Removable ear tip for earphone

• US 8,270,656 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Stiehl, Kurt, Tiscareno, Victor, Lin, Wey-jiun
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Phan
• Application Number:
  US12/205,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 381/380, 381/370, 381/182, 381/374, 381/150, 381/328, 381/309, 181/130, 181/135, 181/129, 379/430
• US Class Current: 381/380
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2045/0034 Mould parting lines
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0025 Preventing defects on the moulded article, e.g. weld lines, shrinkage marks preventing defects on the preformed parts or layers B29C45/14836
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/0055 Shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1676 using a soft material and a rigid material, e.g. making articles with a sealing part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/0018 Turning tubes inside out for lining internal surfaces B29C63/36
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/753 Medical equipment; Accessories therefor bloodbags, medical bags B29L2031/7148; artificial eyes B29L2011/0008
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly

Abstract

An earphone or a removable component for use with an earphone are disclosed. As an example, the removable component can be an ear tip. According to one aspect, an improved ear tip can be provided for use with a headphone. The ear tip is suitable for in-ear operation and has a deformable outer member. The deformable outer member enables the ear tip to readily conform to a user'"'"'s ear. The ear tip can also include an inner member to structurally support the outer member and to facilitate attachment to a headphone.

Claims

1. An ear tip for a headphone, comprising:

an inner cylindrical structure configured to removably attach to the headphone, the inner cylindrical structure having a tubular configuration; and

an outer spherical structure integral with or adhered to a top end of said inner cylindrical structure but having an air interface between said outer spherical structure and said inner cylindrical structure at a bottom end, the outer spherical structure configured to deform within the air interface during in-ear usage,

wherein the top end of the inner cylindrical structure is configured to be removably attached to the headphone,

wherein said inner cylindrical structure includes at least one feature to mechanically secure said inner cylindrical structure to the headphone, and

wherein said inner cylindrical structure is an elastomer of a first hardness and said outer spherical structure is an elastomer of a second hardness, wherein the second hardness is less than the first hardness.

2. The ear tip as recited in claim 1, wherein the elastomer comprises silicone.

3. The ear tip as recited in claim 1, wherein said outer spherical structure is integrally formed with the top end of said inner cylindrical structure.

4. The ear tip as recited in claim 3, wherein the elastomer comprises silicone rubber.

5. The ear tip as recited in claim 1, wherein said outer spherical structure is sealed against the top end of said inner cylindrical structure but is not sealed to the bottom end of said inner cylindrical structure.

6. The ear tip as recited in claim 5, wherein when said ear tip is attached to the headphone, said outer spherical structure is also not sealed against headphone.

7. The ear tip as recited in claim 1, wherein said outer spherical structure adjoins said inner cylindrical structure only at the top end of said inner cylindrical structure.

8. The ear tip as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one feature to mechanically secure said inner cylindrical structure to the headphone comprises a recess.

9. The ear tip as recited in claim 1, wherein said outer spherical structure has a front surface and a rear surface, wherein said inner cylindrical structure is integrally formed with said outer spherical structure at the front surface, and wherein said outer spherical structure is separate from said inner cylindrical structure at the rear surface and forms an opening.

10. The ear tip as recited in claim 9, wherein a protrusion of the headphone is received into said inner cylindrical structure via the opening at the front surface of said outer spherical structure.

11. An ear piece for a headphone, comprising:

an inner structure that provides structural support for said ear piece, said inner structure being configured to attach to the headphone, and said inner structure having a top end and a bottom end; and

an outer structure integrally formed about said top end of said inner structure, the outer structure separate from the bottom end thereby forming an air interface, said outer structure being deformable within the air interface so as to deform during in-ear usage,

wherein said inner structure including at least an attachment feature to facilitate removable attachment to said ear piece, and

wherein said inner structure is formed from an elastomer of a first hardness and said outer structure is formed from an elastomer of a second hardness, wherein the second hardness is less than the first hardness.

12. The ear piece as recited in claim 11, wherein the attachment feature is a recess provided internal to said internal structure and operable to removably secure said inner structure to the headphone.

13. The ear piece as recited in claim 11, wherein the headphone includes a protrusion,

wherein said inner structure has a tubular configuration, and

wherein when said inner structure is attached to the headphone, said inner structure is placed over at least a portion of a protrusion of the headphone.

14. The ear piece as recited in claim 13,

wherein said inner structure including at least a recess to facilitate removable attachment to said ear piece, and

wherein the recess is provided internal to said inner structure and operable to removably secure said inner structure to the headphone.

15. The ear tip as recited in claim 11, wherein the elastomer comprises silicone.

16. A method for forming deformable ear tips, said method comprising:

configuring a first top molding plate and a first bottom molding plate at a molding station;

first compression molding a plurality of inner structures using a first molding material and the configured first top molding plate and the first bottom molding plate;

curing the inner structures that have been formed by said first compression molding;

reconfiguring the molding station by replacing the first top molding plate with a second top molding plate;

second compression molding a plurality of outer structures using a second molding material and the configured second top molding plate and the first bottom molding plate, the outer structures being molded directly onto corresponding ones of the inner structures;

curing the outer structures that have been formed by said second compression molding; and

removing ear tips that have been formed from the molding plates.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein after being cured, the second moldable material is more deformable than the first moldable material.

18. The method as recited in claim 17, wherein the first moldable material comprises silicone, and wherein the second moldable material comprises silicone.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the outer structures are molded directly onto corresponding ones of the inner structure prior to removing the inner structures from the first bottom molding plate.

20. A method for forming deformable ear tips, said method comprising:

configuring top and bottom molding plates at a molding station;

first compression molding a plurality of inner structures using the configured top and bottom molding plates and a first molding material;

curing the inner structures that have been formed by said first compression molding;

reconfiguring the molding station by replacing one of the top and bottom molding plates;

second compression molding a plurality of outer structures using a second molding material, the outer structures being molded directly onto corresponding ones of the inner structures;

curing the outer structures that have been formed by said second compression molding; and

removing ear tips that have been formed from the molding plates.