Support structure for earpiece cushion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11736847-B2
Application number	US-202217894055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2022
Priority date	Sep 16, 2020
Publication date	Aug 22, 2023
Grant date	Aug 22, 2023

Abstract

This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that enhance user comfort and improve user control of the headphones are discussed. Various sensor configurations and electronic component positions are also discussed. User convenience features that include detachable cushions and automatically detecting the donning and doffing of headphones are also discussed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An earpiece suitable for use with over-ear headphones, the earpiece comprising:
an earpiece housing including one or more walls that define an interior volume having a central region surrounded by an annular region, wherein the one or more walls include a cover disposed over the central region and having one or more apertures formed there through;
an annular earpiece cushion surrounding the one or more apertures and coupled to the earpiece housing;
an acoustic driver disposed within the interior volume and aligned to emit sound through the one or more apertures formed in the cover, the earpiece having a front volume formed between the acoustic driver and the annular earpiece cushion;
a pressure relief aperture formed through a portion of the one or more walls that defines the annular region of the interior volume;
a frame disposed within the interior volume and coupling the acoustic driver to the earpiece housing; and
a plurality of fasteners that couple the acoustic driver to the frame, the plurality of fasteners including at least one hollow fastener having a bore formed through its length; and
an acoustic channel extending through the bore formed in the hollow fastener to acoustically couple the front volume with the pressure relief aperture.

2. The earpiece set forth in claim 1 wherein the one or more walls of the earpiece housing comprise a primary wall and the cover is coupled to and cooperates with the primary wall to define the interior volume.

3. The earpiece set forth in claim 2 wherein the annular region is an annular bulbous region defined by the primary wall.

4. The earpiece set forth in claim 3 wherein the annular bulbous region extends 360 degrees around the central region.

5. The earpiece set forth in claim 1 wherein the housing is made from a rigid structure.

6. The earpiece set forth in claim 2 wherein the cover is made from a plastic and the primary wall is made from aluminum.

7. The earpiece set forth in claim 1 wherein the annular earpiece cushion forms a portion of a boundary of the front volume when the earpiece is part of a headphone worn by a user.

8. The earpiece set forth in claim 7 wherein a back volume of the earpiece is formed between a back surface of the acoustic driver and the earpiece housing.

9. The earpiece set forth in claim 1 wherein the annular earpiece cushion is part of an earpiece cushion assembly that is coupled to the earpiece housing to cooperatively define a cavity sized to accommodate an ear of a user, the earpiece cushion assembly comprising the annular earpiece cushion and an annular support structure disposed between the annular earpiece cushion and the earpiece housing.

10. The earpiece set forth in claim 1 wherein the cover includes a plurality of apertures formed therethrough.

11. The earpiece set forth in claim 1 further comprising a main logic board having audio processing circuitry and wireless circuitry mounted thereon.

12. An earpiece suitable for use with over-ear headphones, the earpiece comprising:
an earpiece housing having a back wall and a cover piece having one or more apertures formed therethrough, the back wall and cover piece cooperating to define an interior volume having a central region surrounded by an annular bulbous region, wherein the back wall at least partially defines a rear surface of the earpiece and the cover piece is disposed over the central region in a spaced apart relationship with a portion the back wall and wherein the cover piece includes a plurality of apertures formed therethrough;
a frame disposed within the interior volume and coupled to the earpiece housing;
an acoustic driver disposed within the interior volume and aligned to emit sound through the plurality of apertures formed through the cover piece;
a plurality of fasteners that couple the acoustic driver to the frame, the plurality of fasteners including at least one hollow fastener having a bore formed through a length of the fastener;
an annular earpiece cushion coupled to the earpiece housing and encircling the central region to define a front volume of the acoustic driver between the acoustic driver and the annular earpiece cushion;
an aperture formed through an exterior surface of the earpiece housing; and
an acoustic channel extending through the bore formed in the hollow fastener fluidly coupling the front volume to the aperture to allow pressure built up within the front volume to be relieved.

13. The earpiece set forth in claim 12 wherein the annular earpiece cushion is part of an earpiece cushion assembly that is coupled to the earpiece housing to cooperatively define a cavity sized to accommodate an ear of a user, the earpiece cushion assembly comprising the annular earpiece cushion and an annular support structure disposed between the annular earpiece cushion and the earpiece housing.

14. The earpiece set forth in claim 12 wherein the annular bulbous region extends 360 degrees around the central region.

15. The earpiece set forth in claim 12 wherein the housing is made from a rigid structure.

16. The earpiece set forth in claim 12 wherein the cover is made from a plastic and the back wall is made from aluminum.

17. Headphones comprising:
a headband having first and second opposing ends;
a first earpiece coupled to the first end of the headband; and
a second earpiece coupled to the second end of the headband;
wherein each of the first and second earpieces comprises:
an earpiece housing having a back wall and a cover piece having one or more apertures formed therethrough, the back wall and cover piece cooperating to define an interior volume having a central region surrounded by an annular bulbous region, wherein the back wall at least partially defines a rear surface of the earpiece and the cover piece is disposed over the central region in a spaced apart relationship with a portion the back wall and wherein the cover piece includes a plurality of apertures formed therethrough;
a frame disposed within the interior volume and coupled to the earpiece housing;
an acoustic driver disposed within the interior volume and aligned to emit sound through the plurality of apertures formed through the cover piece;
a plurality of fasteners that couple the acoustic driver to the frame, the plurality of fasteners including at least one hollow fastener having a bore formed through a length of the fastener;
an annular earpiece cushion coupled to the earpiece housing and encircling the central region to define a front volume of the acoustic driver between the acoustic driver and the annular earpiece cushion;
an aperture formed through an exterior surface of the earpiece housing; and
an acoustic channel extending through the bore formed in the hollow fastener fluidly coupling the front volume to the aperture to allow pressure built up within the front volume to be relieved.

18. The headphones set forth in claim 17 wherein the annular bulbous region of each of the first and second earpieces extends 360 degrees around the central region of the respective earpiece.

19. The headphones set forth in claim 17 , for each of the first and second earpieces, wherein the housing is made from a rigid structure.

20. The headphones set forth in claim 17 wherein, for each of the first and second earpieces, the cover is made from a plastic and the primary wall is made from aluminum.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Hatfield Dustin A
• Minerbi Michael B
• Whang Eugene Antony
• Shaffer Benjamin A
• Siahaan Edward
• Bloom Daniel R

Classifications

• H04R1/1008 Primary

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

• H04R1/105

  Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks (for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• H04R1/1066

  Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335) · CPC title

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title

• H04R5/0335

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