Earbud frame for acoustic driver and complimentary ear tip

• US 10,595,111 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Ring, Martin D., Zalisk, Michael Andrew, Bergeron, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Julie X
• Application Number:
  US15/463,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 381380, 381375
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/023 Screens for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/11 Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/025 Magnetic circuit

Abstract

An earbud may include an acoustic driver. The acoustic driver may include a diaphragm and a magnetic circuit. A frame of the acoustic driver may be integrated with the earbud.

Claims

1. An in-ear earphone comprising:

an earbud assembly comprising;

an acoustic driver having a diaphragm and a magnetic circuit;

an enclosure surrounding the acoustic driver, the enclosure formed by a front cavity enclosure and a back cavity cap, wherein one of the front cavity enclosure and the back cavity cap comprises an integrated acoustic driver frame;

a front cavity formed between the acoustic driver and the front cavity enclosure;

a back cavity formed between the acoustic driver and the back cavity cap; and

wherein the integrated acoustic driver frame is directly attached to and surrounds a central perimeter of the acoustic driver with no separate structure surrounding the central perimeter of the acoustic driver.

2. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein the acoustic driver is framed directly by the enclosure.

3. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein the acoustic driver is embedded in the enclosure.

4. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein:

the front cavity enclosure forms an outlet and a first port from the acoustic driver to an outside of the earbud assembly.

5. The in-ear earphone of claim 4, further comprising:

an ear tip surrounding at least the front cavity enclosure.

6. The in-ear earphone of claim 5, wherein the ear tip has a second port mated to the first port to form a pressure equalization port from the acoustic driver to an outside of the ear tip.

7. The in-ear earphone of claim 4, further comprising:

a resistive mesh positioned over the first port.

8. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, further comprising:

a microphone.

9. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein the integrated acoustic driver frame maximizes a size of the diaphragm of the acoustic driver relative to a size of the earbud assembly.

10. The in-ear earphone of claim 6, wherein the second port of the ear tip has a different length for a small tip ear tip than a medium tip ear tip.

22. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein the earbud assembly itself is a structure holding the diaphragm and the magnetic circuit in place and eliminates a need for a separate structure between the enclosure and the enclosure.

23. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein there is no intervening structure between the acoustic driver and the enclosure.

24. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein the integrated acoustic driver frame reduces a diameter of the earbud assembly by about 1-2 millimeters.

25. The in-ear earphone of claim 23, wherein the enclosure is a housing of the acoustic driver and the acoustic driver has no separate housing from the enclosure.

11. An earbud assembly comprising:

an acoustic driver having a diaphragm and a magnetic circuit wherein a frame of the acoustic driver is integrated with the earbud assembly, the integrated acoustic driver frame forming an enclosure surrounding the acoustic driver with one of a back cavity cap and a front cavity enclosure comprising the integrated acoustic driver frame, wherein the acoustic driver sits directly in the enclosure, and is framed directly by the enclosure, and the integrated acoustic driver frame is directly attached to and surrounds a central perimeter of the acoustic driver with no separate structure surrounding the central perimeter of the acoustic driver.

12. The earbud of claim 11, wherein the acoustic driver is embedded in the earbud assembly.

13. The earbud of claim 11, wherein:

the front cavity enclosure forms an outlet and a port from the acoustic driver to an outside of the earbud.

14. The earbud of claim 13, wherein the port is a pressure equalization port from the acoustic driver to the outside of the earbud.

15. The earbud of claim 13, further comprising:

a resistive mesh positioned over the port.

16. The earbud of claim 13, further comprising:

a microphone.

17. The earbud of claim 11, wherein the integrated acoustic driver frame maximizes a size of the diaphragm of the acoustic driver relative to a size of the earbud assembly.

18. An ear tip for an in-ear earphone formed from a pliable material to surround at least a front cavity enclosure of an earbud assembly wherein the earbud assembly comprises an acoustic driver having a diaphragm and a magnetic circuit, and wherein an enclosure surrounding the acoustic driver is formed by a front cavity enclosure and a back cavity cap, wherein one of the front cavity enclosure and the back cavity cap comprises an integrated acoustic driver frame directly attached to and surrounding a central perimeter of the acoustic driver with no separate structure surrounding the central perimeter of the acoustic driver.

19. The ear tip of claim 18, further comprising:

a first leg, a second leg, and a first port positioned between the first leg and the second leg to mate with a second port of the front cavity enclosure of the earbud assembly.

20. The ear tip of claim 19, wherein the first port of the ear tip has a different length for a small tip ear tip than a medium tip ear tip.

21. The ear tip of claim 19, wherein the first port and the second port mate to form a pressure equalization port from the acoustic driver to an outside of the ear tip.

26. The ear tip for the in-ear earphone of claim 18, wherein the enclosure is the only structure directly supporting the acoustic driver and the ear tip is separate from the enclosure.