism  3  comprises a first tube  31  and a second tube  32 , wherein the first tube  31  and the speaker  2  are integrally formed in one piece, and the second tube  32  and the lower case  12  of the body  1  are integrally formed in one piece. The protrusion  5  is disposed on an inner wall of the second tube  32 , and the track  6  is disposed on an outer wall of the first tube  31 . During fabrication, the upper case  11  connects with the lower case  12 , allowing the first tube  31  through the opening H of the upper case  11  to join with the second tube  32 . The elastic member  4  is clamped by the first tube  31  and the second tube  32 , wherein the outer wall of the first tube  31  attaches to the inner wall of the second tube  32 , such that the protrusion  5  is movably received in the track  6 . After completion of fabrication, the speaker  2  can rotate around the body  1  in an axial direction (axle Z), and move in the axial direction. Thus, the speaker  2  can move relative to the body  1  from a first position I to a second position II in the axial direction. When the speaker  2  rotates, the protrusion  5  moves in the track  6 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 2A and 2B , when the communication device is not in use, a large portion of the speaker  2  is received inside the body  1 . In detail, as shown in  FIG. 2B , when the speaker  2  is in the first position I, the first tube  31  is wholly stored within the body  1 , and the protrusion  5  is located at a curved portion  61 . Further, the curved portion  61  has a first fixing portion F 1 . The elastic member  4  within the first tube  31  and the second tube  32  abuts the speaker  2 ; thus, the first tube  31  and the track  6  thereon are pushed up by the elasticity of the elastic member  4 . As a result, the protrusion  5  can stay in the first fixing portion F 1 . It should be noted that the communication device in all figures is simplified; only the speaker  2 , the first tube  31 , the second tube  32 , the protrusion  5 , and the track  6  are shown.  
      Referring to  FIGS. 3A and 3B , to open the communication device, the speaker  2  is pushed down, allowing the protrusion  5  to separate from the fixing portion F 1 . Then, because the track at the curved portion  61  is horizontally disposed (as shown in  FIG. 3A ), the speaker  2  is turned clockwise, such that the first tube  31  can rotate along with the speaker  2 . In other words, referring to  FIG. 3B , the track  6  of the first tube  31  rotates relatively to the protrusion  5 . Afterwards, because the elasticity of the elastic member  4  pushes the speaker  2  up, the track  6  is then continuously rotated relative to the protrusion  5 . Referring to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , the track  6  continuously rotates relatively to the protrusion  5  until the protrusion  5  reaches a first end  62  of the track  6 . Furthermore, a second fixing portion F 2  is disposed at the first end  62 . The elastic member  4  pushes the speaker  2  up, allowing the protrusion  5  to stay in the second fixing portion F 2 . In the meantime, the speaker  2  moves from the first position I to the second position II, and protrudes out of the body  1  (as shown in  FIG. 4A ).  
      It&#39;s noted that the track  6  at the curved portion  61  is relatively horizontal, but it is not limited thereto. If the track  6  at the curved portion  61  is slanted, the speaker  2  starts to rotate once the speaker  2  has been pushed, allowing the protrusion  5  to depart the first fixing portion F 1 .  
      To close the communication device, the speaker  2  is pressed down, allowing the protrusion  5  to separate from the second fixing portion F 2 . Then, the speaker  2  is rotated counter-clockwise. The first tube  31  rotates along with the speaker  2 , such that the track  6  of the first tube  31  can rotate relatively to the protrusion  5  until the protrusion  5  moves relative to the track  6  to the first fixing portion F 1  of the curved portion  61  of the track  6 , and the speaker  2  is back to the first position I from the second position II (as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B ).  
      Otherwise, referring to  FIGS. 5A and 5B , when the communication device is closed, the speaker  2  is pressed down, allowing the protrusion  5  to separate from the first fixing portion F 1 . Then, as shown in  FIG. 5A , the speaker  2  is rotated counter-clockwise (in opposite direction as shown in  FIGS. 3A and 3B ). The first tube  31  rotates along with the speaker  2 , such that the track  6  of the first tube  31  can rotate relative to the protrusion  5 . Then, the elastic member  4  pushes the speaker  2  up; forcing the track  6  to continuously rotate relative to the protrusion  5 .  
      Referring to  FIGS. 6A and 6B , the track  6  continuously rotates relative to the protrusion  5  until the protrusion  5  reaches a second end  63  of the track  6 . Further, a third fixing portion F 3  is disposed at the second end  63 . The elastic member  4  pushes the speaker  2  up, allowing the protrusion  5  to stay in the third fixing portion F 3 . In the meantime, the speaker  2  moves from the first position I to the third position III, and protrudes out of the body  1  (as shown in  FIG. 6A ).  
      In conclusion, the speaker  2  rotates relative to the body  1  from a first position and a second position in the axial direction. In other words, the body  1  and the speaker  2  of the communication device are connected by the hinge mechanism  3 . When the protrusion  5  of the hinge mechanism  3  is located at the curved portion  61  of the track  6 , the speaker  2  is in the first position I. When the protrusion  5  is located at the first end  62  of the track  6 , the speaker  2  is in the second position II. When the protrusion  5  is located at the second end  62  of the track  6 , the speaker is in the third position III. That is, the hinge mechanism  3  allows the speaker  2  to rotate, and changes the relative position of the speaker  2  and the body  1 .  
      In the above description, the first position I can be a closed position, the second position II can be an open position, and the third position III can be a middle position. That is, the position of the speaker  2  can be changed according to demand. Moreover, the disposition of the speaker  2  is not limited to the above positions. The speaker  2  can be designed in accordance with the track  6  to stay in any position.  
      The shape of the track  6  varies. For example, the track  6  is in an L shape, a V shape, or an irregular shape, providing the difference in height when the speaker  2  protrudes out of the body  1 .  
      The elastic member  4  is a spring, providing elasticity for pushing the speaker up.  
      In the above description, the second tube  32 , comprising the protrusion  5 , connects with the body  1 , and the first tube  31 , comprising the track  6 , connects with the speaker  2 . However, the protrusion  5  and the track  6  can also change their disposition. Simply, the protrusion  5  can be disposed on the first tube  31 , and the track  6  can be disposed on the second tube  32 .  
      While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.