Abstract:
A wireless earphone includes a speaker, a circuit unit, a lower and an upper case enclosing the speaker and the circuit unit between them, a guiding unit mounted on a top of the upper case, and a sliding unit movably mounted on the guiding unit. The sliding unit is provided with a microphone. When a push button on a top of the sliding unit is depressed, the sliding unit automatically slides along the guiding unit to project from a front end of the upper case and actuates the communication system of the earphone. When the sliding unit retracts to the position on the top of the upper case, the communication is disconnected.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a wireless earphone, and more particularly to a wireless earphone with a retractable microphone to upgrade the sensitivity of the microphone in receiving sound.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0004]     Earphones and microphones are frequently used in stereophonic and communication systems. Conventional earphones/microphones have different forms for wearing over a user&#39;s head, hanging on a user&#39;s ear, or plugging in a user&#39;s ear. The earphone/microphone for wearing over the user&#39;s head is most frequently seen in home stereos, and usually provides better sound spectrum. The plug-type earphone/microphone is often used with a hand-free receiver for a mobile phone or a walkman. With the advancement in technologies, earphones have developed from the conventional wired types to the wireless types. Currently very popular wireless earphones include infrared earphones, radio frequency (RF) earphones, and Bluetooth earphones. However, Bluetooth earphone is the first duplex wireless earphone available in the market.  
         [0005]     The currently available Bluetooth earphone has unique and miniaturized design. As a result, the microphone included in the earphone is located at a point somewhat distant from the user&#39;s mouth. In this case, the microphone must be toned to have a high sensitivity in receiving sound. However, the microphone would also receive more noises at the same time, and requires more complicate circuits to enhance the sound receiving sensitivity thereof, resulting in higher manufacturing cost and selling price of the Bluetooth earphone.  
         [0006]     It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a wireless earphone with retractable microphone particularly suitable for use on a Bluetooth mobile phone with music playing function. In the wireless earphone, a push button is provided on a sliding unit mounted on a top of an upper case of the earphone, so that the sliding unit and a microphone provided thereon are automatically slid to project from a front end of the upper case of the earphone to actuate voice communication and receive sound with high sensitivity over the earphone when the push button is depressed; and when the sliding unit with the microphone is retracted, the voice communication automatically disconnects.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a wireless earphone with a retractable microphone, which automatically slides to project from a front end of the earphone to actuate the voice communication when a push button is depressed, and disconnects the voice communication when it is moved to a retracted position.  
         [0008]     Another object of the present invention is to provide a wireless earphone with a retractable microphone, so that the earphone can be conveniently carried and stored with the microphone normally located in the retracted position.  
         [0009]     A further object of the present invention is to provide a wireless earphone with a retractable microphone, which is protected against breaking or damaging when a user carelessly drops the earphone when the same is in use.  
         [0010]     To achieve the above and other objects, the wireless earphone of the present invention includes a sounding unit, a circuit unit, a lower case, an upper case, a guiding unit, and a sliding unit. The lower and the upper case are mutually connected to enclose the sounding unit and the circuit unit therebetween. The upper case is provided at a top with a first recess for the guiding unit to mount therein. The sliding unit is mounted on the guiding unit to slidably move between a projected or actuating and a retracted or disconnecting position.  
         [0011]     The guiding unit includes a pair of guiding shafts having elastic elements mounted thereon, and a sliding element slidably mounted on the guiding shafts in front of the elastic elements. The sliding element is provided at a lower front end with a first retaining recess and at a rear top with a second retaining recess, and at two lateral sides with an axially bored ear portion each. The guiding shafts are extended through the bored ear portions of the sliding element and then mounted in the first recess on the top of the upper case.  
         [0012]     The sliding unit includes a seat, a circuit board, and a cover. The seat is provided with a first hook for hooking to the second retaining recess on the top of the sliding element, and has a first hole provided in front of the first hook for a second hook to mount therein and hook to the first retaining recess on the sliding element. The circuit board is mounted on the seat. The cover is connected to a top of the seat and is provided at a predetermined position with a button hole for a push button to mount therein.  
         [0013]     The upper case of the earphone is provided with a second hole for a third hook to mount therein. The third hook has a lower end mounted with an elastic element to normally push the third hook upward, and an upper end in contact with the push button on the cover of the sliding unit.  
         [0014]     When the push button on the cover of the sliding unit is depressed with a minor force, the third hook on the upper case is depressed, and the sliding unit is allowed to automatically slide along the guiding shafts of the guiding unit to a position projected from a front end of the upper case and actuates voice communication over the wireless earphone. When the sliding unit is retracted to the top of the upper case, the voice communication is disconnected. The sliding unit in the retracted position is protected from breaking or damage when the earphone in use is carelessly fallen. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of a wireless earphone according to the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is an assembled view of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3A  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0019]      FIGS. 3B and 3C  are enlarged views of the circled areas of  FIG. 3A ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view showing a sliding unit included in the wireless earphone of the present invention is slid to a projected or actuating position for use;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6A  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 6B  is an enlarged view of the circled area of  FIG. 6A ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7  is a sectional view taken along line B-B of  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0025]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the connecting of the sliding unit to an upper case of the wireless earphone of the present invention;  
         [0026]      FIG. 9   a  is a sectional view taken on line A-A of  FIG. 8 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 9B  is an enlarged view of the circled area of  FIG. 9A ; and  
         [0028]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing the disassembling of the sliding unit from the upper case of the wireless earphone of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]     Please refer to  FIGS. 1 and 2  that are exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, of a wireless earphone with retractable microphone according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the wireless earphone includes a sounding unit  10 , a circuit unit  20 , a lower case  30 , an upper case  40 , a guiding unit  50 , and a sliding unit  60 . The sounding unit  10  and the circuit unit  20  are enclosed in a space defined between the mutually connected lower and upper cases  30 ,  40 . The guiding unit  50  is mounted in a first recess  41  formed on a top of the upper case  40  for guiding the sliding unit  60  to slide between a position projected from a front end of the upper case  40  and a position retracted to a top of the upper case  40 .  
         [0030]     The sounding unit  10  may be, for example, a loudspeaker electrically connected to the circuit unit  20 , so as to produce sounds, such as voice or music. The circuit unit  20  is a circuit board.  
         [0031]     The lower case  30  may be covered with a protective casing  31  to protect the lower case  30  against dirt and damage. To allow sound to transmit through the lower case  30  from the sounding unit  10 , the lower case  30  is provided with a plurality of small holes.  
         [0032]     The circuit unit  20  has at least one terminal  21  upward projected from a terminal hole provided on the upper case  40 , so that the terminal  21  is electrically connected to the sliding unit  60  that includes a microphone. The lower case  30  and the upper case  40  are mutually connected to enclose the sounding unit  10  and the circuit unit  20  in a space defined between the lower and upper cases  30 ,  40  to form an earphone.  
         [0033]     The guiding unit  50  includes a pair of guiding shafts  51  and a sliding element  52 . Each of the guiding shafts  51  has an elastic element  53  mounted thereon. The sliding element  52  is provided at a lower front end with a first retaining recess  521 , and at a rear top with a second retaining recess  522 . An ear  524  having an axial shaft hole  523  is sideward extended from each lateral side of the sliding element  52 , so that the guiding shafts  51  may be extended through the shaft holes  523  of the sliding element  52  and then mounted in the first recess  41  on the top of the upper case  40 . The sliding element  52  is mounted on the guiding shafts  51  in front of the elastic elements  53  to normally push the elastic elements  53  into a compressed state and can be elastically pushed forward by the compressed elastic elements  53 .  
         [0034]     The sliding unit  60  includes a seat  61 , a circuit board  62 , and a cover  63 . The seat  61  has a first hook  611  (see  FIG. 3C ) hooked to the second retaining recess  522  on the top of the sliding element  52 . The seat  61  is provided in front of the first hook  611  with a first hole  612 . A second hook  65  is mounted in the first hole  612  of the seat  61  to hook to the first retaining recess  521  at the lower front end of the sliding element  52 . The circuit board  62  is mounted on the seat  61 , and enclosed in a space defined between the mutually connected seat  61  and cover  63 . There is a sound receiving element, that is, a microphone provided on the circuit board  62 . The cover  63  is provided at a predetermined position with a button hole  631 , in which a push button  64  is mounted for downward pushing against a third hook  44 . Preferably, when the sliding unit  60  is forward slid to project from the front end of the upper case  40 , an electric terminal  621  on the circuit board  62  is in contact with and electrically connected to the terminal  21  of the circuit unit  20 .  
         [0035]     Preferably, the second hook  65  includes a front rod  651 , on which an elastic element  652  is mounted. When the second hook  65  is mounted in the first hole  612  on the seat  61 , the elastic element  652  normally elastically pushes the second hook  65  rearward against the first retaining recess  521  of the sliding element  52 . When an external forward force is applied to the second hook  65  to elastically compress the elastic element  652 , the second hook  65  is allowed to separate from the first retaining recess  521 .  
         [0036]     Preferably, the upper case  40  is provided at a predetermined position with a second hole  43  (see  FIG. 5 ), in which the third hook  44  is mounted. The third hook  44  has an upper end in contact with the push button  64  of the sliding unit  60 , and a lower end having an elastic element  441  mounted thereon. When the push button  64  is downward pushed, the third hook  44  is moved downward and the elastic element  441  is compressed, allowing the sliding unit  60  to disengage from the upper case  40  and be elastically pushed by the elastic elements  53  to slide forward along the guiding shafts  51 .  
         [0037]     Please refer to  FIGS. 3A and 4  that are sectional views taken along line A-A and line B-B of  FIG. 2 , respectively, and to  FIGS. 3B and 3C  that are enlarged views of the circled areas of  FIG. 3A .  
         [0038]      FIG. 3A  shows the sliding unit  60  is retained to the retracted position on the top of the upper case  40 .  FIG. 3B  shows the third hook  44  is upward projected from the second hole  43  of the upper case  40  into a retaining section  614  of the seat  61 , and the whole sliding unit  60  is retained to the top of the upper case  40 . When the push button  64  is depressed, the third hook  44  is pushed to move downward and the elastic element  441  at the lower end of the third hook  44  is elastically compressed. At this point, the whole sliding unit  60  is allowed to separate from the upper case  40 .  FIG. 3C  shows the second hook  65  is normally rearward pushed by the elastic element  652  to hook to the first retaining recess  521  of the sliding element  52 , and the first hook  611  is hooked to the second retaining recess  522  on the rear top of the sliding element  52 . The second retaining recess  522  includes an inner recess  525  adapted to engage with a hook end  613  of the first hook  611 , so as to hold the cover  63  to the seat  61 .  FIG. 4  shows the elastic elements  53  are normally elastically compressed behind the sliding element  52  to store compression energy for pushing the sliding element  52  and accordingly the sliding unit  60  forward when the sliding unit  60  is released from the upper case  40  to move forward.  
         [0039]     Please refer to  FIG. 5  that shows the sliding unit  60  is pushed by the elastic elements  53  to slide along the guiding shafts  51  of the guiding unit  50  to project from the front end of the upper case  40  of the wireless earphone of the present invention, and to  FIGS. 6A and 7 , which are sectional views taken along line A-A and line B-B of  FIG. 5 , respectively.  FIG. 6A  shows the elastic elements  53  push the sliding unit  60  to slide along the guiding shafts  51  to project from the front end of the upper case  40 .  FIG. 6B  is an enlarged view of the circled area of  FIG. 6A  showing the electric terminal  621  on the circuit board  62  is electrically connected to the terminal  21  on the circuit unit  20  when the sliding unit  60  is projected from the front end of the upper case  40 . At this point, the microphone on the circuit board  62  is electrically connected to the earphone and powered, allowing the earphone to transmit and receive signals.  
         [0040]      FIG. 7  shows that when the third hook  44  is downward pushed, the sliding unit  60  is immediately released from the upper case  40  and pushed by the elastic elements  53  to slide forward along the guiding shafts  51 . That is, the microphone provided in the sliding unit  60  is extended from the earphone and electrically connected to the earphone.  
         [0041]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view showing the mounting of the sliding unit  60  to the top of the upper case  40  of the wireless earphone of the present invention, and  FIG. 9A  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 8 . Please also refer to  FIG. 9B  that is an enlarged view of the circled area of  FIG. 9A . To connect the sliding unit  60  to the upper case  40 , first engage the hook end  613  of the first hook  611  at the seat  61  of the sliding unit  60  with the inner recess  525  of the sliding element  52  and then downward press the cover  63 , so that the second hook  65  is moved into the first retaining recess  521  of the sliding element  52  due to the elastic element  652  that normally pushes the sliding element  52  rearward into the first retaining recess  521 . The sliding unit  60  connected to and located at the retracted position on the top of the upper case  40  is protected against breading or damage when the earphone in use is carelessly dropped. Even if the sliding unit  60  is separated from the upper case  40  when the wireless earphone is carelessly dropped, the sliding unit  60  may be reconnected to the upper case  40  in the above-described manner.  
         [0042]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view showing the disassembling of the sliding unit  60  from the upper case  40  of the wireless earphone of the present invention. To do so, first release the second hook  65  from the first retaining recess  521  of the sliding element  52  by compressing the elastic element  652 ; and then separate the hook end  613  of the first hook  611  from the inner recess  525  of the sliding element  52 , enabling the sliding unit  60  to separate from the sliding element  52 .  
         [0043]     With the above arrangements, the sliding unit  60  with the retractable microphone may be easily assembled to the wireless earphone of the present invention and operated. When the sliding unit  60  with the retractable microphone is in a retracted position, the wireless earphone can be conveniently carried or stored. When the push button  64  on the sliding unit  60  is depressed with a minor force, the whole sliding unit  60  is automatically extended from the front end of the upper case  40  of the wireless earphone to actuate a Bluetooth communication system. In the event the sliding unit  60  is separated from the upper case  40  of the wireless earphone due to careless dropping of the wireless earphone in use, it may be reconnected to the wireless earphone without breaking or damage.  
         [0044]     The present invention has been described with a preferred embodiment thereof and it is understood that many changes and modifications in the described embodiment can be carried out without departing from the scope and the spirit of the invention that is intended to be limited only by the appended claims.