Retractable cable assemblies and devices including the same
AssigneeTaylor Pty Ltd.
InventorJefferson Harcourt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a retractable case assembly, e.g. for an earphone, a flexible circuit board (FCB) element, preferably having a coiled portion, is used to provide a fixed, good quality, electrical connection between a retractable cable and circuitry that may be mounted on a land portion of the FCB. The circuitry may include a socket for connection to the input/output of a device with which the earphone is to be used, e.g. a mobile phone, portable computing device or personal sound system. The cable may be wound about a take-up reel, and the FCB coil may be wound in the opporite direction within the reel, so that as the cable is extended or retracted, the FCB coil expands or contracts. The reel may be biased to retract the cable by a spring. A microswitch may signal when the cable is extended.
Claims33
A retractable cable assembly, in which a cable is connected to associated circuitry through a flexible circuit board element that comprises a base portion on which the circuitry is mounted and an elongate coiled strip that connects with the cable, the base portion being substantially wider than the coiled strip, said base portion and said strip being formed from a single substrate on which are provided electrical tracks for connecting the circuitry with the cable.
A cable management assembly including a flexible circuit board element that connects an extendible cable with associated electronic componentry, wherein said flexible circuit board element includes a base portion on which said electronic componentry is mounted, and an elongate coiled strip with which said extendible cable connects, the base portion being substantially wider than the coiled strip, said base portion and said coiled strip being integrally formed from a single substrate on which is provided a plurality of conductive tracks for connecting said electronic componentry with said cable.
A cable management assembly including a retractable cable mounted on a take-up reel, and a coiled flexible circuit board element mounted within the take-up reel and electrically connected to the retractable cable so as to allow the cable to connect with associated electronic circuitry whilst also accommodating movement of the reel end of the cable when the cable is retracted or extended, said coiled flexible circuit board element including a coiled strip portion and a flat base portion formed integrally therewith from a single substrate, the base portion being substantially wider than the coiled strip, said associated electronic circuitry being provided on said base portion, and said base portion extending transversely to an axis of rotation of said take-up reel and said coiled strip portion.
A cable management assembly including a retractable cable and a unitary flexible circuit board element, the flexible circuit board element having a coiled portion formed of an elongate strip, and a land portion, with the coiled portion coiling about an axis inclined to the plane of the land portion, the land portion being substantially wider than a width of the elongate strip, the coiled portion and the land portion having one or more electrical tracks extending across the land portion and the coiled portion, and the land portion having one or more electronic components thereon, the cable connecting with the tracks of the coiled portion.
A cable management system, comprising:
- a retractable cable including one or more wires therein;
- a take-up reel lying in a plane and having an axis of rotation perpendicular thereto, the cable being wound around the reel;
- and
- a flexible circuit board element comprising a base portion and elongate coiled strip formed from a single substrate, said base portion being substantially wider than said elongate coiled strip wherein said elongate coiled strip is mounted within said reel and has one or more conductive tracks provided thereon that connect with said one or more wires of said retractable cable, and
- said base portion extends in the plane of the reel outwardly past the periphery of the reel to form a surface for mounting componentry, and wherein a microswitch is mounted on said surface adjacent said cable to determine whether said cable is in retracted or extended condition.
A method of making a retractable cable assembly, the assembly including a flexible circuit board element for connecting a cable to associated circuitry, the flexible circuit board element having a base portion and an integral elongate strip form in a coil, the base portion being substantially wider than a width of the elongate strip wherein the method includes the step of forming said base portion and the coil portion from a single substrate, connecting said associated circuitry to said base portion, and connecting said elongate coil to said cable.
A retractable cable assembly for connection with an electronic device, the assembly including:
- a retractable cable including one or more wires therein;
- a take-up reel having an axis of rotation, the cable being wound about said reel;
- and
- a flexible circuit board element, the flexible circuit board element comprising a base portion and an elongate coiled strip formed from a single flexible circuit board substrate, the base portion being substantially wider than the coiled strip;
- wherein said base portion has electrical circuitry mounted thereon, including connection circuitry for connecting with the electronic device,
- said elongate coiled strip has electrical connection tracks provided thereon, said tracks at a first end connecting with said circuitry on said base portion and at a second end connecting with one or more of said wires of said retractable cable, and
- said coiled strip is housed within said reel, with said base portion extending transversely to said axis of rotation of said reel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.