In-ear headphones with retention members

• US 9,736,569 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2016
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Skullcandy, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Skullcandy, Inc.
• Inventors: Vogt, Jr., David George, Pierce, Andrew, Kelly, Peter M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US15/130,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20160309250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 381322, 381323, 381324, 381328, 381330, 381370, 381374, 381380, 381381, 381382, 181129, 181130, 181135, 37942002, 379430
• 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 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659

Abstract

Retention members for an in-ear headphone include a base portion and a substantially straight flexible finger extending from the base portion. Absent external forces, the flexible finger includes a substantially straight longitudinal axis and a back surface extending from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion and having a plurality of recesses along a length of the back surface. The flexible finger is configured to, during use, bend into a curved shape for disposition under a user'"'"'s antihelix. In-ear headphones include a shell defining a volume housing an audio driver, a nozzle extending from the shell configured for at least partial insertion into an ear canal, and a flexible retention member coupled to the shell, the flexible finger including a substantially straight longitudinal axis, a back surface, and a concave front surface.

Claims

1. A retention member for an in-ear headphone, comprising:

a base portion configured for coupling to an audio driver housing;

a substantially straight flexible finger extending from the base portion, the flexible finger comprising, absent external forces;

a substantially straight longitudinal axis;

a back surface extending from a proximal end portion of the flexible finger proximate to the base portion to a distal end portion of the flexible finger distant from the base portion; and

a plurality of recesses along a length of the back surface;

wherein the flexible finger is configured to, during use, bend into a curved shape for disposition under a user'"'"'s antihelix, such that portions of the back surface between the plurality of recesses abut against the user'"'"'s antihelix and the distal end portion is positioned between the user'"'"'s antihelix and crux of helix.

2. The retention member of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the base portion is curved and wherein the back surface of the flexible finger is substantially tangential to the curve of the outer surface of the base portion.

3. The retention member of claim 1, wherein the base portion and the flexible finger comprise a single, integral structure.

4. The retention member of claim 1, wherein a first width of the flexible finger proximate the back surface is greater than a second width of the flexible finger proximate the front surface.

5. The retention member of claim 1, wherein the flexible finger comprises a material exhibiting a hardness of between about 30 Shore A and about 80 Shore A.

6. The retention member of claim 1, wherein the flexible finger comprises a silicone material.

7. The retention member of claim 1, wherein the flexible finger comprises a protrusion at the distal end thereof, the protrusion extending from the front surface in a direction defined from the back surface to the front surface.

8. The retention member of claim 1, wherein the flexible finger further comprises a front surface on an opposite side of the flexible finger from the back surface, the front surface having, absent external forces, a concave shape.

9. An in-ear headphone, comprising:

a shell defining a volume housing an audio driver, the shell shaped and sized to fit at least partially within a lower concha of a user'"'"'s ear;

a nozzle extending from the shell and defining a sound channel extending axially therethrough, the nozzle configured for insertion at least partially into the ear canal of the user; and

a flexible retention member coupled to the shell, the flexible retention member comprising;

a base portion sized and configured for coupling to the shell; and

a flexible finger extending from the base portion from a proximal end portion to a distal end portion, the flexible finger comprising, when not installed in the ear of a user and absent external forces, a substantially straight longitudinal axis, a back surface extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion, and a concave front surface opposite the back surface, the front surface extending from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion.

10. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, further comprising an eargel coupled to the nozzle.

11. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the shell comprises an engagement structure protruding therefrom and the base portion of the flexible retention member comprises a recess complementary to the engagement structure for coupling the flexible retention member to the shell.

12. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the base portion comprises a first opening into the cavity of the base portion and a second, opposite opening into the base portion.

13. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the back surface comprises one or more recesses therein.

14. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the flexible retention member is removable from the shell.

15. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the flexible retention member is integrally molded with at least a portion of the shell.

16. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the flexible finger extends from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion in a direction toward a side of the shell from which the nozzle extends.

17. The in-ear headphone of claim 16, wherein the flexible finger extends in the direction toward the side of the shell from which the nozzle extends at an angle of between about 1°

and about 5°

from a vertical direction, when the in-ear headphone is in an initial position for insertion into the user'"'"'s ear.

18. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the flexible finger extends from the proximal end portion to the distal end portion at an angle configured to be up and back relative to the user when the in-ear headphone is oriented for insertion into the user'"'"'s ear.

19. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the flexible finger has a length sufficient to position the distal end portion of the flexible finger in an upper concha of the user'"'"'s ear between a helix and an antihelix of the user'"'"'s ear during use.

20. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the sound channel of the nozzle defines a nozzle axis, the nozzle axis being at an angle to a central axis of the audio driver.

21. The in-ear headphone of claim 20, wherein the angle between the nozzle axis and the central axis of the audio driver is between about 18°

and about 30°

.

22. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, further comprising an electrical cord extending from the shell for operable connection of the audio driver to an electronic device.

23. The in-ear headphone of claim 9, wherein the shell comprises a first shell portion and a second shell portion coupled to the first shell portion.

24. The in-ear headphone of claim 23, wherein the second shell portion comprises the nozzle.