Personal acoustic systems and flexible earpiece mounts for the same

• US 10,136,210 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Original Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Inventors: Blair, Nicholas Stanford
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Phan
• Application Number:
  US14/660,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20160277822A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 381378, 381370
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/105 Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182

Abstract

A personal acoustic system and flexible mount for the same are disclosed. The flexible mount is comprised of an elastomeric material. The personal acoustic system further includes a band comprising a first mount and an earpiece comprising a second mount. An acoustic element is housed within the earpiece. The elastomeric mount is positioned intermediate the first mount and the second mount to flexibly connect the band to the earpiece.

Claims

1. An assembly, comprising:

a headband comprising a first mount, wherein the first mount comprises an annular inner surface;

an earpiece comprising a second mount and an electroacoustic speaker, wherein the second mount comprises a circumferential mounting surface, wherein the circumferential mounting surface comprises a groove comprising an outer notched profile; and

an elastomeric grommet flexibly connecting the band to the earpiece, wherein the elastomeric grommet is positioned intermediate the first mount and the second mount, wherein the elastomeric grommet comprises;

an inner mounting surface positioned around the circumferential mounting surface to connect the elastomeric grommet to the earpiece, wherein a portion of the elastomeric grommet is positioned at least partially within the groove, and wherein the portion of the elastomeric grommet is friction-fit within the groove; and

an inner notched profile corresponding to the outer notched profile to prevent rotation of the elastomeric grommet relative to the earpiece.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric grommet is comprised of a first material, wherein the first mount is comprised of a second material, and wherein the second material is different than the first material.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the elastomeric grommet and the headband comprise a co-molded subassembly.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric grommet comprises a groove, and wherein the annular inner surface is positioned at least partially within the groove.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric grommet is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer and silicone.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one relief feature is defined into the elastomeric grommet.

7. An assembly, comprising:

an earpiece comprising an acoustic element and a first mounting surface comprising a first notched profile; and

an integrally-formed subassembly, comprising;

a band; and

an elastomeric member, wherein the elastomeric member is positioned at least partially around at least a portion of the earpiece, wherein the elastomeric member is coupled to the earpiece without additional fasteners, wherein the elastomeric member comprises a second mounting surface positioned adjacent to the first mounting surface, and wherein the second mounting surface comprises a second notched profile corresponding to the first notched profile to prevent rotation of the elastomeric member relative to the earpiece.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the elastomeric member is snap-fit around the portion of the earpiece.

9. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the elastomeric member is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer and silicone, wherein the band is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of metal and plastic, and wherein the earpiece is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of metal and plastic.

10. An assembly, comprising:

a band comprising a first end portion and a second end portion;

a first earpiece comprising a first electroacoustic speaker and a first annular mounting surface comprising a first notched profile;

a second earpiece comprising a second electroacoustic speaker and a second annular mounting surface;

a first elastomeric grommet flexibly connecting the first end portion of the band to the first earpiece, wherein the first elastomeric grommet comprises a first inner mounting surface comprising a second notched profile, wherein the first inner mounting surface is positioned around the first annular mounting surface to connect the first elastomeric grommet to the first earpiece, and wherein the second notched profile corresponds to the first notched profile to prevent rotation of the first elastomeric grommet relative to the first earpiece; and

a second elastomeric grommet flexibly connecting the second end portion of the band to the second earpiece, wherein the second elastomeric grommet comprises a second inner mounting surface, and wherein the second inner mounting surface is positioned around the second annular mounting surface to connect the second elastomeric grommet to the second earpiece.

11. A method of manufacturing a headphone assembly, comprising:

molding an elastomeric grommet at an end of a band of the headphone assembly; and

connecting the elastomeric grommet to a mount of an earpiece of the headphone assembly with a friction-fit connection, wherein the earpiece comprises an electroacoustic speaker and a first mounting surface comprising a first notched profile, wherein the mount comprises a second notched profile corresponding to the first notched profile to prevent rotation of the elastomeric grommet relative to the earpiece.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the molding step comprises a co-molding process.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

molding a second elastomeric grommet at an opposite end of the band; and

connecting the second elastomeric grommet to a second mount of a second earpiece of the headphone assembly, wherein the second earpiece comprises a second electroacoustic speaker.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the molding steps comprise co-molding processes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the band comprises an injection-molded part.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the injection-molded part is comprised of a first material having a first modulus of elasticity, wherein the elastomeric grommet is comprised of a second material having a second modulus of elasticity, and wherein the second modulus of elasticity is less than the first modulus of elasticity.