Attachment apparatus

• US 10,382,855 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Human Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Human Incorporated
• Inventors: Willis, Benjamin S., Jossem, Adam Abraham, Minarsch, Stephen John, Kwon, Dae Il, Quaglia, Francesca Alyssum, Martin, Lea
• Primary Examiner(s): Etesam, Amir H
• Application Number:
  US15/659,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077478A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 2200/0508 Portable audio devices, e.g. walkman, discman, radio, MP3 player, headphones
• CPC Class Codes: A45F 5/00 Holders or carriers for hand articles; Holders or carriers for use while travelling or camping
• 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

Abstract

Various embodiments provide for an improved attachment apparatus for attaching the attachment apparatus to an ear of a user using a hook body. The hooking body may be secured to the user'"'"'s ear, such as in response to receiving a deforming force from the user that causes the hooking body to deform in conformity with at least a portion of the root of the user'"'"'s ear. In some embodiments, the hooking body may be coupled to the attachment body via the bridging member of the attachment body. Accordingly, the hooking body may be configured to secured the attachment apparatus to the user'"'"'s ear. In some embodiments, a sealing body may be coupled to the plate member of the attachment body, and the cover body may form at least a partial acoustic seal around the user'"'"'s ear while the hooking body is secured to the attachment apparatus to the ear.

Claims

1. An attachment apparatus for coupling to an ear of a user, comprising:

an attachment body; and

a first hooking body comprising a first coupling device and coupled to the attachment body, wherein;

the first hooking body is configured to secure the attachment apparatus to a posterior portion of the ear and to move, relative to the attachment body, between a first movement position and a second movement position, and

the first coupling device is configured to be coupleable with a second coupling device included in a second hooking body of another attachment apparatus such that the first hooking body is coupled to the second hooking body when the first coupling device is coupled to the second coupling device.

2. The attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the attachment apparatus further comprises a speaker element coupled to the attachment body; and

the speaker element is configured to output sound through an opening in the attachment body towards the first hooking body.

3. The attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the attachment body further comprises a bridge member,

the attachment body is coupled to the first hooking body via the bridge member;

the bridge member comprises a third coupling device; and

the third coupling device is configured to be coupleable with a fourth coupling device included in the other attachment apparatus.

4. The attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first hooking body comprises a deformable core comprising a non-resilient, deformable material.

5. The attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coupling device is configured to be coupleable with the second coupling device when the first hooking body is in the first movement position.

6. The attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first coupling device is a magnetic element and the first coupling device is magnetically coupleable with the second coupling device.

7. The attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first hooking body and the attachment body are configured to define a space suitable for receiving the posterior portion of the ear.

8. The attachment apparatus of claim 7, wherein a dimension of the space is larger when the first hooking body is in the second movement position than when the first hooking body is in the first movement position.

9. The attachment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first hooking body is configured to transition from the first movement position to the second movement position in response to receiving an external force.

10. The attachment apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first hooking body is further configured to remain in the second movement position once the external force is removed from the first hooking body.

11. The attachment apparatus of claim 9, wherein, when the first coupling device is coupled to the second coupling device, the first hooking body is configured to transition from the first movement position to the second movement position by moving in a direction that is opposite of a direction of the external force that is received on the first hooking body.

12. The attachment apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first coupling device is coupleable to the second coupling device when the first hooking body is in the first movement position.

13. The attachment apparatus of claim 12, wherein, when the first coupling device is coupled to the second coupling device, the external force causes the first coupling device to decouple from the second coupling device once the first hooking body has transitioned from the first movement position to the second movement position.

14. The attachment apparatus of claim 13, wherein:

the attachment body further comprises a third coupling device that is coupleable to a fourth coupling device included in the other attachment when the first hooking body is in the first movement position, and

when the third coupling device is coupled to the fourth coupling device and while the first hooking body is between the first movement position and the second movement position, the external force causes the third coupling device to decouple from the fourth coupling device without decoupling the first coupling device from the second coupling device.

15. A system, comprising:

a first attachment apparatus, comprising;

a first attachment body, and

a first hooking body comprising a first coupling device and coupled to the first attachment body, and

a second attachment apparatus, comprising;

a second attachment body, and

a second hooking body comprising a second coupling device and coupled to the second attachment body, and

wherein;

the first hooking body is configured to secure the first attachment apparatus to a posterior portion of an ear of a user and to move between a first movement position and a second movement position, and

the first coupling device and the second coupling device are configured to be coupleable together such that the first hooking body is coupled to the second hooking body when the first coupling device is coupled to the second coupling device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second attachment apparatus is configured as a mirror image of the first attachment apparatus.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the first coupling device and the second coupling device are configured to be coupleable together when the first hooking body is in the first movement position.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first coupling device and the second coupling device is a magnet and the first coupling device and the second coupling device are coupleable together magnetically.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein, when the first coupling device is coupled to the second coupling device, an external force received on at least the first attachment apparatus causes the first coupling device to decouple from the second coupling device once the first hooking body has transitioned fully from the first movement position to the second movement position.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the first attachment body further comprises a third coupling device;

the second attachment body further comprises a fourth coupling device that is coupleable to the third coupling device when the first hooking body is in the first movement position; and

when the third coupling device is coupled to the fourth coupling device and while the first hooking body is between the first movement position and the second movement position, the external force causes the third coupling device to decouple from the fourth coupling device without decoupling the first coupling device from the second coupling device.

21. An attachment apparatus for coupling to an ear of a user, comprising:

an attachment body; and

a first hooking body comprising a first coupling device and coupled to the attachment body, wherein;

the first hooking body is configured to secure the attachment apparatus to a posterior portion of the ear, and

the first coupling device is configured to be coupleable with a second coupling device included in a second hooking body of a separate device such that the first hooking body is coupled to the second hooking body when the first coupling device is coupled to the second coupling device.

22. The attachment apparatus of claim 21, wherein the first coupling device is positioned at an end of the first hooking body that is distal to the attachment body and that is movable in relation to the attachment body.

23. The attachment apparatus of claim 22, wherein the first hooking body comprises a third coupling device positioned at an end of the first hooking body that is coupled to the attachment body and that is not movable in relation to the attachment body.

24. The attachment apparatus of claim 22, wherein the attachment body comprises a third coupling device positioned proximate to an end of the first hooking body that is coupled to the attachment body.