Earpiece Positioning and Retaining

• US 20120039500A1
• Filed: 08/20/2010
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bose Corporation
• Inventors: Silvestri, Ryan C., Wallace, Eric M., Annunziato, Kevin P., Collier, Ian M., Monahan, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,249,287 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/380
• 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 1/10 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 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices

Abstract

A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece. An outer leg and an inner leg are attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end. The outer leg lies in a plane. The positioning and retaining structure have a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg. The positioning and retaining structure position an earpiece associated with the earpiece in a users ear and retains the earpiece in its position.

Claims

1. A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece comprising:

an outer leg and an inner leg attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end, the outer leg lying in a plane, the positioning and retaining structure having a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg.

2. The positioning and retaining structure of claim 1, wherein the stiffness when force is applied in a counterclockwise direction is more than three times the stiffness when force is applied in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg.

3. The positioning and retaining structure of claim 1, wherein the stiffness when force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the outer leg is less than when a force is applied in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction.

4. The positioning and retaining structure of claim 1, wherein the stiffness when force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the outer leg is less than 0.8 of the stiffness when force is applied in either the clockwise or counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer legs.

5. The positioning and retaining structure of claim 1, wherein the stiffness when force is applied in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the outer leg is less than 0.01 N/mm.

6. A positioning structure for an in-ear earpiece comprising:

a first leg and a second leg attached to each other at an attachment end to form a tip and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end,

wherein the positioning structure provides at least three modes for preventing clockwise rotation of the earpiece past a rotational position, the modes including

the tip contacting the base of the helix;

the tip becoming wedged under the anti-helix in the cymba concha region; and

the inner leg contacting the base of the helix.

7. A retaining structure of an in-ear earpiece, comprising:

an inner leg and an outer leg, the inner leg and the outer leg being attached at an attachment end to the body and attached at a joined end to each other, wherein with the earpiece in its intended position, the outer leg is urged against the anti-helix at the rear of the concha, the body engages the ear canal; and

at least one of

the tip is under the anti-helix;

or

a portion of at least one of the body and the outer leg are under the anti-tragus.

8. A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece, comprising:

an inner leg and an outer leg attached at attachment end to each other and at a second end to an earpiece body, the inner leg and outer leg arranged to provide at least three modes for preventing clockwise rotation of the earpieces, the modes including

the tip contacts the base of the helix;

the tip becomes wedged under the anti-helix; and

the inner leg contacts the base of the helix;

the inner leg and the outer leg further arranged so that with the earpiece in its intended position, the outer leg is urged against the anti-helix at the rear of the concha, the body engages the ear canal; and

at least one of

the tip is under the anti-helix;

or

a portion of at least one of the body and the outer leg are under the anti-tragus.