INTEGRATED EARBUDS AND EARPLUGS, AND METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND KITS ASSOCIATED THEREWITH

• US 20140112520A1
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrew Shaun Knudsen
• Original Assignee: Andrew Shaun Knudsen
• Inventors: Knudsen, Andrew Shaun
• Application Number:
  US14/056,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20140112520A1
• 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 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06

Abstract

An audio system suppresses exterior noise and directs desired sound into a user'"'"'s ear canal. An audio system may include an earplug to create a seal in the interior of an ear canal. The earplug may include a ribbed exterior profile and can be flexible to create the seal. A speaker driver may be inserted within the earplug. A distal opening may extend from the speaker driver toward the distal end of the earplug to direct sound into a user'"'"'s ear canal. A proximal opening may extend from the speaker driver to the proximal end of the earplug, and can receive an audio wire connected to the speaker driver. The audio wire may connect to an audio device to allow audio data to pass through the wire and to the speaker, where it can be converted to audio that is passed directly into the ear canal of the user.

Claims

1. An audio system, comprising:

an earplug adapted to fit within an ear canal of a user and suppress external sound, the earplug having a ribbed exterior profile and having openings at distal and proximal ends thereof;

an audio wire passing through an opening at a proximal end of the earplug; and

a speaker driver within the earplug and attached to the audio wire, the speaker driver being configured to receive audio data from the audio wire and output audio through the opening at the distal end of the earplug.

2. The audio system recited in claim 1, wherein the earplug is adapted to provide at least a twenty-five decibel decrease to external sounds.

3. The audio system recited in claim 1, wherein the earplug is tapered.

4. The audio system recited in claim 1, further comprising a casing around the speaker driver.

5. The audio system recited in claim 4, wherein the earplug is deformable and the casing is substantially rigid.

6. The audio system recited in claim 1, wherein the earplug is silicone.

7. The audio system recited in claim 1, wherein the earplug is a first earplug, the audio system further comprising a second earplug configured substantially identically relative to the first earplug.

8. The audio system recited in claim 1, further comprising a lanyard connected to the audio wire.

9. The audio system recited in claim 8, wherein the audio wire is connected to a rear side of a lanyard.

10. The audio system recite din claim 9, wherein a proximal end of the audio wire extends out of a front side of the lanyard.

11. The audio system recited in claim 10, wherein the proximal end of the audio wire extends into a badge connected to the lanyard.

12. The audio system recited in claim 8, wherein the lanyard substantially obscures a length of the audio wire.

13. A method, comprising:

accessing a speaker assembly comprising;

a speaker driver;

a wire electrically coupled to the speaker driver; and

a casing substantially enclosing the speaker drive rand at least a portion of the wire; and

inserting the speaker assembly into an earplug having openings on distal ends thereof, the earplug having a ribbed exterior profile;

securing the speaker assembly within the earplug such that the speaker driver is wholly within the earplug.

14. The method recited in claim 13, further comprising:

connecting the wire to the speaker driver;

15. The method recited in claim 14, wherein connecting the wire to the speaker driver includes connecting a pair of wire leads to the speaker driver.

16. The method recited in claim 14, wherein inserting the speaker assembly into the earplug includes retracting the wire within the earplug to slide the speaker assembly into the earplug.

17. An audio kit, comprising:

a set of two speaker drivers;

a set of two casings, each casing being configured to receive a respective speaker driver therein; and

an audio wire, the audio wire including an input at a proximal end thereof, the audio wire further splitting into two separate audio wires at a distal end thereof.

18. The kit recited in claim 17, further comprising:

two earplugs, wherein the speaker drivers and casings are sized and configured to be positionable wholly within the earplugs.

19. The kit recited in claim 17, further comprising:

a lanyard configured to receive an audio wire and obscure the audio wire as it extends around at least a portion of the lanyard.

20. The kit recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a badge connectable to the lanyard at a location where a proximal end of the audio wire may extend out of the lanyard.