Acoustaical devices employing phase change materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10602250-B2
Application number	US-201615292345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2016
Priority date	Oct 13, 2016
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

The disclosure is related to materials that includes phase change materials. The materials are suitable for use in acoustical devices such as headphones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An acoustical device comprising:
a headphone having a cushion comprising:
an outer layer configured to contact a headphone user;

two or more phase change materials with an ability to change from solid phase to liquid phase or from one solid phase to a different solid phase at a predetermined phase-change temperature, wherein the two or more phase change materials are configured as two or more layers, such that for any two adjacent layers, the layer located closer to the user's skin has a phase-change temperature greater than the phase-change temperature of the layer located further from the user's skin; and
padding;
wherein the phase change materials are between the outer layer and the padding; and the phase change materials comprises one or more saturated hydrocarbon, fatty acid, polyether, polyalcohol, or polyalcohol derivative.

2. The acoustical device of claim 1 , wherein the phase-change temperatures of all of the two or more layers are from about 25° C. to about 35° C.

3. The acoustical device of claim 1 , wherein the phase-change temperature of the layer located closer to the user's skin is about 30° C. to about 35° C.

4. The acoustical device of claim 1 , wherein the phase-change temperature of the layer located further from the user's skin is about 25° C. to about 32° C. or about 25° C. to about 29° C.

5. The acoustical device of claim 1 , wherein the phase-change temperature of the layer located closer to the user's skin is about 33° C. and the layer located further away from the user's skin is about 27° C.

6. The acoustic device of claim 1 , wherein the phase change material comprises one or more saturated hydrocarbon, fatty acid, polyether, polyalcohol, or polyalcohol enclosed in microspheres.

7. The acoustical device of claim 6 , wherein the compound is a saturated hydrocarbon.

8. The acoustical device of claim 6 , wherein the compound is an n-alkane.

9. The acoustical device of claim 6 , wherein the compound is n-hexadecane, n-octadecane, or n-nonadecane.

10. An acoustical device comprising:
a loop-shaped structure for wearing around a user's neck, wherein the loop-shaped structure includes a cushion comprising:
an outer layer configured to contact an acoustical device user;
two or more phase change materials with an ability to change from solid phase to liquid phase or from one solid phase to a different solid phase at a predetermined phase-change temperature, wherein each phase change material has a different predetermined phase-change temperature; and
padding;
wherein the phase change materials are between the outer layer and the padding.

11. The acoustical device of claim 10 , wherein the two or more phase change materials are configured as two or more layers, and each layer of phase change material has a different predetermined phase-change temperature.

12. The acoustical device of claim 11 , wherein the phase-change temperatures of all of the layers having phase change material are from about 25° C. to about 35° C.

13. The acoustical device of claim 11 , wherein the two or more layers are configured such that for any two adjacent layers, the layer located closer to the user's skin or clothing has a phase change temperature greater than the phase-change temperature of the layer located further from the user's skin or clothing.

14. The acoustical device of claim 13 , wherein the phase-change temperature of the layer located closer to the user's skin or clothing is greater than the phase-change temperature of the layer located further from the user's skin or clothing.

15. The acoustical device of claim 13 , wherein the phase-change temperature of the layer located closer to the user's skin or clothing is about 30° C. to about 35° C.

16. The acoustical device of claim 13 , wherein the phase-change temperature of the layer located further from the user's skin or clothing is about 25° C. to about 32° C. or about 25° C. to about 29° C.

17. The acoustical device of claim 13 , wherein the phase-change temperature of the layer located closer to the user's skin or clothing is about 33° C. and the second layer is about 27° C.

18. The acoustical device of claim 10 , wherein the phase change material comprises one or more compounds enclosed in microspheres.

19. The acoustical device of claim 18 , wherein the compound is a saturated hydrocarbon, a fatty acid, a polyether, a polyalcohol, or a polyalcohol derivative.

20. The acoustical device of claim 19 , wherein the compound is a saturated hydrocarbon.

21. The acoustical device of claim 19 , wherein the compound is an n-alkane.

22. The acoustical device of claim 19 , wherein the compound is n-hexadecane, n-octadecane, or n-nonadecane.

23. An acoustical device comprising:
a loop-shaped structure for wearing around a user's neck, wherein the loop-shaped structure includes a composition comprising:
an elastomer or textile; and
one or more phase change material with an ability to change from solid phase to liquid phase or from one solid phase to a different solid phase at a predetermined phase-change temperature.

24. The acoustical device of claim 23 , wherein the predetermined temperature is about 25° C. to about 35° C.

25. The acoustical device of claim 23 , wherein the elastomer is thermoset rubber, thermoplastic elastomer, or a combination thereof.

26. The acoustical device of claim 23 , wherein the elastomer is thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), styrenic-based thermoplastic elastomers, thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV), thermoset rubbers, or a combination thereof.

27. The acoustical device of claim 23 , wherein the phase change material comprises one or more compounds enclosed in microspheres.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Han
• Prevoir Shawn J
• Wallace Eric M

Classifications

• H04R1/026 Primary

  Supports for loudspeaker casings · CPC title

• C09K5/063

  Materials absorbing or liberating heat during crystallisation; Heat storage materials · CPC title

• H04R1/1008

  Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type · CPC title

• H04R5/0335

  Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests (for monophonic headphones H04R1/105) · CPC title

• H04R2201/105

  Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components · CPC title