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US-20260128504-A1 - ELECTRONIC DEVICES

US20260128504A1US 20260128504 A1US20260128504 A1US 20260128504A1US-20260128504-A1

Abstract

An earphone ( 100 ) comprising a case, a circuit board, and an antenna assembly is provided. The case includes a plastic substrate and reinforcing fibers mixed in the plastic substrate. The circuit board is installed in the case. The antenna assembly is mounted on a sidewall of the case and includes an antenna bracket and a Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) antenna pattern formed on the antenna bracket. The LDS antenna pattern is electrically connected to the circuit board.

Inventors

  • Shuailin XIE
  • Chunjian Liu

Assignees

  • Shenzhen Shokz Co., Ltd.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251229

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An earphone comprising a case including a plastic substrate and reinforcing fibers mixed in the plastic substrate; a circuit board installed in the case; and an antenna assembly mounted on a sidewall of the case and including an antenna bracket ( 221 ) and a Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) antenna pattern formed on the antenna bracket ( 221 ), wherein the LDS antenna pattern is electrically connected to the circuit board.
  2. 2 . The earphone of claim 1 , wherein the sidewall includes two main sidewall portions spaced apart from each other, and two auxiliary sidewall portions connecting the two main sidewall portions and spaced apart from each other, a main surface of the circuit board faces one of the two main sidewall portions, the antenna bracket is arranged on one of the two main sidewall portions, and the LDS antenna pattern is formed on a side of the antenna bracket.
  3. 3 . The earphone of claim 2 , wherein one of the main sidewall portions is provided with an accommodation groove, and the antenna bracket is accommodated in the accommodation groove.
  4. 4 . The earphone of claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the antenna bracket is less than or equal to a depth of the accommodation groove.
  5. 5 . The earphone of claim 3 , wherein a surface on which the LDS antenna pattern is located faces the circuit board, and the antenna assembly further includes a feeding portion and a grounding portion electrically connected to the LDS antenna pattern, wherein the feeding portion and the grounding portion are arranged on a side of the LDS antenna pattern facing the circuit board and protrude beyond the circuit board.
  6. 6 . The earphone of claim 5 , wherein the accommodation groove is located on an inner surface of the one of the two main sidewall portions, and the LDS antenna pattern is entirely located on a side of an opening of the accommodation groove away from the circuit board.
  7. 7 . The earphone of claim 3 , wherein a surface on which the LDS antenna pattern is located faces away from the circuit board, and the antenna assembly further includes a feeding portion and a grounding portion electrically connected to the LDS antenna pattern, wherein the feeding portion and the grounding portion penetrate through the antenna bracket and are exposed from a surface opposite to the surface on which the LDS antenna pattern is located.
  8. 8 . The earphone of claim 7 , wherein the accommodation groove is located on an outer surface of the one of the two main sidewall portions, the LDS antenna pattern is entirely located on a side of an opening of the accommodation groove facing the circuit board.
  9. 9 . The earphone of claim 5 , wherein the accommodation groove is located on an outer surface of the one of the two main sidewall portions, the main sidewall portion on which the accommodation groove is located is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole, the first through hole and the second through hole being located in the accommodation groove, and the earphone further comprises a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector, wherein the first electrical connector electrically connects the circuit board to the feeding portion via the first through hole, and the second electrical connector electrically connects the circuit board to the grounding portion via the second through hole.
  10. 10 . The earphone of claim 9 , wherein the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are respectively inserted into the first through hole and the second through hole.
  11. 11 . The earphone of claim 9 , wherein the first through hole and the second through hole are respectively provided with a first adapter portion and a second adapter portion, wherein the first adapter portion connects the first electrical connector to the feeding portion, and the second adapter portion connects the second electrical connector to the grounding portion.
  12. 12 . The earphone of claim 2 , wherein, in a wearing state, the main sidewall portion where the antenna bracket is located is positioned on a side of the case away from the skin of a user.
  13. 13 . The earphone of claim 1 , wherein a content of the reinforcing fibers in the case is greater than 30%.
  14. 14 . The earphone of claim 1 , wherein the antenna assembly further includes a feeding portion and a grounding portion electrically connected to the LDS antenna pattern.
  15. 15 . The earphone of claim 14 , wherein the feed portion and the grounding portion are arranged on a side of the LDS antenna pattern facing toward the circuit board and protruding beyond the circuit board.
  16. 16 . The earphone of claim 14 , wherein the feed portion and the grounding portion extend through the antenna bracket and are exposed from a surface opposite to the surface on which the LDS antenna pattern is located.
  17. 17 . The earphone of claim 2 , wherein the two auxiliary sidewall portions are curved to ensure a transition between the two main sidewall portions via the auxiliary sidewall portions.
  18. 18 . The earphone of claim 2 , wherein an area of each of the main sidewall portions is larger than an area of each of the auxiliary sidewall portions.
  19. 19 . The earphone of claim 1 , wherein the antenna bracket has two opposite plate surfaces, one plate surface of the antenna bracket is attached to one of the two main sidewall portions, and the LDS antenna pattern is provided on the opposite plate surface.
  20. 20 . The earphone of claim 8 , wherein the case further includes an elastic coating covering the outer surface of the main sidewall portion on which the accommodation groove is located and an outer side of the antenna assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE RELATED TO APPLICATIONS The present disclosure is a continuation of International Application NO. PCT/CN2023/126020, filed on Oct. 23, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure belongs to the technical field of electronic devices, and specifically relates to earphones. BACKGROUND With the continuous proliferation of electronic devices, they have become indispensable tools for social interaction and entertainment in people's daily lives. Consequently, user expectations for the performance and functionality of such devices are increasingly high. Devices such as earphones and smart glasses are now widely integrated into everyday life, often used in conjunction with terminals such as a smartphone, a computer, etc., to provide users with an immersive auditory experience. However, current earphones face issues related to their relatively large size and inefficient utilisation of internal space. SUMMARY The present disclosure provides an earphone comprising a case, a circuit board, and an antenna assembly. The case includes a plastic substrate and reinforcing fibers mixed in the plastic substrate. The circuit board is installed in the case. The antenna assembly is mounted on a sidewall of the case and includes an antenna bracket and a Laser Direct Structuring (LDS) antenna pattern formed on the antenna bracket. The LDS antenna pattern is electrically connected to the circuit board. In some embodiments, the sidewall includes two main sidewall portions spaced apart from each other and two auxiliary sidewall portions connecting the two main sidewall portions and spaced apart from each other. An area of each of the main sidewall portions is larger than an area of each of the auxiliary sidewall portions. A main surface of the circuit board faces the main sidewall portions, the antenna bracket is arranged on the main sidewall portions, and the LDS antenna pattern is formed on a side of the antenna bracket. Through the above configuration, the antenna bracket can be fabricated using LDS plastic, which is then mounted onto the case. On one hand, this configuration reduces the volume of the antenna assembly, facilitates the design of a clearance zone, and improves space utilisation inside the case of the earphone. On the other hand, since the material of the case is different from the material of the antenna bracket, constraints on material selection for the case can be reduced, thus increasing the diversity of available material options. In some embodiments, one of the main sidewall portions is provided with an accommodation groove, and the antenna bracket is accommodated in the accommodation groove. In some embodiments, the thickness of the antenna bracket is less than or equal to the depth of the accommodation groove. In some embodiments, a surface on which the LDS antenna pattern is located faces the circuit board, and the antenna assembly further includes a feeding portion and a grounding portion electrically connected to the LDS antenna pattern. The feeding portion and the grounding portion are arranged on a side of the LDS antenna pattern facing the circuit board and protrude beyond the circuit board. In some embodiments, the accommodation groove is located on an inner surface of the main sidewall portion, and the LDS antenna pattern is entirely located on a side of an opening of the accommodation groove away from the circuit board. In some embodiments, a surface on which the LDS antenna pattern is located faces away from the circuit board. The antenna assembly further includes a feeding portion and a grounding portion electrically connected to the LDS antenna pattern. The feeding portion and the grounding portion penetrate through the antenna bracket and are exposed from a surface opposite to the surface on which the LDS antenna pattern is located. In some embodiments, the accommodation groove is located on an outer surface of the main sidewall portion, and the LDS antenna pattern is entirely located on a side of an opening of the accommodation groove facing the circuit board. The case further includes an elastic coating covering the outer surface of the main sidewall portion on which the accommodation groove is located and an outer side of the antenna assembly. In some embodiments, the accommodation groove is located on an outer surface of the main sidewall portion. The main sidewall portion is provided with a first through hole and a second through hole located in the accommodation groove. The earphone further comprises a first electrical connector and a second electrical connector. The first electrical connector electrically connects the circuit board to the feeding portion via the first through hole, and the second electrical connector electrically connects the circuit board to the grounding portion via the second through hole. In some embodiments, the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector are respecti