ADJUSTABLE, DUAL SPEAKER ELEMENT IN-EAR PHONE

• US 20120087534A1
• Filed: 12/20/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Original Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Inventors: Pelland, Michael J., Santiago, Ronaldo J., Potter, James J., Johnson, Mandy M., Koss, Michael J., Mlodzikowski, Allan
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,012 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 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/26 Spatial arrangements of separate transducers responsive to two or more frequency ranges

Abstract

An adjustable, dual speaker element earphone. One of the speaker elements is sized to fit into the cavum concha of the listeners ear and the other element (is not. A hinged joint may allow the larger speaker element may be rotated about a vertical axis of the hinged joint so that the larger speaker element can be rotated towards or away from the listener'"'"'s ear. The speaker elements may be connected such that sounds produced by both speaker elements emanate from different respective sound openings defined in a surface of the smaller speaker element. Also, one or both of the speaker elements may be operably connected to a hanger bar that is sized and configured to rest on an upper portion of the listener'"'"'s ear.

Claims

1. An earphone, comprising:

at least one speaker element;

a bridge comprising, wherein the speaker element is pivotably connected to the bridge;

a hanger bar comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is threadingly connected to the bridge, wherein the second portion of the hanger bar is configured to rest upon a part of a listener'"'"'s ear when the earphone is worn by the listener, and wherein the second portion of the hanger bar includes an arcuate region such that, when worn by the listener, a middle region of the second portion is spaced away from the listener'"'"'s head.

2. The earphone of claim 1, wherein the bridge further comprises a rotatable knob that is accessible to the listener, wherein the knob threadingly engages the first portion of the hanger bar such that rotation of the knob causes the second portion of the hanger bar to at least translate relative to the bridge.

3. The earphone of claim 2, wherein the second portion of the hanger bar and the bridge are separated by a distance and wherein the rotatable knob is configured such that rotation of the knob causes the distance to change.

4. The earphone of claim 1, wherein the at least one speaker element comprises a first speaker element and a second speaker element extending from the first speaker element, wherein the second speaker element is sized and configured to fit at least partially into a cavum concha of the listener'"'"'s ear, and wherein the first speaker element is pivotably connected to the bridge.

5. The earphone of claim 4, wherein the second speaker element is connected to the first speaker element by a pivotable joint that provides three degrees of rotational freedom to the second speaker element in relation to the first speaker element.

6. The earphone of claim 4, wherein the first speaker element is configured to produce a first sound in a predetermined direction and the second speaker element is configured to produce a second sound in a second predetermined direction, wherein the first predetermined direction is transverse to the second predetermined direction.

7. The earphone of claim 4, wherein the first speaker element is pivotably connected to the bridge by a hinged joint.

8. The earphone of claim 7, wherein the hinged joint defines a first axis, wherein the first speaker element may only rotate about the first axis, wherein the bridge defines a second axis, and wherein the hanger bar is threadingly connected to the bridge such that the hanger bar may only rotate about the second axis.

9. The earphone of claim 8, wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially parallel.

10. The earphone of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the hanger bar comprises threads such that relative rotation of the second portion of the hanger bar to the bridge causes the second portion of the hanger bar to at least translate relative to the bridge.

11. The earphone of claim 1, wherein the bridge is configured to rest adjacent to a tragus of the listener'"'"'s ear when the earphone is worn by the listener.

12. An earphone, comprising:

at least one speaker element;

a bridge, wherein the speaker element is pivotably connected to the bridge;

a hanger bar comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is threadingly connected to the bridge, wherein the second portion of the hanger bar is configured to rest upon a part of a listener'"'"'s ear when the earphone is worn by the listener, and wherein the second portion of the hanger bar includes a curvature such that, when worn by the listener, a rearward end of the second portion contacts the listener'"'"'s head and a middle region of the second portion contacts an upper portion of the auricula of the listener'"'"'s ear; and

wherein, when worn by the listener, the contact between the middle region of the second portion and the upper portion of the auricula of the listener'"'"'s ear defines a fulcrum, and wherein a force by the listener'"'"'s head on the rearward end of the second portion of the hanger bar about the fulcrum pushes the at least one speaker element toward the listener'"'"'s ear.

13. The earphone of claim 12, wherein the bridge further comprises a rotatable knob that is accessible to the listener, wherein the knob threadingly engages the first portion of the hanger bar such that rotation of the knob causes the second portion of the hanger bar to at least translate relative to the bridge.

14. The earphone of claim 13, wherein the second portion of the hanger bar and the bridge are separated by a distance and wherein the rotatable knob is configured such that rotation of the knob causes the distance to change.

15. The earphone of claim 12, wherein the at least one speaker element comprises a first speaker element and a second speaker element extending from the first speaker element, wherein the second speaker element is sized and configured to fit at least partially into a cavum concha of the listener'"'"'s ear, and wherein the first speaker element is pivotably connected to the bridge.

16. The earphone of claim 15, wherein the second speaker element is connected to the first speaker element by a pivotable joint.

17. The earphone of claim 15, wherein the first speaker element is configured to produce a first sound in a predetermined direction and the second speaker element is configured to produce a second sound in a second predetermined direction, wherein the first predetermined direction is transverse to the second predetermined direction.

18. The earphone of claim 12, wherein the bridge is configured to rest adjacent to a tragus of the listener'"'"'s ear when the earphone is worn by the listener.

19. An earphone, comprising:

a dual speaker element comprising a first speaker element sized to fit in the ear canal and a second speaker element sized to sit on the ear, wherein the first and second speaker elements are pivotably connected;

a bridge, wherein the dual speaker element is pivotably connected to the bridge; and

a hanger bar comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is connected to the bridge in a manner that permits raising and lowering of the hanger bar relative to the bridge, wherein the second portion of the hanger bar is configured to rest upon a part of a listener'"'"'s ear when the earphone is worn by the listener.

20. The earphone of claim 19, wherein the bridge further comprises a rotatable knob that is accessible to the listener, wherein rotation of the knob causes the second portion of the hanger bar to be raised and lowered relative to the bridge.