US 11,706,557 B2Granted

Earphone and ribbon cord identifier adaptor

OwnerErnest Chrispino Cherryinventor

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A ribbon cord containment and identifying adaptor can be adaptively anchored or fixed to or removed from a ribbon type cord or ribbon cord of a set of earphones by hand via an anchor slot of the adaptor. The anchor slot can have a frame or structure that has an entrapment chamber and a path leading to a cord entrapment chamber where the entrapment chamber is slanted with respect to the path leading to the entrapment chamber. The structure of the entrapment chamber and path help anchor the adaptor on the ribbon type cord segment to prevent inadvertent dislodgement of the adaptor from the cord segment. The structure of the anchor slot is rigid and serves to firmly grip or compress cord segments positioned between gapped-apart opposing sidewalls within the anchor slot. When a cord containment adaptor is anchored via the anchor slot, ribbon type cord segments can be gripped into slots in a manner that helps prevent the adopter from dislodging from the ribbon cord. When positioned on cord segments, the adaptors can serve as identifying objects or adaptors.

Claims17

Dependent claims

An identifying adaptor configured for use on a ribbon type cord, where the width of the cord is at least twice the thickness of the cord, wherein the identifying adaptor is structured to be anchored to or removed from the ribbon type cord via an open-ended anchor slot and is configured to remain secured to the ribbon type cord during use and storage of the ribbon type cord, comprising:

an external surface or surfaces defining the exterior surface of the body of the identifying adaptor;
an anchor slot defined along the exterior surface of and extending into the body of the identifying adaptor;
wherein the anchor slot has an anchor slot first open side and an anchor slot second open side, each open side opening on the exterior surface of the body of the identifying adaptor;
wherein the anchor slot has a first type of cord passageway and a second type of cord passageway;
wherein each type of cord passageway is defined by opposing sides that are rigid and wherein each type of cord passageway is configured to receive a ribbon type cord and is defined between and through the anchor slot first open side and the anchor slot second open side;
and
wherein the first type of cord passageway is defined by one pair of opposing sides that define a ribbon cord conduit;
and
wherein the second type of cord passageway is defined by a first pair of opposing sides and a second pair of opposing sides that define a ribbon cord chamber;
and wherein the first pair of opposing sides of the ribbon cord chamber is configured to grip a ribbon type cord received into the ribbon cord chamber;
and
wherein a first conduit end of the earphone cord conduit opens onto the surface of the identifying adaptor to provide an anchor slot ribbon cord entrance into the anchor slot;
and
wherein a second conduit end of the ribbon cord conduit connects, at a connection point, to and opens into a first side of the first pair of opposing sides of the ribbon cord chamber to provide a cord passageway extending from the anchor slot ribbon cord entrance into the ribbon cord chamber;
and
wherein the second conduit end is positioned along the first side of the ribbon cord chamber away from each of the second pair of opposing sides of the ribbon cord chamber;
and
wherein at least a first section of the ribbon cord chamber slants at a first angle away from a first one of the opposing sides of the ribbon cord conduit to provide a slanted transition area below the connection point that facilitates the transition of a ribbon type cord from the ribbon cord conduit to the ribbon cord chamber.

15 more elements

an external surface or surfaces defining the exterior surface of the body of the identifying adaptor;
an anchor slot defined along the exterior surface of and extending into the body of the identifying adaptor;
wherein the anchor slot has an anchor slot first open side and an anchor slot second open side, each open side opening on the exterior surface of the body of the identifying adaptor;
wherein the anchor slot has a first type of cord passageway and a second type of cord passageway;
wherein each type of cord passageway is defined by opposing sides that are rigid and wherein each type of cord passageway is configured to receive a ribbon type cord and is defined between and through the anchor slot first open side and the anchor slot second open side;
and
wherein the first type of cord passageway is defined by one pair of opposing sides that define a ribbon cord conduit;
and
wherein the second type of cord passageway is defined by a first pair of opposing sides and a second pair of opposing sides that define a ribbon cord chamber;
and wherein the first pair of opposing sides of the ribbon cord chamber is configured to grip a ribbon type cord received into the ribbon cord chamber;
and
wherein a first conduit end of the ribbon cord conduit opens onto the surface of the identifying adaptor to provide an anchor slot ribbon cord entrance into the anchor slot;
and
wherein a second conduit end of the ribbon cord conduit connects, at a connection point, to and opens into a first side of the first pair of opposing sides of the ribbon cord chamber to provide a ribbon cord passageway extending from the anchor slot ribbon cord entrance into the ribbon cord chamber;
and
wherein the second conduit end is positioned along the first side of the ribbon cord chamber away from each of the second pair of opposing sides of the ribbon cord chamber;
and
wherein at least a first section of the ribbon cord chamber defined between the first pair of opposing sides of the ribbon cord chamber curves away from the connection point to provide a path with an increasing angle away from the ribbon cord conduit, wherein the path facilitates the insertion of a ribbon type earphone cord into the ribbon cord chamber from the ribbon cord conduit.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/097,264Filed 15 Jan 2023 · continuation
Priority: 19 Sep 2019
Published: US 2023/0156392 A118 May 2023
Granted: 18 Jul 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04R 1/1033
Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones: cables or cables storage, e.g. cable reels
B65H 75/10
Of circular or polygonal cross-section: without flanges, e.g. cop tubes
B65H 75/4473
Constructional details: without arrangements or adaptations for rotating the core or former
B65H 2701/34
Handled filamentary material: electric cords or electric power cables

Family

Application62/902,880Us provisional application · filed 19 Sep 2019
Application62/916,784Us provisional application · filed 17 Oct 2019
Application63/026,115Us provisional application · filed 17 May 2020
Application17/023,105Parent of this continuation · filed 16 Sep 2020
Application17/591,596Parent of this continuation · filed 2 Feb 2022
US 11,277,680 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 15 Mar 2022
US 2023/0156392 A1Pre-grant publication · published 18 May 2023
US 11,558,684 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2021/0092505 A1Published application
US 2022/0159364 A1Published application
US 11,706,557 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.