Earbuds with acoustic insert

• US 10,397,682 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2016
• Issued: 08/27/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Chawan, Arun D., Stiehl, Kurt, Cousins, Benjamin A., Aase, Jonathan S., Azmi, Yacine, Choiniere, Paul, Slabaugh, Scott W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaufman, Joshua
• Application Number:
  US15/273,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20170094390A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/00 Receptacles for purposes not provided for in groups A45C1/00-A45C9/00 specially adapted for toiletry or cosmetic equipment A45D29/20, A45D44/18; travelling sewing kits A45F3/48
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 11/24 Etuis for purposes not covered by a single one of groups A45C11/02 - A45C11/22, A45C11/26, A45C11/32 - A45C11/38
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/005 Hinges
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/02 Interior fittings; Means, e.g. inserts, for holding and packing articles
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 13/1069 magnetic
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2011/001 for portable audio devices, e.g. headphones or MP3-players
• CPC Class Codes: A45C 2013/026 Inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 25/02 Internal fittings of containers made by folding or erecting blanks made of paper B65D5/44
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 43/16 hinged for upward or downward movement cigar or cigarette receptacles A24F15/00; suitcases, ètuis A45C; casings for cosmetic substances with hinged covers A45D40/22; toolboxes B25H3/02; hinges of door or similar type E05D ; boxes for switchboards with hinged covers H02B1/066
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/83 Use of a magnetic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/521 Sealing between contact members and housing, e.g. sealing insert
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/385 Transceivers carried on the body, e.g. in helmets
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3888 Arrangements for carrying or protecting transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/02 Casings; Cabinets ; Supports therefor; Mountings therein H04R1/28 takes precedence ; attachments for microphones H04R1/08; mounting of transducers in earpieces H04R1/1075
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 : Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 : Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 : Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 : Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2826 : for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/2857 : for loudspeaker transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 : for loudspeakers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/105 : Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 : Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 : Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/09 : Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips H04R2460/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 : Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 : Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/025 : Magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 9/06 : Loudspeakers

Abstract

An earbud includes a housing that includes a driver assembly positioned within the housing forming a front volume in front of the driver and a back volume behind the driver. An acoustic insert is positioned behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that it forms a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to a vent in the housing.

Claims

1. An earbud comprising:

a housing defining a cavity;

a sound port defined by the housing;

a driver assembly positioned within the housing and at least partially defining a front volume in front of the driver assembly and a back volume behind the driver assembly, wherein the front volume communicates with the sound port;

an acoustic insert positioned within the housing and including a front surface at least partially defining the rear volume and a back surface opposite the front surface, the acoustic insert further comprising one or more walls that extend from the back surface to the housing to at least partially define a multiport chamber;

a rear vent defined by the acoustic insert and coupling the back volume to the multiport chamber; and

a bass channel at least partially defined by the housing and coupling the back volume to the multiport chamber.

2. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the one or more walls are bonded to an interior surface of the housing.

3. The earbud of claim 2 wherein the acoustic insert forms three walls of the bass channel and the housing forms a fourth wall of the bass channel.

4. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the housing further defines an aperture that couples the multiport chamber to an external environment.

5. The earbud of claim 4 wherein the multiport chamber is vented through the aperture.

6. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the acoustic insert is formed from a carbon doped plastic that absorbs laser energy.

7. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the earbud housing is made from Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) with a titanium dioxide pigment.

8. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the acoustic insert is attached to an interior surface of the housing with a laser bonded interface.

9. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the acoustic insert is attached to an interior surface of the housing with an adhesive.

10. The earbud of claim 1 wherein a length of the bass channel corresponds to a frequency response of the earbud.

11. A method of forming an earbud, the method comprising:

forming a housing having an interior surface and an exterior surface;

forming an acoustic insert such that it has one or more walls that extend from a back surface;

inserting the acoustic insert within the housing such that the one or more walls are disposed against the interior surface of the housing; and

directing a laser through the housing such that it impinges the one or more walls of the acoustic insert and welds the one or more walls to the interior surface of the housing to form a multiport chamber that is coupled to a rear vent and a bass channel, wherein the bass channel couples a back volume of a driver to the multiport chamber.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the housing is formed from a plastic that is substantially transparent to a wavelength of the laser.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the acoustic insert is formed from a carbon doped plastic that absorbs laser energy.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the acoustic insert forms three walls of the bass channel and the housing forms a fourth wall of the bass channel.

15. An earbud comprising:

a housing having an ear portion coupled to a stem;

a cavity formed within the ear portion;

a driver assembly positioned within the cavity and defining a front volume disposed in front of the driver assembly and a back volume disposed behind the driver assembly;

an acoustic insert positioned within the cavity behind the driver assembly and having one or more walls that define a multiport chamber, wherein the one or more walls are coupled to an interior surface of the housing;

a rear vent formed through the acoustic insert and coupling the back volume to the multiport chamber; and

a bass channel coupling the back volume to the multiport chamber.

16. The earbud of claim 15 wherein the one or more walls are bonded to the interior surface of the housing.

17. The earbud of claim 15 wherein the the acoustic insert forms three walls of the bass channel and the housing forms a fourth wall of the bass channel.

18. The earbud of claim 15 wherein the housing further includes an aperture that couples the multiport chamber to an external environment.

19. The earbud of claim 15 wherein the acoustic insert is formed from a carbon doped plastic that absorbs laser energy.