Earphone with earphone housing and speaker housing

• US 10,455,316 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gn Audio A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: Gn Audio A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Madsen, Claus Ellegaard, Han, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Assistant Examiner(s): McKinney, Angelica M
• Application Number:
  US15/833,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20180176673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 685 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• 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

Disclosed is an earphone for a hearing device, wherein the earphone is configured to be worn at the ear of a user, the earphone comprising: a speaker housing comprising an output transducer for reproduction of audio signals, wherein the speaker housing has a first side configured to face towards the ear of the user when the earphone is worn by the user, and a second side opposite the first side; an earphone housing configured to retain the speaker housing such that the second side of the speaker housing faces a first side of the earphone housing, wherein the earphone housing has as a second side opposite the first side; a battery compartment for accommodating a replaceable battery, such that the replaceable battery is located at least partly between the second side of the speaker housing and at least a portion of the earphone housing; wherein the earphone comprises a retaining mechanism configured to retain the speaker housing and the earphone housing in a mechanical relationship with each other; wherein the earphone comprises a locking mechanism for locking and unlocking of the retaining mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to maintain the retaining mechanism in an operation configuration when locked and to allow the user to manipulate the retaining mechanism into a service configuration by repositioning the speaker housing relative to the earphone housing when unlocked; wherein the earphone is configured such that the battery compartment is inaccessible for replacement of the battery, when the retaining mechanism is in the operation configuration, and such that the battery compartment is accessible for replacement of the battery, when the retaining mechanism is in the service configuration; wherein the retaining mechanism further is configured to allow the speaker housing and the earphone housing to move relative to each other, when the retaining mechanism is in the operation configuration.

Claims

1. An earphone for a hearing device, wherein the earphone is configured to be worn at an ear of a user, the earphone comprising:

a speaker housing comprising an output transducer for reproduction of audio signals, wherein the speaker housing has a first side configured to face towards the ear of the user when the earphone is worn by the user, and a second side opposite the first side;

an earphone housing configured to retain the speaker housing such that the second side of the speaker housing faces a first side of the earphone housing, wherein the earphone housing has as a second side opposite the first side;

a battery compartment for accommodating a replaceable battery, such that the replaceable battery is located at least partly between the second side of the speaker housing and at least a portion of the earphone housing;

wherein the earphone comprises two end points about which the speaker housing tilts relative to the earphone housing, a retaining mechanism configured to retain the speaker housing and the earphone housing in a mechanical and tiltable relationship with each other;

wherein the earphone comprises a locking mechanism located generally at least one of said end points for locking and unlocking of the retaining mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to maintain the retaining mechanism in an operation configuration when locked and to allow the user to manipulate the retaining mechanism into a service configuration by repositioning the speaker housing relative to the earphone housing when unlocked;

wherein the earphone is configured such that the battery compartment is inaccessible for replacement of the battery, when the retaining mechanism is in the operation configuration, and such that the battery compartment is accessible for replacement of the battery, when the retaining mechanism is in the service configuration;

wherein the retaining mechanism further is configured to allow the speaker housing and the earphone housing to tilt relative to each other along an axis defined between said two end points, when the retaining mechanism is in the operation configuration; and

wherein the retaining mechanism comprises a tilting mechanism providing that the speaker housing is tiltable, around said axis, relative to the earphone housing, when the retaining mechanism is in the operation configuration; and

wherein the speaker housing is capable of tilting on said two ends points and, when said locking mechanism is released, from one of said end points, the speaker housing is capable of pivoting on only one of said end points, to allow access to the battery compartment.

2. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the battery compartment is arranged in the earphone housing and is accessible to a user from the first side of the earphone housing when the retaining mechanism is in the service configuration.

3. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the battery compartment is arranged in the speaker housing and is accessible to a user from the second side of the speaker housing when the retaining mechanism is in the service configuration.

4. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the retaining mechanism is configured to allow the user to manipulate the retaining mechanism into the service configuration of the earphone by rotating, around a first axis, the speaker housing relative to the earphone housing.

5. The earphone according to claim 1, wherein the tilting mechanism comprises a first and a second bearing providing that the speaker housing is attached to the earphone housing at the first and the second bearing, where the first and the second bearing are arranged opposite each other with respect to the speaker housing.

6. The earphone according to claim 5, wherein the first bearing comprises a hinge.

7. The earphone according to the claim 6, wherein the hinge of the first bearing is a ball hinge providing that the speaker housing is rotatable around the first axis and around the second axis and around a third axis relative to the earphone housing.

8. The earphone according to claim 7, wherein the hinge comprises a canal and wherein an electrical wire connecting the earphone housing and the speaker housing extends through the canal.

9. The earphone according to claim 7, wherein the second bearing comprises a bayonet mount configured to be released by rotation, around the third axis, upon activation of the first lever.

10. The earphone according to claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism comprises the second bearing for locking and unlocking of the retaining mechanism.

11. The earphone according to claim 5, wherein the locking mechanism comprises a first lever configured to be activated by a user and thereby enable the user to detach the second bearing for unlocking of the retaining mechanism.

12. An earphone for a hearing device, wherein the earphone is configured to be worn at the an ear of a user, the earphone comprising:

a speaker housing comprising an output transducer for reproduction of audio signals, wherein the speaker housing has a first side configured to face towards the ear of the user when the earphone is worn by the user, and a second side opposite the first side;

an earphone housing configured to retain the speaker housing such that the second side of the speaker housing faces a first side of the earphone housing, wherein the earphone housing has as a second side opposite the first side;

a battery compartment for accommodating a replaceable battery, such that the replaceable battery is located at least partly between the second side of the speaker housing and at least a portion of the earphone housing;

wherein the earphone includes first and second pivot points about which the speaker housing pivots relative to the earphone housing in one plane, one of said two pivot points being a hinge and the other of said two pivot points including a retaining mechanism to retain the speaker housing and the earphone housing in a mechanical and pivotable relationship with each other;

wherein the retaining mechanism includes a locking mechanism located generally at the other of said two points for locking and unlocking of the retaining mechanism, wherein the locking mechanism is configured to maintain the retaining mechanism in an operation configuration when locked and to allow the user to manipulate the retaining mechanism into a service configuration by repositioning the speaker housing relative to the earphone housing when unlocked;

wherein the earphone is configured such that the battery compartment is inaccessible for replacement of the battery, when the retaining mechanism is in the operation configuration, and such that the battery compartment is accessible for replacement of the battery, when the retaining mechanism is in the service configuration;

wherein the retaining mechanism further is configured to allow the speaker housing and the earphone housing to pivot relative to each other along an axis defined between said two pivot points, when the retaining mechanism is in the operation configuration;

and wherein the speaker housing is capable of tilting on said two pivot points and, when said locking mechanism is released, from one of said two pivot points, the speaker housing is capable of pivoting on only one of said two pivot points, to allow access to the battery compartment.