阅读说明：本技术 具有扬声器上的按钮的便携式无线电装置 (Portable radio device with push button on speaker ) 是由 爱德华多·莫拉雷乔 拉蒙·巴特利特 史蒂文·吉尔摩尔 肯尼·科伊 于 2020-03-20 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种便携式无线电装置(10),包括：印刷电路板(34)；框架(38),其设置在印刷电路板(34)的前方；扬声器(42),其设置在框架(38)内；支撑平台(46),其设置在扬声器(42)和框架(38)的前方；按钮(22),其设置在支撑平台(46)的前方；以及电组件,其链接在按钮(22)与印刷电路板(34)之间。按钮(22)可在第一位置和第二位置之间移动,在第一位置中,电信号通过多个电组件发送至印刷电路板(34),在第二位置中,电信号被中断。(A portable radio device (10) comprising: a printed circuit board (34); a frame (38) disposed in front of the printed circuit board (34); a speaker (42) disposed within the frame (38); a support platform (46) disposed forward of the speaker (42) and the frame (38); a button (22) disposed in front of the support platform (46); and an electrical component linked between the button (22) and the printed circuit board (34). The button (22) is movable between a first position in which electrical signals are sent to the printed circuit board (34) through the plurality of electrical components and a second position in which the electrical signals are interrupted.)

1. A portable radio, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a frame disposed in front of the printed circuit board;

a speaker disposed within the frame;

a support platform disposed forward of the speaker and the frame;

a button disposed in front of the support platform; and

a plurality of electrical components linked between the button and the printed circuit board;

wherein the button is movable between a first position in which electrical signals are configured to be transmitted to the printed circuit board by the plurality of electrical components and a second position in which the electrical signals are configured to be interrupted.

2. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical components comprises an electrically flexible element coupled to the support platform.

3. The portable radio of claim 2, wherein the electrically flexible element comprises a first region attached to the support platform and a second region attached to the frame.

4. A portable radio device according to claim 3, wherein the electrically flexible element comprises a curved region disposed between the first region and the second region.

5. A portable radio apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first region extends along a first plane and the second region extends along a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.

6. A portable radio apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the first plane is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the button between the first and second positions, and the second plane is parallel to the direction of movement.

7. The portable radio of claim 2, wherein the button comprises a plunger, and wherein the portable radio comprises a tactile dome disposed between the plunger and the electrically flexible element, wherein the tactile dome is configured to be in a compressed state when the button is in the first position, and the tactile dome is configured to be in an uncompressed state when the button is in the second position.

8. The portable radio of claim 7, further comprising a crumb pad coupled to the button, wherein a portion of the crumb pad is positioned adjacent the plunger.

9. The portable radio of claim 2, wherein said plurality of electrical components further comprises a spring clip connector coupled to said electrical flex element.

10. The portable radio of claim 9, wherein the plurality of electrical components further comprise contact fingers coupled to the spring clip connector.

11. The portable radio of claim 10, wherein the contact fingers have ninety degree bends.

12. The portable radio of claim 10, wherein the plurality of electrical components further comprises pogo pins coupled to both the contact fingers and the printed circuit board.

13. The portable radio device of claim 12, wherein the pogo pin extends in an elongated direction, and wherein the button is configured to move between the first position and the second position in a direction parallel to the elongated direction.

14. The portable radio of claim 1, further comprising a vent disposed on the support platform, wherein the vent is configured to allow air to pass from a rear of the button to an open area disposed at the rear of the support platform.

15. The portable radio of claim 1, further comprising a bezel disposed in front of the support platform, wherein the button is a voice control button coupled to the bezel.

16. The portable radio of claim 15, further comprising a crumb pad coupled to the voice control button, wherein a portion of the crumb pad is in contact with an outer surface of the rim.

17. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the support platform comprises a plurality of speaker ports.

18. The portable radio device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical components comprises at least five separate components electrically coupled to each other.

19. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal is configured to change direction at least four times as it moves through the plurality of electrical components.

20. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the button is configured to be exposed to water and the speaker is sealed from water within the frame.

Background

Portable radios typically include buttons for controlling one or more functions on the portable radio. These buttons are located along the top or sides of the portable radio. Placing the button elsewhere can present challenges in finding an electrical path to the interior of the portable radio. However, the desire to place buttons elsewhere has grown. Thus, there is a need for an improved portable radio device.

Drawings

The accompanying figures, in which like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally-similar elements throughout the separate views and which together with the detailed description below are incorporated in and form part of the specification, serve to further illustrate the contemplated embodiments, including the claimed invention, and to explain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

Fig. 1 is a front perspective view of a portion of a portable radio device according to one embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the portable radio of fig. 1 with the speaker removed.

Fig. 3 is a front right perspective cross-sectional view of the portable radio of fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a right side cross-sectional view of the portable radio of fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a front left perspective cross-sectional view of the portable radio of fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a left side cross-sectional view of the portable radio of fig. 2.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

Detailed Description

Briefly, an improved portable radio is provided herein. According to one embodiment, a portable radio device comprises: a printed circuit board; a frame disposed in front of the printed circuit board; a speaker disposed within the frame; a support platform disposed in front of the speaker and the frame; a button disposed in front of the support platform; and an electrical component linked between the button and the printed circuit board. The button is movable between a first position in which electrical signals are sent to the printed circuit board through the plurality of electrical components and a second position in which the electrical signals are interrupted.

Fig. 1 to 6 show one example of a portable radio device 10. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the portable radio 10 includes an outer housing 14, such as a rigid outer housing made of plastic. The outer housing 14 includes a speaker frame 18 positioned along the front of the portable radio 10. The portable radio 10 also includes a button 22 disposed within the opening defined by the speaker rim 18. A portion of the button 22 is exposed to the environment outside the portable radio 10 and is visible when the speaker rim 18 is attached to the rest of the portable radio 10 (fig. 1).

Referring to fig. 3-6, the button 22 is movable, generally toward and away from the interior of the portable radio 10. In some embodiments, the button 22 is biased (e.g., with a spring) in a direction away from the interior of the portable radio 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the button 22 includes an outer region 26 (e.g., generally rectangular) that can be depressed by a user during use. The button 22 further includes an inner region extending from the outer region 26 and includes a plunger 30 (fig. 5 and 6). The plunger 30 is a protruding region of the button 22 that moves inward toward the interior of the portable radio 10 when the button 22 is depressed. The shape and size of the button 22 may be different than that shown.

With continued reference to fig. 3-6, the button 22 is electrically coupled to a printed circuit board 34 internal to the portable radio 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the portable radio 10 includes a frame 38 positioned in front of (i.e., outside of) the printed circuit board 34. A speaker 42 (fig. 5 and 6) is positioned within the frame 38. A support platform 46 is positioned in front of the speaker 42 and the frame 38. A portion of the support platform 46 is positioned above the speaker 42 and includes a speaker port 50 (fig. 3). As shown in fig. 3, an antenna element 54 (e.g., a sheet metal antenna element) may be positioned on an area of the support platform 46 adjacent to the speaker port 50. The antenna element 54 may be electrically coupled to the printed circuit board 34 (e.g., by a separate electrical path than the electrical path for the button 22).

With continued reference to fig. 3-6, the portable radio 10 includes a set of electrical components linked between the button 22 and the printed circuit board 34 so that signals can be sent from the button 22 to the printed circuit board 34. In some embodiments, the portable radio 10 includes at least two, three, four, or in some cases at least five separate electrical components that are separately coupled to each other between the button 22 and the printed circuit board 34. In some embodiments, the electrical component causes the electrical signal to change direction at least two times, three times, or in some cases at least four times as the signal moves through the electrical component between the button 22 and the printed circuit board 34. The button 22 is movable between a first position in which electrical signals are sent through the electrical components to the printed circuit board 34 and a second position in which the electrical signals are interrupted.

In the illustrated embodiment, the set of electrical components includes an electrical flex element 58 coupled to the support platform 46 and the frame 38. The electrically flexible member 58 includes a first region 62 attached to the support platform 46 and a second region 66 attached to the frame 38. The electro-flex element 58 further includes a bending region 70 (e.g., a thin bending strip) disposed between the first region 62 and the second region 66. As shown in fig. 3 and 5, the first region 62 extends along a first plane and the second region 66 extends along a second plane perpendicular to the first plane. The curved region 70 is non-planar and curves from a first plane to a second plane. In the illustrated embodiment, the first plane is perpendicular to the direction of movement "D" (fig. 4 and 6) of the button 22, and the second plane is parallel to the direction of movement.

Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the set of electrical components further includes a tactile dome 74. The tactile dome 74 is positioned between the plunger 30 and the electrically flexible member 58 of the button 22 and may have a dome or other shape to provide tactile feedback when depressed and released. When the pushbutton 22 is in the first position, the tactile dome 74 is in a compressed state (depressed) and in contact with the electrically flexible member 58 to complete an electrical connection, for example, and when the pushbutton 22 is in the second position, the tactile dome 74 is in an uncompressed state (raised) and out of contact with the electrically flexible member 58, for example, to break the electrical connection. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the portable radio 10 may further include a secondary plunger 78 (e.g., made of silicone), the secondary plunger 78 being disposed directly behind (inside) the plunger 30 of the button 22 and positioned between the plunger 30 of the button 22 and the tactile dome 74. The secondary plunger 78 may form part of a larger silicone structure (or a structure made of other soft material) coupled to the support platform 46.

Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the set of electrical assemblies further includes a spring clip connector 82 coupled to second region 66 of electrical flex element 58, and contact fingers 86 coupled to spring clip connector 82. Spring clip connector 82 is disposed between electrically flexible member 58 and contact fingers 86. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact fingers 86 have ninety degree bends, but other embodiments include shapes and sizes different than those illustrated.

With continued reference to fig. 3 and 4, the set of electrical components further includes pogo pins 90 coupled to both the contact fingers 86 and the printed circuit board 34. The latch 90 extends in an elongate direction parallel to the direction of movement D of the button 22. The latch 90 is disposed in a latch housing 94 and slides within the latch housing 94.

During use, when the button 22 is depressed, the plunger 30 of the button 22 contacts and presses against the soft secondary plunger 78, which in turn presses against the tactile dome 74. The tactile dome 74 is compressed such that the tactile dome 74 contacts the first region 62 of the electro-flex element 58. The contact allows signals to be sent through the electrically flexible member 58, through the spring clip connector 82, through the contact fingers 86 and through the pogo pins 90, and into the printed circuit board 34. Thus, the signal passes through various electrical components and changes direction as one moves generally from the button 22 external to the portable radio 10 to the interior of the portable radio 10 and the printed circuit board 34.

In some embodiments, the portable radio 10 is interactive. For example, button 22 may be a voice control button to establish a voice command and information exchange with portable radio 10 when button 22 is pressed, but button 22 may be used for any of a number of different purposes (e.g., power control, volume control, etc.). In the illustrated embodiment, the speaker 42 may emit a sound when the button 22 is depressed. For example, the sound may say "do help needed? (Can I help you). The portable radio 10 may then respond with the requested information.

Referring to fig. 3-6, in the illustrated embodiment, the button 22 may be exposed to water and other external environmental conditions, while the speaker 42 may be sealed from water within the frame. For example, the secondary plunger 78 and/or the tactile dome 74 may be sealed (with adhesive) to the first region 62 of the electro-flex element 58 (e.g., via a perimeter seal), and as described above, the first region 62 may itself be sealed (with adhesive) to the frame 38 and the support platform 46. As shown in fig. 3-6, in some embodiments, a crumb pad (crumb pad)98 is also coupled to the button 22. A portion of the debris pad 98 is positioned adjacent the plunger 30 of the button 22 and a portion of the debris pad 98 is in contact with the outer surface of the speaker frame 18. Additionally and referring to fig. 5, in the illustrated embodiment, the portable radio 10 may include a vent 102 disposed on the support platform 46. The vents 102 allow air to pass from behind (inside) the button 22 to an open area disposed behind the support platform 46.

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have been described. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of present teachings.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essential feature or element of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims as issued.

Moreover, in this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising …," "having …," "including …," "comprising …," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, comprises, or contains a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Elements starting with "comprising … a", "having … a", "including … a", or "comprising … a" do not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, or contains the element, without limitation. The terms "a" and "an" are defined as one or more unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The terms "substantially", "essentially", "approximately", "about" or any other variation thereof are defined as being close as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to be within 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodiment within 1%, and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term "coupled", as used herein, is defined as connected, although not necessarily directly, and not necessarily mechanically. A device or structure that is "configured" in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not listed.

The Abstract of the disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing detailed description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

The claims (modification according to treaty clause 19)

1. A portable radio, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a frame disposed in front of the printed circuit board;

a speaker disposed within the frame;

a support platform disposed in front of the speaker and the frame, wherein the support platform comprises a plurality of speaker ports;

a button disposed at least partially in front of the support platform and movable in a first direction relative to the support platform, wherein one of the plurality of speaker ports defines an axis that extends parallel to the first direction and through the speaker port, wherein the button is disposed relative to the plurality of speaker ports on the support platform such that the axis is spaced apart from the button; and

a plurality of electrical components linked between the button and the printed circuit board;

wherein the button is movable in the first direction between a first position in which electrical signals are configured to be sent through the plurality of electrical components to the printed circuit board and a second position in which the electrical signals are configured to be interrupted.

2. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical components comprises an electrically flexible element coupled to the support platform.

3. The portable radio of claim 2, wherein the electrically flexible element comprises a first region attached to the support platform and a second region attached to the frame.

4. A portable radio device according to claim 3, wherein the electrically flexible element comprises a curved region disposed between the first region and the second region.

5. A portable radio apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first region extends along a first plane and the second region extends along a second plane perpendicular to the first plane.

6. The portable radio device of claim 5, wherein the first plane is perpendicular to a first direction of movement of the button between the first position and the second position, and the second plane is parallel to the first direction of movement.

7. The portable radio of claim 2, wherein the button comprises a plunger, and wherein the portable radio comprises a tactile dome disposed between the plunger and the electrically flexible element, wherein the tactile dome is configured to be in a compressed state when the button is in the first position, and the tactile dome is configured to be in an uncompressed state when the button is in the second position.

8. The portable radio of claim 7, further comprising a crumb pad coupled to the button, wherein a portion of the crumb pad is positioned adjacent the plunger.

9. The portable radio of claim 2, wherein said plurality of electrical components further comprises a spring clip connector coupled to said electrical flex element.

10. The portable radio of claim 9, wherein the plurality of electrical components further comprise contact fingers coupled to the spring clip connector.

11. The portable radio of claim 10, wherein the contact fingers have ninety degree bends.

12. The portable radio of claim 10, wherein the plurality of electrical components further comprises pogo pins coupled to both the contact fingers and the printed circuit board.

13. The portable radio device of claim 12, wherein the pogo pin extends in an elongated direction, and wherein the first direction of movement of the button is parallel to the elongated direction.

14. The portable radio of claim 1, further comprising a vent disposed on the support platform, wherein the vent is configured to allow air to pass from a rear of the button to an open area disposed at the rear of the support platform.

15. The portable radio of claim 1, further comprising a bezel disposed in front of the support platform, wherein the button is a voice control button coupled to the bezel.

16. The portable radio of claim 15, further comprising a crumb pad coupled to the voice control button, wherein a portion of the crumb pad is in contact with an outer surface of the rim.

(deletion)

18. The portable radio device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrical components comprises at least five separate components electrically coupled to each other.

19. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the electrical signal is configured to change direction at least four times as it moves through the plurality of electrical components.

20. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the button is configured to be exposed to water and the speaker is sealed from water within the frame.

21. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the button does not include any speaker port.

22. The portable radio of claim 1, wherein the plurality of speaker ports comprises a central speaker port and additional speaker ports surrounding the central speaker port, wherein the central speaker port is one of the plurality of speaker ports that defines the axis.

23. A portable radio, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a frame disposed in front of the printed circuit board;

a speaker disposed within the frame;

a support platform disposed forward of the speaker and the frame;

a button disposed in front of the support platform; and

a plurality of electrical components linked between the button and the printed circuit board;

wherein the button is movable between a first position in which electrical signals are configured to be transmitted to the printed circuit board by the plurality of electrical components and a second position in which the electrical signals are configured to be interrupted,

wherein the plurality of electrical components comprise an electrically flexible element coupled to the support platform, and wherein the electrically flexible element comprises a first region attached to the support platform and a second region attached to the frame.

24. A portable radio, comprising:

a printed circuit board;

a frame disposed in front of the printed circuit board;

a speaker disposed within the frame;

a support platform disposed forward of the speaker and the frame;

a button disposed in front of the support platform; and

a plurality of electrical components linked between the button and the printed circuit board;

wherein the button is movable between a first position in which electrical signals are configured to be transmitted to the printed circuit board by the plurality of electrical components and a second position in which the electrical signals are configured to be interrupted,

wherein the plurality of electrical assemblies comprise an electrically flexible element coupled to the support platform, wherein the plurality of electrical assemblies further comprise a spring clip connector coupled to the electrically flexible element, and wherein the plurality of electrical assemblies further comprise contact fingers coupled to the spring clip connector.