PERSONAL ACOUSTIC SYSTEMS AND FLEXIBLE EARPIECE MOUNTS FOR THE SAME

• US 20160277822A1
• Filed: 03/17/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Original Assignee: Koss Corporation
• Inventors: Blair, Nicholas Stanford
• Granted Patent: US 10,136,210 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-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 2201/105 Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182

Abstract

A personal acoustic system and flexible mount for the same are disclosed. The flexible mount is comprised of an elastomeric material. The personal acoustic system further includes a band comprising a first mount and an earpiece comprising a second mount. An acoustic element is housed within the earpiece. The elastomeric mount is positioned intermediate the first mount and the second mount to flexibly connect the band to the earpiece.

Claims

1. An assembly, comprising:

a headband comprising a first mount;

an earpiece comprising a second mount and an electroacoustic speaker; and

an elastomeric grommet flexibly connecting the band to the earpiece, wherein the elastomeric grommet is positioned intermediate the first mount and the second mount.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first mount comprises an annular inner surface, wherein the second mount comprises an annular outer surface.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the annular outer surface comprises a groove, and wherein the elastomeric grommet is positioned at least partially within the groove.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the groove comprises an outer notched profile, and wherein the elastomeric grommet comprises an inner notched profile corresponding to the outer notched profile to prevent rotation of the elastomeric grommet relative to the earpiece.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric grommet is comprised of a first material, wherein the first mount is comprised of a second material, and wherein the second material is different than the first material.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the elastomeric grommet and the headband comprise a co-molded subassembly.

7. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the elastomeric grommet comprises a groove, and wherein the annular inner surface is positioned at least partially within the groove.

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein the groove comprises an outer notched profile, and wherein the annular inner surface comprises an inner notched profile corresponding to the outer notched profile.

9. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the elastomeric grommet is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer and silicone.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one relief feature is defined into the elastomeric grommet.

11. An assembly, comprising:

an earpiece comprising an acoustic element; and

an integrally-formed subassembly, comprising;

a band; and

an elastomeric member, wherein the elastomeric member is positioned at least partially around at least a portion of the earpiece.

12. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the elastomeric member is snap-fit around the portion of the earpiece.

13. The assembly of claim 11, wherein the elastomeric member is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer and silicone, wherein the band is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of metal and plastic, and wherein the earpiece is comprised of a material selected from a group consisting of metal and plastic.

14. An assembly, comprising:

a band comprising a first end portion and a second end portion;

a first earpiece comprising a first electroacoustic speaker;

a second earpiece comprising a second electroacoustic speaker;

a first elastomeric grommet flexibly connecting the first end portion of the band to the first earpiece; and

a second elastomeric grommet flexibly connecting the second end portion of the band to the second earpiece.

15. A method of manufacturing a headphone assembly, comprising:

molding an elastomeric grommet at an end of a band of the headphone assembly; and

connecting the elastomeric grommet to a mount of an earpiece of the headphone assembly, wherein the earpiece comprises an electroacoustic speaker.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the molding step comprises a co-molding process.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

molding a second elastomeric grommet at an opposite end of the band; and

connecting the second elastomeric grommet to a second mount of a second earpiece of the headphone assembly, wherein the second earpiece comprises a second electroacoustic speaker.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the molding steps comprise co-molding processes.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the band comprises an injection-molded part.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the injection-molded part is comprised of a first material having a first modulus of elasticity, wherein the elastomeric grommet is comprised of a second material having a second modulus of elasticity, and wherein the second modulus of elasticity is less than the first modulus of elasticity.