Earbuds with acoustic insert

• US 9,973,845 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• 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 A
• Application Number:
  US15/588,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238087A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 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 having a non-occluding ear portion;

a directional sound port disposed in the non-occluding ear portion;

a driver assembly positioned within the housing and having 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 housing behind the driver assembly and attached to an interior surface of the housing such that the acoustic insert and the housing together define (1) a multiport chamber and (2) a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to the multiport chamber;

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

a multiport vent formed through the housing and coupling the multiport chamber to an external environment.

2. The earbud of claim 1 wherein the acoustic insert includes a recess defined by raised weld regions that are bonded to the interior surface of the housing.

3. The earbud of claim 2 wherein the recess within 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 acoustic insert is formed from a carbon doped plastic that absorbs laser energy.

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

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

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

8. The earbud of claim 1 wherein a length of the bass channel changes a frequency response of the earbud.

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

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

forming an acoustic insert including a recess defined by raised weld regions;

positioning a driver assembly within the housing to form a front volume disposed in front of the driver assembly and a back volume disposed behind the driver assembly;

inserting the acoustic insert within the housing such that the raised weld regions are disposed against the interior surface of the housing;

directing a laser through the housing to impinge the raised weld regions of the acoustic insert and weld the raised weld regions to the interior surface of the housing such that the acoustic insert and the housing together define (1) a multiport chamber and (2) a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to the multiport chamber;

forming a rear vent through the acoustic insert to couple the back volume to the multiport chamber; and

forming a multiport vent through the housing to couple the multiport chamber to an external environment.

10. The method of forming an earbud of claim 9 wherein the housing is formed from a plastic that is substantially transparent to a wavelength of the laser.

11. The method of forming an earbud of claim 9 wherein the acoustic insert is formed from a carbon doped plastic that absorbs laser energy.

12. The method of forming an earbud of claim 9 wherein the acoustic insert forms three walls of the bass channel and the housing forms a fourth wall of the bass channel.

13. 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 attached to an interior surface of the housing such that the acoustic insert and the housing together define (1) a multiport chamber and (2) a bass channel that is routed from the back volume to the multiport chamber;

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

a multiport vent formed through the housing and coupling the multiport chamber to an external environment.

14. The earbud of claim 13 wherein the acoustic insert includes a recess defined by raised weld regions that are bonded to the interior surface of the housing.

15. The earbud of claim 14 wherein the recess within the acoustic insert forms three walls of the bass channel and the housing forms a fourth wall of the bass channel.

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