Concha headset stabilizer

• US 5,712,453 A
• Filed: 04/11/1995
• Issued: 01/27/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Pedraza, Luis, Goodrich, Betsy, Bungardt, Gabriele, Morrissey, Edmund J. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US08/420,241
• Time in Patent Office: 1,022 Days
• Field of Search: 181/129, 181/130, 181/135, 181/137, 381/183, 381/187, 381/68.6, 381/69
• US Class Current: 181/135
• 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

Abstract

An apparatus for stabilizing a concha style headset comprises a receiver attachment that couples to the body of the receiver of the headset, a flexible and resilient support member extending from the receiver attachment, and a concha stabilizer pad coupled to the end of the support member, such that the concha stabilizer pad contacts the upper concha under the antihelix of the ear with the receiver placed in the lower concha in front of the ear canal. The receiver attachment can include a foam ear cushion that covers the portion of the receiver that is placed in the lower concha, with the concha stabilizer pad and the flexible support member formed of a compressed cellular foam. Support ribs extend from the upper surface of the ear cushion along the surface of the support member and join the concha stabilizer pad. Alternatively, the receiver attachment can include retaining members that engage in mounting holes in the receiver, and may include curved members which wrap around the body of the receiver when the retaining members mount the underside of the receiver. The support member can then include a flexible arch or stalk, with the concha stabilizer pad (or torus) located at the top of the arch.

Claims

1. An apparatus for stabilizing a headset including a receiver sized to fit between a tragus and an anti-tragus of an ear, the apparatus comprising:

an ear cushion dimensioned to cover a portion of the receiver disposed between the tragus and the anti-tragus;

a resilient and flexible stabilizer support member coupled to the ear cushion, and dimensioned to fit within an upper concha with the ear cushion coupled to the receiver and the receiver disposed between the tragus and the anti-tragus; and

,

a concha stabilizer pad coupled to the stabilizer support member, for contacting the upper concha.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ear cushion includes open cell foam.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the concha stabilizer pad includes compressed open cell foam.

4. The apparatus of the claim 1 wherein the stabilizer support member comprises:

a foam member extending distally between an upper surface of the ear cushion and the concha stabilizer pad.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 further comprising:

at least one support rib extending from the upper surface of the ear cushion along a surface of the foam member to the concha stabilizer pad.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the concha stabilizer pad is substantially ellipsoid in shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ear cushion covers a portion of the receiver facing an auditory meatus as the receiver is disposed between the tragus and the anti-tragus.

8. An apparatus for stabilizing a headset including a receiver sized to fit between a tragus and an anti-tragus of an ear, the apparatus comprising:

an ear cushion dimensioned to cover a portion of the receiver disposed between the tragus and the anti-tragus;

a flexible support member extending from an upper surface of the ear cushion towards an upper concha of the ear; and

a concha stabilizer pad coupled to the support member at a hinge point for flexing the concha stabilizer pad toward the support member, and having a concha contact point for resting against the upper concha, the support member capable of bending at the hinge point to conform to a size and shape of the upper concha.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 comprising at least one support rib extending from an upper surface of the ear cushion along a surface of the support member to the concha stabilizer pad.

10. A headset comprising:

a receiver sized to fit between a tragus and an antitragus of an ear, the receiver having a tragus contact point, and an anti-tragus contact point disposed substantially opposite to the tragus contact point;

an ear cushion dimensioned to cover a portion of the receiver; and

a concha stabilizer coupled to the ear cushion and dimensioned to contact an upper concha between an antihelix and a crux of a helix with the receiver disposed between the tragus and the antitragus.

11. The headset of claim 10 wherein the ear cushion covers a portion of the receiver facing the auditory meatus and the concha stabilizer comprises:

a stabilizer support coupled to the ear cushion and extending toward the upper concha; and

a concha stabilizer pad coupled to the stabilizer support, for engaging the upper concha between the antihelix and the crux of the helix for stabilizing the receiver in the ear.

12. An apparatus for stabilizing a headset including a receiver, the apparatus comprising:

an ear cushion that couples to the receiver of the headset, the ear cushion dimensioned to fit in a lower concha between a tragus, and an anti-tragus;

a first, substantially ellipsoid member disposed within a upper concha between an antihelix and a crux of a helix; and

,

a resilient, flexible second member integrally coupled between the ear cushion and the first member, to maintain the first member within the upper concha.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the

ear cushion is dimensioned to cover a portion of the receiver facing the auditory meatus as the receiver is disposed between the tragus and the anti-tragus.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising:

at least one support rib extending from the ear cushion along a surface of the second member to a bottom portion of the first member to stiffen the second member.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein:

the first member couples to the second member at a hinge point enabling the first member to flex toward the second member, the first member further including a first contact point that contacts the upper concha between the antihelix and the crux of the helix, the second member bending at the hinge point in response to pressure from the upper concha on the first contact point to conform the second member to a size and shape of the upper concha.