Audio device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11849271-B2
Application number	US-202117538597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2021
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

An audio device with a body configured to be worn on or abutting an outer ear of a user, wherein the body is configured to contact at least one of the outer ear and the portion of the head that abuts the outer ear, at two separate spaced contact locations, and wherein the body is compliant at a body portion that defines one of the contact locations. The device also has an acoustic module carried by the body and configured to locate a sound-emitting opening anteriorly of and proximate the user's ear canal opening when the body is worn on or abutting the ear of the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An audio device, comprising:
a body configured to be worn on or abutting an outer ear of a user, wherein the body is shaped to generally follow the ear root at the intersection of the back of the outer ear and the head, wherein the ear root extends from an upper end at the otobasion superius to a lower end at the otobasion inferius, and wherein the body is configured to contact at least one of the back of the outer ear and the portion of the head that abuts the back of the outer ear at two separate spaced contact locations that are substantially diametrically opposed, wherein a first contact location is proximate the otobasion superius and a second contact location is proximate a lower part of the ear; and
an acoustic module comprising a sound emitting opening, wherein the acoustic module is carried by the body such that the acoustic module is configured to be located proximate but not in the user's ear canal opening when the body is worn on or abutting the outer ear of the user.

2. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the body is further configured to contact at least one of the back of the outer ear and the portion of the head that abuts the back of the outer ear at a third contact location that is proximate the first contact location.

3. The audio device of claim 2 , wherein the first and third contact locations are on opposite sides of the ear root ridge proximate the upper portion of the helix.

4. The audio device of claim 2 , wherein the body is compliant at body portions that define at least one of the first, second and third contact locations.

5. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the body is compliant at body portions that define at least one of the first and second contact locations.

6. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the body extends generally along an arc that extends for at least 180 degrees.

7. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the body has an out of plane curvature along its extent.

8. The audio device of claim 7 , wherein the out of plane curvature is constructed and arranged such that the body portion that defines the first contact location is laterally offset from the body portion that defines the second contact location.

9. The audio device of claim 8 , wherein the body portion that defines the first contact location is configured to be lateral to the body portion that defines the second contact location.

10. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the body portion that defines the second contact location comprises a housing that carries electronics and power.

11. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the body portion that defines the second contact location is more rigid than is the body portion that defines the first contact location.

12. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic module is configured to be located at least in part superior to the ear canal opening.

13. The audio device of claim 1 , wherein the body comprises a battery housing that defines the second contact location and a connecting portion that is connected to both the battery housing and the acoustic module.

14. The audio device of claim 13 , wherein the connecting portion is non-planar, such that the location where the connecting portion connects to the acoustic module is offset from the location where the connecting portion connects to the battery housing.

15. The audio device of claim 14 , wherein the location where the connecting portion connects to the acoustic module is lateral to the location where the connecting portion connects to the battery housing.

16. The audio device of claim 13 , wherein the connecting portion is thinner than the acoustic module and the battery housing.

17. The audio device of claim 13 , wherein the connecting portion is compliant.

18. An audio device, comprising:
a body configured to be worn on or abutting an outer ear of a user, wherein the body has an out of plane curvature along its extent and is shaped to generally follow the ear root at the intersection of the back of the outer ear and the head, wherein the ear root extends from an upper end at the otobasion superius to a lower end at the otobasion inferius, and wherein the body is configured to contact at least one of the back of the outer ear and the portion of the head that abuts the back of the outer ear at two separate spaced contact locations that are substantially diametrically opposed, wherein a first contact location is proximate the otobasion superius and a second contact location is proximate a lower part of the ear, wherein the body portion that defines the second contact location is more rigid than is the body portion that defines the first contact location, and wherein the body comprises a battery housing that defines the second contact location and a connecting portion that is connected to the battery housing; and
an acoustic module comprising a sound emitting opening, wherein the acoustic module is connected to the connecting portion such that the acoustic module is configured to be located proximate but not in the user's ear canal opening when the body is worn on or abutting the outer ear of the user;
wherein the connecting portion is further connected to the acoustic module.

19. The audio device of claim 18 , wherein the connecting portion is non-planar, such that the location where the connecting portion connects to the acoustic module is lateral to the location where the connecting portion connects to the battery housing.

20. The audio device of claim 18 , wherein the connecting portion is compliant and is thinner than the acoustic module and the battery housing.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Dominijanni Andrew D
• Jeffery Nathan A
• Beverly David
• Liu Yang
• Pare Christopher
• Bender Paul
• Wallace Eric M
• Chute George

Classifications

• H04R1/1008 Primary

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

• H04R1/105 Primary

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

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title