Earphone for placement in an ear

• US 20080013774A1
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Published: 01/17/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hosaka, Akihiko, Yoon, Hyeon-goo
• Granted Patent: US 8,139,806 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/380
• 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 1/2842 for loudspeaker transducers

Abstract

An earphone which fits into an ear is disclosed. The earphone includes an electroacoustic transducer for converting an audio signal into sound and a housing for holding the electroacoustic transducer. The housing includes a sound output unit for introducing the sound produced by the electroacoustic transducer into the ear canal of an ear when the housing is placed in the ear. The electroacoustic transducer is oriented so that it the sound in a direction which is transverse to the ear canal of the ear.

Claims

1. An earphone comprising:

an electroacoustic transducer for converting an audio signal into sound; and

a housing for holding the electroacoustic transducer, the housing including a sound output unit for introducing the sound produced by the electroacoustic transducer into the external auditory meatus of an ear when the housing is placed in the ear; and

wherein the electroacoustic transducer emits sound in a direction transverse to the external auditory meatus of the ear.

2. The earphone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound emission direction of the electroacoustic transducer is substantially parallel to a side of a cavum concha of the ear.

3. The earphone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises:

a front housing that surrounds the front of the electroacoustic transducer; and

a rear housing that is combined with the front housing and surrounds the rear of the electroacoustic transducer.

4. The earphone as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rear housing comprises:

a rear wall that surrounds the rear of the electroacoustic transducer; and

a base wall that extends from the rear wall to the front of the electroacoustic transducer and forms the sound output unit, together with the front housing.

5. The earphone as claimed in claim 4, wherein the base wall is adapted to contact the side of the cavum concha of the ear.

6. The earphone as claimed in claim 4, wherein the front housing comprises:

a front wall located at an angle with respect to the front of the electroacoustic transducer; and

a protruding extension wall extending from the front wall and forming the sound output unit, together with the base wall.

7. The earphone as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first space located in the rear of the electroacoustic transducer and a second space located in the front of the electroacoustic transducer, wherein the second space is larger than the first space and is operatively connected to the sound output unit.

8. The earphone as claimed in claim 7, wherein the housing includes:

a rear opening operatively connecting the first space to the outside; and

a front opening adjacent to the front of the electroacoustic transducer and operatively connecting the second space to the outside.

9. The earphone as claimed in claim 8, wherein the rear opening includes a cover comprising a nonwoven fabric.

10. The earphone as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a cover that covers a portion of the housing and contacts the ear, the cover including an exit corresponding to the sound output unit.

11. The earphone as claimed in claim 10, wherein the cover is made of a flexible material, the exit is spaced apart from the sound output unit by a distance, and the distance is controllable when the shaped of the cover is changed.

12. The earphone as claimed in claim 1, wherein a supporting protrusion is located at a lower part of the outside of the housing, and the supporting protrusion protrudes outwardly with a shape that corresponds to the anti-tragus notch of the ear when the housing is placed in the ear.

13. An earphone comprising:

an electroacoustic transducer for converting an audio signal into sound; and

a housing for holding the electroacoustic transducer, the housing including a sound output unit for introducing the sound produced by the electroacoustic transducer into the external auditory meatus of an ear when the housing is placed in the ear, and

wherein the electroacoustic transducer is at an angle of 90°

±

10°

with respect to a side of the cavum concha when the housing is placed in the ear.

14. The earphone as claimed in claim 13, wherein the housing comprises:

a substantially circular first body for holding the electroacoustic transducer;

a second body that protrudes from the first body and extends from the front of the electroacoustic transducer to the external auditory meatus of the ear;

a third body that extends from the first body and extends substantially parallel to the electroacoustic transducer in parallel; and

a cord connected to the electroacoustic transducer disposed in the third body.

15. The earphone as claimed in claim 14, wherein the sound output unit is located at a protruding tip of the second body.

16. The earphone as claimed in claim 14, wherein the second body comprises a base side which faces a side of the cavum concha of the ear so that it can be placed against the cavum concha.

17. The earphone as claimed in claim 14, further comprising a supporting protrusion on the second body, the supporting protrusion protruding outwardly in a shape corresponding to the shape of the anti-tragus notch of the ear when the housing is placed in the ear.

18. The earphone as claimed in claim 13, wherein the housing comprises a first space located in the rear of the electroacoustic transducer and a second space located in the front of the electroacoustic transducer, wherein the second space is larger than the first space and is operatively connected to the sound output unit.

19. The earphone as claimed in claim 18, wherein the housing includes:

a rear opening operatively connecting the first space to the outside; and

a front opening adjacent to the front of the electroacoustic transducer and operatively connecting the second space to the outside.

20. The earphone as claimed in claim 18, further comprising:

a bushing member combined with the housing, the bushing member supporting a cord which is connected to the electroacoustic transducer to enter from the outside of the housing.

21. The earphone as claimed in claim 20, wherein the first space is operatively connected to a cord hole of the bushing member.

22. The earphone as claimed in claim 13, further comprising:

a cover that covers a portion of the housing that contacts the ear, the cover including an exit corresponding to the sound output unit.

23. An earphone comprising:

a housing adapted to hold an electroacoustic transducer, the housing including a sound output unit for introducing sound emitted by the electroacoustic transducer into an ear canal of an ear, the housing holding the electroacoustic transducer so that it emits sound in a direction transverse to the ear canal.

24. The earphone as claimed in claim 23, wherein the electroacoustic transducer emits sound in a direction substantially parallel to the cavum concha.

25. The earphone as claimed in claim 23, wherein the housing comprises:

a front housing disposed at the front of the electroacoustic transducer; and

a rear housing disposed at the rear of the electroacoustic transducer.

26. The earphone as claimed in claim 25, wherein

the rear housing forms a first space located in the rear of the electroacoustic transducer;

the front housing forms a second space located in the front of the electroacoustic transducer.

27. The earphone as claimed in claim 26, wherein the second space is larger than the first space and is operatively connected to the sound output unit.

28. The earphone as claimed in claim 26, further comprising at least one opening connecting the first space to an exterior of the housing, wherein the at least one opening controls the treble response of the sound emitted from the electroacoustic transducer.

29. The earphone as claimed in claim 26, further comprising at least one opening connecting the second space to an exterior of the housing, wherein the at least one opening controls the bass response of the sound emitted from the electroacoustic transducer.

30. An earphone, comprising:

a front housing;

a rear housing connected to the first housing to form an interior space;

an electroacoustic transducer for emitting sound disposed in the interior space formed by the front and rear housings, the electroacoustic transducer emitting sound in a first direction;

a sound output unit for transmitting sound emitted by the electroacoustic transducer into an ear canal of an ear in a second direction,

wherein the first and second directions are transverse to one another.

31. The earphone as claimed in claim 30, wherein the first and second directions are at an angle in the range of approximately 80°

to 100°

with respect to one another.

32. The earphone as claimed in claim 31, wherein the first and second directions are at an angle of approximately 90°

with respect to one another.

33. The earphone as claimed in claim 30, wherein the interior space comprises a first space between the electroacoustic transducer and the rear housing and a second space between the electroacoustic transducer and the front housing.

34. The earphone as claimed in claim 33, further comprising at least one opening connecting the first space to an exterior of the housing, wherein the at least one opening controls the treble response of the sound emitted from the electroacoustic transducer.

35. The earphone as claimed in claim 33, further comprising at least one opening connecting the second space to an exterior of the housing, wherein the at least one opening controls the bass response of the sound emitted from the electroacoustic transducer.