IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,206,473
Granted Patent B2
US 11,206,473 · App. 16/584,929 · Granted Dec 21, 2021

Magnet array for securing wireless listening devices

Inventors: Qigen Ji (Fairfield, CA); Hao Zhu (San Jose, CA); Haochuan Sang (Santa Clara, CA); Benjamin A. Cousins (San Jose, CA); Meiting Wu (Santa Clara, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H04R1/1016A45C11/00A45C13/005E05F1/1261E05F3/20G01V3/081H01F7/02H04R1/023H04R1/1041H04R1/1058H04R1/1091H05K5/0086H05K5/0217H05K5/0226H05K5/03A45C2011/001E05Y2201/224E05Y2900/602H04B1/38H04B2001/3866H04R1/1025H04R2400/11H04R2420/07H04R2460/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,206,473
App. No.
16/584,929
Filed
Sep 26, 2019
Granted
Dec 21, 2021
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2653
USPC
381/312
Abstract

Embodiments describe a magnetic securing component including a set of magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another and having a curved top surface defined by individual curved top surfaces of each magnet in the set of magnets. The set of magnets includes: first and second magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another, where the first and second magnets each have a polarity that is oriented parallel to a vertical dimension; and third and fourth magnets laterally positioned from the first and second magnets, where the third magnet is positioned adjacent to the first magnet and the fourth magnet is positioned adjacent to the second magnet, the third and fourth magnets each having a magnetic polarity that is oriented at an angle with respect to the vertical dimension.

Claims (59)

1. A magnetic securing component disposed within a case for electronic device, the magnetic securing component comprising:

a set of magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another and having a curved top surface defined by individual curved top surfaces of each magnet in the set of magnets, the set of magnets comprising first, second, third and fourth magnets each of which has its polarity oriented in a different direction;

wherein the first and second magnets are positioned laterally adjacent to one another with polarities, oriented parallel to a vertical dimension in opposite directions; and

wherein the third and fourth magnets are laterally positioned from the first and second magnets with wherein the third magnet positioned adjacent to the first magnet, the fourth magnet positioned adjacent to the second magnet, and the third and fourth magnets each having a magnetic polarity that is oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the vertical dimension.

2. The magnetic securing component of claim 1 , wherein the non-zero angle is between 20 and 40 degrees with respect to the vertical dimension.

3. The magnetic securing component of claim 1 , wherein the first magnet has a first magnetic polarity that is vertically downward, and the second magnet has a second magnetic polarity that is vertically upward.

4. The magnetic securing component of claim 1 , further comprising a first shunt and a second shunt positioned below the set of magnets preventing stray magnetic fields from leaking to areas below the first and second shunts.

5. The magnetic securing component of claim 4 , wherein the first shunt is positioned a distance away from the second shunt.

6. The magnetic securing component of claim 4 , further comprising a third shunt positioned directly behind the set of magnets to hold the magnets together.

7. The magnetic securing component of claim 6 , wherein first shunt, second shunt, and third shunt are formed of steel.

8. The magnetic securing component of claim 1 , wherein the set of magnets further includes a curved front surface defined by individual curved front surface of each magnet in the set of magnets.

9. A magnetic securing component disposed within a case for electronic device, the magnetic securing component comprising:

a set of magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another and having a curved top surface defined by individual curved top surfaces of each magnet in the set of magnets, the set of magnets comprising:

first and second magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another with polarities oriented parallel to a first axis parallel to a vertical dimension and opposite directions; and

third and fourth magnets laterally positioned from the first and second magnets, wherein the third magnet is positioned adjacent to the first magnet and the fourth magnet is positioned adjacent to the second magnet, the third and fourth magnets each having a magnetic polarity that is oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the vertical dimension;

wherein orientations of the magnetic polarities for the first and second magnets are oriented in different directions, and wherein orientations of the magnetic polarities for the third and fourth magnets are oriented in different directions, and wherein the third magnet has a third magnetic polarity that is angled downward and away from the first magnet, and the fourth magnet has a fourth magnetic polarity that is angled upward and toward the second magnet.

10. A case for a wireless listening device, comprising:

a lid movable to open and close the case;

a hinge coupled to the lid to allow the lid to open and close the case; and

a body coupled to the lid by the hinge, the body comprising:

a set of magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another and having a curved top surface defined by individual curved top surface of each magnet in the set of magnets, the set of magnets comprising first, second, third and fourth magnets each of which has its polarity oriented in a different direction:

wherein the first and second magnets are positioned laterally adjacent to one another with the first magnet having a first magnetic polarity oriented vertically downward and parallel to a first axis, and the second magnet having a second magnetic polarity oriented vertically upward and parallel to the first axis; and

wherein the third and fourth magnets are laterally positioned from the first and second magnets with the third magnet positioned adjacent to the first magnet, the fourth magnet positioned adjacent to the second magnet, and the third and fourth magnets each having a magnetic polarity that is oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the first axis.

11. The case of claim 10 , wherein the case further comprises an inner frame comprising a curved surface for receiving the wireless listening device.

12. The case of claim 10 , wherein orientations of the magnetic polarities for the third and fourth magnets are oriented at an angle between 20 and 40 degrees from the first axis.

13. The case of claim 10 , further comprising a first shunt and a second shunt positioned below the set of magnets preventing stray magnetic fields from leaking to areas below the first and second shunts.

14. The case of claim 13 , further comprising a third shunt positioned directly behind the set of magnets to hold the magnets together.

15. A wireless listening device system, comprising:

a wireless listening device comprising:

a housing comprising an outer structure defining an acoustic opening and a nozzle disposed around the acoustic opening, the acoustic opening allowing sound to exit out of the outer structure;

a first communication system disposed within the housing and configured to send and receive data;

an eartip removably attached to the nozzle to direct sound outputted by the housing through the acoustic opening; and

an attachment mechanism removably attaching the eartip to the housing; and

a case, comprising:

a lid movable to open and close the case;

a hinge coupled to the lid to allow the lid to open and close the case;

a body coupled to the lid by the hinge, the body comprising:

a set of magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another and having a curved top surface defined by individual curved top surface of each magnet in the set of magnets, the set of magnets comprising first, second, third and fourth magnets each of which has its polarity oriented in a different direction:

wherein the first and second magnets are positioned laterally adjacent to one another with polarities oriented parallel to a vertical dimension in opposite directions; and

wherein the third and fourth magnets are laterally positioned from the first and second magnets with the third magnet positioned adjacent to the first magnet, the fourth magnet positioned adjacent to the second magnet, and the third and fourth magnets each having a magnetic polarity that is oriented at non-zero angle with respect to the vertical dimension; and

a second communication system disposed in the body and configured to exchange data with the first communication system.

16. The wireless listening device system of claim 15 , wherein the non-zero angle is between 20 and 40 degrees with respect to the vertical dimension.

17. The wireless listening device system of claim 16 , wherein orientations of the magnetic polarities of the first and second magnets are opposite in direction to one another.

18. The wireless listening device system of claim 17 , wherein the first magnet has a first magnetic polarity that is vertically downward, and the second magnet has a second magnetic polarity that is vertically upward.

19. A wireless listening device system, comprising:

a wireless listening device comprising:

a housing comprising an outer structure defining an acoustic opening and a nozzle disposed around the acoustic opening, the acoustic opening allowing sound to exit out of the outer structure;

a first communication system disposed within the housing and configured to send and receive data;

an eartip removably attached to the nozzle to direct sound outputted by the housing through the acoustic opening; and

an attachment mechanism removably attaching the eartip to the housing; and

a case, comprising:

a lid movable to open and close the case;

a hinge coupled to the lid to allow the lid to open and close the case;

a body coupled to the lid by the hinge, the body comprising:

a set of magnets positioned laterally adjacent to one another and having a curved top surface defined by individual curved top surface of each magnet in the set of magnets, the set of magnets comprising first, second, third and fourth magnets each of which has its polarity oriented in a different direction:

wherein the first and second magnets are positioned laterally adjacent to one another with polarities oriented parallel to a vertical dimension in opposite directions;

wherein the third and fourth magnets are laterally positioned from the first and second magnets with the third magnet positioned adjacent to the first magnet, the fourth magnet positioned adjacent to the second magnet, and the third and fourth magnets each having a magnetic polarity that is oriented at a non-zero angle with respect to the vertical dimension; and

a second communication system disposed in the body and configured to exchange data with the first communication system;

wherein the third magnet has a third magnetic polarity that is angled downward and away from the first magnet, and the fourth magnet has a fourth magnetic polarity that is angled upward and toward the second magnet.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 30, 2019
From: JI, QIGEN; ZHU, HAO; SANG, HAOCHUAN; COUSINS, BENJAMIN A.; WU, MEITING
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 050570/0204 →
Continuity (9)
Provisional Application 62738772 · Sep 28, 2018
Provisional Application 62738788 · Sep 28, 2018
Provisional Application 62738803 · Sep 28, 2018
Provisional Application 62738813 · Sep 28, 2018
Provisional Application 62738828 · Sep 28, 2018
Provisional Application 62738843 · Sep 28, 2018
Provisional Application 62865070 · Jun 21, 2019
Provisional Application 62900307 · Sep 13, 2019
Related Publication 20200107110A1 · Apr 2, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,323,757