Headphone eartips with internal support components for outer eartip bodies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10129625-B2
Application number	US-201615253794-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 31, 2016
Priority date	Sep 30, 2015
Publication date	Nov 13, 2018
Grant date	Nov 13, 2018

Abstract

Headphone eartips with internal support components and methods for making the same are provided. Different support components may provide specific amounts and types of additional rigidity at specific portions of an exterior surface of an outer eartip body that may be expected to interface with specific portions of an ear canal geometry when an eartip subassembly is positioned within the ear canal, such that the eartip subassembly may conform to the various shapes of the ear canal while maintaining an acoustic seal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An eartip that is operative to be at least partially positioned within an ear canal, the eartip comprising:
an inner eartip body comprising:
an inner eartip front end with an inner eartip front opening through the inner eartip front end;
an inner eartip back end with an inner eartip back opening through the inner eartip back end;
an inner eartip interior surface extending between the inner eartip front opening and the inner eartip back opening for defining an inner eartip space; and
an inner eartip exterior surface extending about the inner eartip interior surface between the inner eartip front end and the inner eartip back end;

an outer eartip body that is operative to deform when the eartip is at least partially positioned within the ear canal, the outer eartip body comprising:
an outer eartip front end with an outer eartip front opening through the outer eartip front end, wherein the outer eartip front end is coupled to the inner eartip front end for at least partially aligning the inner eartip front opening and the outer eartip front opening;
an outer eartip back end with an outer eartip back opening through the outer eartip back end;
an outer eartip interior surface extending between the outer eartip front opening and the outer eartip back opening for defining an outer eartip space; and
an outer eartip exterior surface extending about the outer eartip interior surface between the outer eartip front end and the outer eartip back end; and

an internal support subsystem comprising a support body extending between a first support body end and a second support body end, wherein:
the first support body end is coupled to one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface;
the internal support subsystem further comprises a flap that extends from the second support body end;
a flap surface portion of the flap interfaces with an interface surface portion of the other one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface; and
a contour of the flap surface portion matches a contour of the interface surface portion.

2. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein the interface surface portion extends about a portion of the inner eartip space.

3. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the interface surface portion extends along a portion of a length of the other one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface; and
the length extends between the front end and the back end of the other one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface.

4. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein the flap surface portion contacts the interface surface portion when the eartip is in an undeformed configuration.

5. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein the flap surface portion is distanced from the interface surface portion when the eartip is in an undeformed configuration.

6. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein the flap surface portion is operative to be pressed against the interface surface portion when the outer eartip body is deformed by the ear canal.

7. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the internal support subsystem further comprises another support body extending between another first support body end and the second support body end;
the first support body end is coupled to a first portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface; and
the other first support body end is coupled to a second portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface.

8. The eartip of claim 7 , wherein the first portion and the second portion are separated by a third portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface that extends about a portion of the inner eartip space.

9. The eartip of claim 7 , wherein the distance between the first portion and the front end of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface is greater than the distance between the second portion and the front end of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface.

10. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the first support body end is coupled to the inner eartip exterior surface; and
the outer eartip interior surface comprises the interface surface portion.

11. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the first support body end is coupled to the outer eartip interior surface; and
the inner eartip exterior surface comprises the interface surface portion.

12. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the flap extends from the second support body end in a first direction;
the internal support subsystem further comprises another flap that extends from the second support body end in a second direction different than the first direction;
a flap surface portion of the other flap interfaces with another interface surface portion of the other one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface; and
a contour of the flap surface portion of the other flap matches a contour of the other interface surface portion.

13. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the internal support subsystem further comprises another support body extending between another first support body end and another second support body end;
the first support body end is coupled to a first portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface;
the other first support body end is coupled to a second portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface; and
the first portion and the second portion are separated by a third portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface that extends about a portion of the inner eartip space.

14. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the internal support subsystem further comprises another support body extending between another first support body end and another second support body end;
the first support body end is coupled to a first portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface;
the other first support body end is coupled to a second portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface; and
the distance between the first portion and the front end of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface is greater than the distance between the second portion and the front end of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface.

15. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein the interface surface portion extends as a spiral along and about the other one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface.

16. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein the second support body end is coupled to the other one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface.

17. The eartip of claim 1 , wherein:
the support body and a portion of the one of the inner eartip exterior surface and the outer eartip interior surface together define a fluid enclosure space; and
the shape of the fluid enclosure space is operative to deform when the outer eartip body is deformed.

18. An eartip for use with a sound emitting component, the eartip comprising:
an outer eartip body defining an outer eartip space and operative to be at least partially positioned within an ear canal;
an inner eartip body coupled to the outer eartip body and d

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Huwe Ethan L
• Boozer Brad G
• Wang Erik L
• Qian Phillip

Classifications

• H04R1/1016 Primary

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R1/1058

  Manufacture or assembly · CPC title

• H04R2201/10

  Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups · CPC title

• H04R1/1041 Primary

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title