EARPIECE

• US 20160286300A1
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Racal Acoustics Ltd. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Racal Acoustics Ltd. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hussein, Habib, Davidson, Norman
• Granted Patent: US 10,178,464 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• 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 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/342 for microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/07 Mechanical or electrical reduction of wind noise generated by wind passing a microphone

Abstract

An earpiece comprising an earbud, which is arranged such that it may be inserted into the ear canal of a user, and a housing, which houses at least one microphone that is arranged to sample the ambient environment, the housing comprising a port through which sound may be received by the microphone, the earpiece being arranged such that when the earbud is inserted into the ear canal of a user the microphone samples the ambient environment between the earpiece and the concha.

Claims

1. An earpiece comprising an earbud, which is arranged such that it may be inserted into the ear canal of a user, and a housing, which houses at least one microphone that is arranged to sample the ambient environment, the housing comprising a port through which sound may be received by the microphone, the earpiece being arranged such that when the earbud is inserted into the ear canal of a user the microphone samples the ambient environment between the earpiece and the concha.

2. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the earpiece is arranged such that the port lies within the concha.

3. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the earpiece is arranged such that the port lies adjacent the rear face of the concha.

4. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with one or more elements that are arranged to maintain an air gap between the port and a surface of the concha.

5. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the port faces a surface of the pinna.

6. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1 wherein the port faces the rear face of the concha.

7. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the earpiece is arranged such that there is no unimpeded straight line path into the port from outside the concha.

8. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axis of the port is arranged at an angle of at least 45 degrees relative to a transverse axis of the housing.

9. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing comprises first and second faces that are opposed to one another and a sidewall arranged between the first and second faces, the earbud being connected to the first face and the port being provided in a surface of the sidewall.

10. An earpiece as claimed in claim 9, wherein the sidewall is substantially perpendicular to the first face.

11. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein a portion of the housing adjacent the port extends outwards beyond the opening of the port in the axial direction of the port.

12. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the housing in which the port is provided features one or more protrusions adjacent the port.

13. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the surface of the housing in which the port is provided comprises a pair of protrusions with one protrusion provided either side of the port.

14. An earpiece as claimed in claim 12 wherein the or each protrusion comprises a rib or ridge having a length greater than the port.

15. An earpiece as claimed in claim 1, wherein the port comprises one or more holes extending through a wall of the housing.

16. An earpiece as claimed in claim 15, wherein the or each hole comprises a radiused edge.

17. (canceled)