EARBUDS WITH ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE PROTECTION
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Earbud headphones, comprising:
- at least one earbud having a metal earbud housing structure;
an audio connector;
at least one speaker driver;
a cable having a positive signal line and a ground line, wherein the cable conveys audio signals for the speaker driver from the audio connector to the earbud; and
an electrostatic discharge path that has an associated resistance through which electrostatic charge on the metal housing structure is discharged into the ground line.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To avoid undesirable electrostatic discharge events while maintaining low leakage currents, earbuds may be provided with controlled electrostatic discharge paths. The discharge paths may include discrete components such as resistors or more distributed resistive components such as resistive elastomers. A resistive elastomer may be incorporated into an interior portion of an earbud between an earbud housing structure and a ground path. A resistive elastomer may also be used in forming an ear bud tip.
39 Citations
22 Claims
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1. Earbud headphones, comprising:
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at least one earbud having a metal earbud housing structure; an audio connector; at least one speaker driver; a cable having a positive signal line and a ground line, wherein the cable conveys audio signals for the speaker driver from the audio connector to the earbud; and an electrostatic discharge path that has an associated resistance through which electrostatic charge on the metal housing structure is discharged into the ground line. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. Earbud headphones, comprising:
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an audio plug; a cable connected to the audio plug that contains signal lines and a ground line; and a pair of earbuds, each earbud containing a speaker driver, a conductive earbud housing member in which the speaker driver is mounted, and a resistive material interposed between the earbud housing member and the ground line that serves as an electrostatic discharge path to the ground line. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An earbud for a pair of earbud headphones having a cable with a ground path, comprising:
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at least one speaker; an elastomeric earbud member that is adapted to fit into an ear canal of a user; a conductive earbud housing structure to which the elastomeric earbud member is connected; and an electrostatic discharge path between the conductive earbud housing structure and the ground path having a resistance of between 300 kΩ and
40 MΩ
. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification