Ergonomic spacer for head-mounted wearable device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10747026-B1
Application number	US-201715472000-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2017
Priority date	Mar 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A head-mounted wearable device (HMWD) may be fashioned that includes temples that pass near each ear of the user. To accommodate different head shapes and sizes, a head contact piece may be mounted to the temple. Head contact pieces with different profiles may be used to improve user comfort, aid in retaining the HMWD on the user's head, improve performance of output devices such as bone conduction speakers, and so forth.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A head-mounted wearable device comprising:
a front frame;
a temple connected to the front frame, wherein the temple has a surface;
a first recess in the surface of the temple;
a bone conduction speaker that includes a first portion emplaced within the first recess and a second portion that protrudes past the surface of the temple;
a head contact piece comprising:
a first end that is closest to the front frame, wherein the first end has a first thickness;
a second end that is distal to the first end, wherein the second end has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness;
an interior side comprising a planar surface between the first end and the second end; and
an exterior side proximate to the temple, the exterior side including a second recess that has one or more sidewalls, wherein the second recess accepts the second portion of the bone conduction speaker.

2. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the head contact piece comprises an elastomer and one or more ferromagnetic materials.

3. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the interior side of the head contact piece comprises one or more of a textured surface or surface features protruding from the interior side.

4. A head-mounted wearable device comprising:
a front frame;
a temple connected to the front frame;
a first recess in the temple;
a bone conduction speaker that includes a first portion emplaced within the first recess and a second portion that protrudes past a surface of the temple;
a head contact piece comprising:
a body that is configured to come in contact with at least a portion of a head of a user while the head-mounted wearable device is in a position for use, wherein the body comprises:
a first position that is closest to the front frame, wherein the first position has a first thickness;
a second position that is distal to the first position, wherein the second position has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness;
an interior side; and
an exterior side proximate to the temple, the exterior side including a second recess that has one or more sidewalls, wherein the second recess accepts the second portion of the bone conduction speaker.

5. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the interior side of the head contact piece comprises a planar surface between the first position and the second position.

6. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the head contact piece further comprises:
a third position that is located at a midpoint along a length of the head contact piece between the first position and the second position.

7. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 6 , wherein the head contact piece further comprises:
a third thickness proximate to the third position along the length of the head contact piece; and
a fourth thickness proximate to a fourth position along the length of the head contact piece, wherein the fourth position is distal to the third position.

8. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the head contact piece comprises an elastomer and one or more ferromagnetic materials.

9. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the head contact piece has a length of between 35 millimeters (mm) and 50 mm and a width of between 3 mm and 6 mm.

10. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the head contact piece comprises an elastomer exhibiting a Shore hardness of 60A.

11. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 4 , wherein the interior side of the head contact piece comprises one or more of a textured surface or surface features protruding from the interior side.

12. A head-mounted wearable device comprising:
a front frame;
a temple connected to the front frame;
a bone conduction speaker having a first portion that protrudes from a surface of the temple;
a head contact piece comprising:
a body for coming into contact with at least a portion of a head of a user while the head-mounted wearable device is in a position for use, wherein the body comprises:
a first position closest to the front frame, wherein the first position has a first thickness;
a second position distal to the first position, wherein the second position has a second thickness that is less than the first thickness;
an interior side; and
an exterior side proximate to the temple, the exterior side including a recess that has one or more sidewalls, wherein the recess accepts the first portion of the bone conduction speaker.

13. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the interior side comprises one or more of a textured surface or surface features protruding from the interior side.

14. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the head contact piece further comprises a third thickness at a midpoint along a length between the first position and the second position, wherein the third thickness is greater than the first thickness and the second thickness.

15. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 14 , wherein the midpoint of the head contact piece is proximate to a portion of the bone conduction speaker that exhibits maximum displacement during operation.

16. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 12 , wherein the exterior side of the head contact piece comprises a planar surface and the interior side is arcuate.

17. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 1 , further comprising:
one or more magnets arranged within the head contact piece.

18. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 1 , wherein the second recess includes at least one registration feature.

19. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 18 , the at least one registration feature comprising one or more of:
a specified shape of at least a portion of the second recess;
a protrusion extending into the second recess; or
a cavity extending away from the second recess and into the interior side of the head contact piece.

20. The head-mounted wearable device of claim 12 , further comprising one or more mechanical engagement features configured to join the head contact piece to the bone conduction speaker.

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Han
• Xu Zhen
• Zhong Xuan
• Kim Eliot
• Hsu Chung-Ling
• Dong Jianchun
• Yang Jung Sik

Classifications

• G02C11/10 Primary

  Electronic devices other than hearing aids · CPC title

• G02C11/06

  Hearing aids (construction of electric hearing aids H04R25/00) · CPC title

• H04R5/0335

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

• H04R1/028 Primary

  associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title