Earphone device having biological information measuring apparatus

• US 8,737,667 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2010
• Issued: 05/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Jung-Taek, Lee, Min-Hyoung
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): ETESAM, AMIR HOSSEIN
• Application Number:
  US12/900,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20110081037A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 381/367, 381/376, 381/370, 381/384, 600/309, 379/430
• US Class Current: 381/376
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers

Abstract

An earphone device having a biological information measuring apparatus, structured to facilitate insertion into a user'"'"'s ear or to absorb vibration generated by external movement before or after the insertion. To this end, the earphone device includes a speaker portion, a sensor housing rotatably coupled with the speaker portion, a shaft provided in the speaker portion and the sensor housing to couple the speaker portion with the sensor housing such that the speaker portion and the sensor housing rotate together, a support housing coupled with the shaft to pass the shaft therethrough, the support housing supporting rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing, and a stopper portion provided in the shaft and the support housing to rotate the speaker portion and the sensor housing and then stop them before or after insertion into a user'"'"'s ear, thereby facilitating the insertion or urging the speaker portion to contact the user'"'"'s ear.

Claims

1. An earphone device having a biological information measuring apparatus, the earphone device comprising:

a speaker portion;

a sensor housing rotatably coupled with the speaker portion;

a shaft provided in the speaker portion and the sensor housing to couple the speaker portion with the sensor housing, wherein the shaft comprises a first shaft formed in the speaker portion and a second shaft formed in the sensor housing configured to be coupled with the first shaft to enable the speaker portion and the sensor housing to rotate together;

a support housing coupled with the shaft to pass the shaft therethrough, the support housing supporting the speaker portion and the sensor housing during rotation; and

a stopper portion provided in the shaft and the support housing to permit rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing and then to stop the rotation, thereby facilitating insertion into a user'"'"'s ear and urging the speaker portion to contact the user'"'"'s ear.

2. The earphone device of claim 1, wherein at least one or more coupling protrusions and grooves are formed in the first shaft and the second shaft to couple the speaker portion with the sensor housing to enable the speaker portion and the sensor housing to rotate together.

3. The earphone device of claim 1, wherein a rotation hole is formed in the support housing to pass the shaft therethrough and to support rotation.

4. The earphone device of claim 3, wherein the stopper portion comprises:

a guide pin formed in the rotation hole;

a guide portion formed in the shaft and coupled with the guide pin to guide the guide pin during rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing; and

at least one or more stopper engaging/disengaging portions formed in the guide portion, provided in a rotation end position of the speaker and the sensor housing, and engaged with or disengaged from the guide pin in the rotation end position of the speaker portion and the sensor housing to stop the speaker portion and the sensor housing after rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing.

5. The earphone device of claim 3, wherein the stopper portion permits rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing in a direction for facilitating insertion into the user'"'"'s ear and then stops the rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing before the insertion, and permits rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing in a reverse direction and then stops the rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing after the insertion, thereby urging the speaker portion to contact the user'"'"'s ear.

6. An earphone device having a biological information measuring apparatus, the earphone device comprising:

a speaker portion;

a sensor housing rotatably coupled with the speaker portion;

a shaft provided in the speaker portion and the sensor housing to couple the speaker portion with the sensor housing, wherein the shaft comprises a first shaft formed in the speaker portion and a second shaft formed in the sensor housing configured to be coupled with the first shaft to enable the speaker portion and the sensor housing to rotate together;

a support housing coupled with the shaft to pass the shaft therethrough, the support housing supporting the speaker portion and the sensor housing during rotation;

a stopper portion provided in the shaft and the support housing to permit rotation of the speaker portion and the sensor housing and then to stop the rotation, thereby facilitating insertion into a user'"'"'s ear and urging the speaker portion to contact the user'"'"'s ear; and

an elastic portion provided in the support housing to absorb inertial forces generated by external movement.

7. The earphone device of claim 6, wherein the elastic portion reduces stiffness in a direction that the inertial force is delivered, and increases stiffness in other directions that the inertial force is not delivered.

8. The earphone device of claim 6, wherein the elastic portion comprises a hyper-elastic material, which includes a support member for supporting the elastic portion to allow the elastic portion to absorb the inertial force.

9. The earphone device of claim 8, wherein the elastic portion is in an ‘

I’

shape.

10. An earphone device having a biological information measuring apparatus, the earphone device comprising:

a speaker portion;

a sensor housing rotatably coupled with the speaker portion;

a gear portion provided in the speaker portion and the sensor housing to enable rotation of the sensor housing about a first rotation axis and the speaker portion about a second rotation axis; and

a support housing for supporting the speaker portion and the sensor housing to enable the speaker portion and the sensor housing to rotate about the second rotation axis and the first rotation axis by means of the gear portion,

wherein the gear portion is configured to enable the speaker portion and the sensor housing to rotate together.

11. The earphone device of claim 10, wherein the gear portion comprises one of a bevel gear or a spur gear.

12. The earphone device of claim 10, wherein a first support portion is formed in the support housing and supports the sensor housing to allow the sensor housing to rotate about the first rotation axis, and

wherein a second support portion is formed in the support housing and is coupled with and supports a speaker-side gear portion formed on the speaker portion to allow the speaker portion to rotate about the second rotation axis.

13. An earphone device having a biological information measuring apparatus, the earphone device comprising:

a speaker portion;

a sensor housing rotatably coupled with the speaker portion;

a gear portion provided in the speaker portion and the sensor housing to enable rotation of the sensor housing about a first rotation axis and the speaker portion about a second rotation axis;

a support housing for supporting the speaker portion and the sensor housing to allow the speaker portion and the sensor housing to rotate about the second rotation axis and the first rotation axis by means of the gear portion; and

an elastic portion provided in the support housing to absorb inertial forces generated by external movement,

wherein the gear portion is configured to enable the speaker portion and the sensor housing to rotate together.

14. The earphone device of claim 13, wherein the elastic portion reduces stiffness in a direction that the inertial force is delivered, and increases stiffness in other directions that the inertial force is not delivered.

15. The earphone device of claim 13, wherein the elastic portion comprises a hyper-elastic material, which includes a support member for supporting the elastic portion to allow the elastic portion to absorb the inertial force.

16. The earphone device of claim 15, wherein the elastic portion is in an ‘

I’

shape.