Patent Publication Number: US-8967518-B2

Title: Wire winder and peripheral component having the wire winder

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Technical Field 
     The disclosure relates to a wire winder capable of winding a wire of an peripheral component, such as an earphone, a keyboard, or a mouse. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Some peripheral components, such as, earphones, mice, or keyboards, of electronic devices, may include a wire to connect the peripheral component to the electronic device (e.g., mobile phones, or computers). However, the wire of the peripheral components may become tangled and cause inconvenience. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       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. 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled view of a wire winder according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIGS. 2 and 3  are exploded perspective views viewed from two reverse directions of the wire winder of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a transparent view of a wire wound in the wire winder of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the wire winder shown in  FIG. 1  along the line of V-V. 
         FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5  showing the wire winder being operated. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     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. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , is an assembled view of a wire winder  10 . The wire winder  10  is configured for winding a wire of a peripheral component (e.g., an earphone, a keyboard, or a mouse) and thus prevents the wire from getting entangled. In one embodiment, the wire winder  10  may be an independent structure apart from the peripheral component. In another embodiment, the wire winder  10  may be integrated into/onto the peripheral component according to different requirements. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 3 , exploded views of the wire winder  10  are given, viewed from two reverse directions. The wire winder  10  includes a housing  100 , a rotary assembly  200 , a torsion spring  300 , a latching portion  140 , an operation portion  430 , and a cover  500  coupled to the housing  100 . The housing  100  receives the rotary assembly  200 , the torsion spring  300 , the latching portion  140 , and the operation portion  430 . The wire  20  of the peripheral component is wound around the rotary assembly  200  and is received in the housing  100 . 
     The two ends of the torsion spring  300  are respectively fixed to the rotary assembly  200  and to the cover  500 . Thereby, the torsion spring  300  is fixed into the rotary assembly  200 . A wire hole  150  is defined on the housing  100  whereby the wire  20  is drawn out or rewound in the housing  100 . The rotary assembly  200  rotates along a first direction when the wire  20  is drawn out of the housing  100  through the wire hole  150 , and the torsion spring  300  elastically deforms and stores a certain amount of potential energy. When the wire  20  needs to be rewound, the torsion spring  300  gradually releases this energy to drive the rotary assembly  200  to rotate along a second direction opposite to the first direction, thereby automatically rewinding the wire  20  into the housing  100 . A fingertip, or other external force applied to the operation portion  430  drives the latching portion  140  to selectively lock or unlock the rotary assembly  200 . 
     The housing  100  includes a base plate  110  and a sidewall  120  extending from an edge of the base plate  110 . The latching portion  140  is a hollow cylinder extending from the base plate  110 . The latching portion  140  includes a holding portion  143 , a latching body  141 , and a restriction portion  142 . The holding portion  143  holds the latching body  141 . The latching body  141  has a certain amount of flexibility to resist the rotary assembly  200  and lock the rotary assembly  200 . The restriction portion  142  is defined on a top of the latching body  141 . The rotary assembly  200  is sleeved over the latching body  141 , and the restriction portion  142  restricts the vertical movement of the rotary assembly  200 , thereby preventing the rotary assembly  200  from moving up and down and escaping from the latching body  141 . In the embodiment, the latching body  141  is a wedge-shaped structure extending from an edge of the holding portion  143 . The restriction portion  142  is a retaining wall extending from a top edge of the latching body  141  to the sidewall  120 . 
     The rotary assembly  200  includes a base substrate  230  adjacent to the base plate  110 , a positioning wall  250 , and a wire winding portion  210 . The wire winding portion  210  is a fat cylinder extending from the base substrate  230  to the cover  500 . The positioning wall  250  is a hollow column extending from the base substrate  230 . The base substrate  230 , the wire winding portion  210  and the positioning wall  250  cooperate to define a receiving space for receiving the torsion spring  300 . The base substrate  230  further defines a through hole  231  throughout the rotary assembly  200 , in which the latching portion  140  and the operation portion  430  are received. The through hole  231  is surrounded by the positioning wall  250 . 
     The positioning wall  250  is sleeved on the latching body  141  and the holding portion  143  and sandwiched between the base plate  110  and the restriction portion  142  of the latching portion  140 , so that the rotary assembly  200  can rotate around the latching portion  140 . In detail, when the latching body  141  is expanded by an external force applied to the latching body  141 , the latching body  141  comes into contact with the positioning wall  250  of the rotary assembly  200 , and friction between the latching body  141  and the internal surface of the positioning wall  250  locks the rotary assembly  200 . Without an external force being applied to the latching body  141 , the positioning wall  250  sleeved on the latching body  141  is free to rotate. 
     An annular groove is defined between the positioning wall  250  and the wire winding portion  210 . The torsion spring  300  is sleeved on the positioning wall  250  and received in the annular groove, to cause the potential energy of the torsion spring  300  to rotate the rotary assembly  200  when the torsion spring  300  is released. 
     The operation portion  430  is received in an inner space defined by the latching body  141 , the restriction portion  142 , and the holding portion  143  of the latching portion  140 . The operation portion  430  includes a button body  431  and an elastic member  433 . The elastic member  433  is sleeved on and fixed to one end of the button body  431 . In this embodiment, the button body  431  is connected to the base plate  110  via the elastic member  433 . The button body  431  includes a protrusion  432  configured for pressing against and deforming the latching body  141  of the latching portion  140 , to expand the latching body  141 . The button body  431  can be a column-shaped roller. The protrusion  432  is defined at a middle portion of the roller. 
     In the embodiment, the wire winder  10  further includes a first location member  130 , a second location member  131 , and a through portion  435 . The first location member  130  and the second location member  131  are positioned at opposite sides of the base plate  110 , to sandwich the latching portion  140 . The second location member  131  is adjacent to the wire hole  150 . The first location member  131  and the second location member  132  are horizontally arranged on the base plate  110 . The through portion  435  is fixed to the end of the operation portion  430  which is adjacent to the elastic member  433 . The first location member  130 , the second location member  131 , and the wire hole  150  are arranged in a straight line. 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the outer end of the wire  20  passes through the first location member  130 , the through portion  435 , and the second location member  131  in that order, and extends out of the housing through the wire hole  150 . Thus, the first location member  130 , the through portion  435 , and the second location member  131  corporately define a wire channel for the wire  20 . The wire  20  can be drawn out of or rewound into the housing  100  around the wire channel by pulling the outer end of the wire  20 . 
     In the embodiment, each of the first location member  130  and the second location member  131  includes a pair of location rollers  133 . The two location rollers  133  define a clearance therebetween to allow the wire  20  to pass through. The pair of location rollers  133  of each of the first location member  130  and the second location member  131  contact with and clamp the wire  20 . The clearance between the pair of location rollers  133  of the first location member  130  is narrower than the clearance between the pair of location rollers  133  of the second location member  130 , so that friction between the wire  20  and the first location member  130  is greater than the friction between the wire and the second location member  131  during any pulling action applied to the wire  20 . A portion of the wire  20  winds around one of the location rollers  133  of the first location member  130 , passes through the through portion  435  and a gap between the two rollers  133  of the second location member  131 , and extends out of the wire hole  150 . In other embodiments, the second location member  131  can be omitted, and the wire channel is defined by the first location member  130 , the through portion  435 , and the wire hole  150 . 
     The cover  500  includes an opening  510  to allow a portion of the button body  431  of operation portion  430  to protrude out of the housing  100  through the opening  510 , thereby enabling a user to operate an exposed end of the operation portion  430 . 
     In assembly of the wire winder  10 , the rotary assembly  200  is sleeved on the latching portion  140  through the through hole  231 , to make the latching portion  140  extend into the receiving space, and the positioning wall  250  to be received and sandwiched between the restriction portion  142  and the base plate  110 . The operation portion  430  is fixed to the base plate  100  via the elastic member  433  and partly received in the inner space defined by the latching portion  140 . Then, the torsion spring  300  is sleeved on the positioning wall  250 , and one end of the torsion spring  300  is fixed to the rotary assembly  200 . The wire  200  is wound around the wire winding portion  210  of the rotary assembly  200 , and the outer end of the wire  20  is passed through the first location member  130 , the through portion  435 , and the second location member  131  and drawn out of the wire hole  150 . Thereupon, the other end of the torsion spring  300  is fixed to the cover  500 , and the cover  500  is secured on the top edge of the housing  100 , with a top portion of the button body  431  passing through the opening  510  and protruding from the cover  500 . After the wire winder  10  is assembled, a portion of the wire  20  has a bent portion near the through portion  435 . At this time, the torsion spring  300  is not under tension and stores no potential energy. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , in operation, before the wire  20  is drawn out of the housing  100  through the wire hole  150 , the latching body  141  is latched to the positioning wall  250  due to the resistance of the protrusion  432  of the operation portion  430 , and the rotary assembly  200  is locked by the latching portion  140 . The first location member  130  and the second location member  131  are located on the base plate  110 . At this time, the through portion  435  is located at a position which has a first vertical distance A 1  to the base plate  110 . The bent portion of the wire  20  is at the through portion  435 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , when the wire  20  needs to be drawn out of the housing  100  through the wire hole  150 , the user pulls on the outer end of the wire  20 . When the wire  20  is pulled, the bent portion of the wire  20  straightens, and the through portion  435  moves towards the base plate  110  until the through portion  435  is at a position which has a second vertical distance A 2  to the base plate  110 . In this embodiment, the first vertical distance A 1  is greater than the second vertical distance A 2 . In this situation, the protrusion  432  is also forced towards the base plate  110  along with the through portion  435 , and detaches from the latching body  141 . Thus, the latching body  141  is allowed to recover from being deformed and the latching body  141  is detached from the positioning wall  250 , thereby unlocking the rotary assembly  200 . During the pulling action on the wire  20 , the rotary assembly  200  is unlocked and rotates in the first direction and adds more and more tension to the torsion spring  300  to store potential energy. 
     When the pulling action on the wire  20  is stopped, the force applied to the wire  20  is eliminated, and the elastic member  433  restores to drive the protrusion  432  away from the base plate  110  to press against and deform the latching body  141  again, so that the latching body  141  latches with the positioning wall  250  to lock the rotary assembly  200  in that position and prevent further rotation. 
     When the wire  20  need to be rewound, the user simply presses the button body  431  to move the protrusion  432  again towards the base plate  100 . The protrusion  432  thus detaches from the latching body  141 , and the deformation of the latching body  141  ceases, to allow detachment of the latching portion  140  from the positioning wall  250 , thereby unlocking the rotary assembly  200 . Thereupon, the built-up potential energy of the torsion spring  300  is released to rotate the rotary assembly along the second direction to automatically rewind the wire  20  around the wire winding portion  210 . 
     In other embodiments, the rotary assembly  200  may define a protruding structure extending from an inner side of the wire winding portion  210  to replace the positioning wall  250 . The protruding structure cooperates with the latching portion  140  to lock the rotary assembly  200 . In addition, the first location member  130  and the second member  131  may be defined at an inner surface of the cover  500  to define the wire channel for the wire  20 . The two location rollers of each of the first location member  130  and the second member  131  can be replaced by a single location roller having a through hole. 
     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.