Earpiece passive noise attenuating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12389151-B2
Application number	US-202318390028-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 20, 2023
Priority date	Jul 28, 2011
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

An earpiece with structure for positioning and retaining the earpiece and with structure for sealing against the entrance to the ear canal to provide passive noise attenuation. The positioning and retaining structure engages features of the lateral surface of the ear. The structure for sealing against the entrance to the ear canal includes a conical structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ear tip for an earpiece, comprising:
a body configured to fit within the concha of a wearer's ear;
an outlet extending towards the ear canal of the wearer's ear when the ear tip is placed in the wearer's ear;
a sealing structure at an end of the outlet; and
a retaining structure coupled to the body and having a first portion configured to engage the antihelix of the wearer's ear, and a second, different portion configured to engage the antitragus of the wearers ear;
wherein, when the ear tip is placed in the wearer's ear, the retaining structure applies a pressure to the antihelix of the wearer's ear and the antitragus of the wearer's ear to orient the sealing structure so that the sealing structure is positioned at the entrance of the ear canal.

2. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein, when the ear tip is placed in the wearer's ear, the first portion of the retaining structure is positioned underneath at least part of the antihelix of the wearer's ear, or the second portion of the retaining structure is positioned underneath at least part of the antitragus of the wearer's ear.

3. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein clockwise rotation of the ear tip within the wearer's ear causes the retaining structure to engage at least one of the antihelix of the wearer's ear or the antitragus of the wearer's ear.

4. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the retaining structure is shaped to generally follow the antihelix of the wearer's ear, and wherein the second portion of the retaining structure is shaped to generally follow the antitragus of the wearer's ear.

5. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein, when the ear tip is placed in the wearer's ear, the sealing structure forms a substantial seal with the flesh of the entrance of the ear canal of the wearer's ear.

6. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein:
the body comprises a generally planar surface that rests against at least a portion of the concha;
the outlet extends from the body at a non-right angle relative to a generally planar surface of the body; and
the sealing structure extends from the end of the outlet such that a central axis of the sealing structure is substantially the same non-right angle relative to the generally planar surface of the body of the outlet.

7. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein, when the ear tip is placed in the wearer's ear, the body prevents the outlet and the sealing structure from contacting the ear canal beyond the entrance.

8. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein the sealing structure seals the entrance to the ear canal by conforming to the entrance to the ear canal when pressed towards the ear canal.

9. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein:
the sealing structure has a frusto-conical shape having a narrow end and a wide end;
the sealing structure is joined to the outlet at the narrow end of the frusto-conical shape; and
the wide end of the frusto-conical shape is larger than a typical ear canal is wide.

10. The ear tip of claim 9 , wherein the sealing structure is shaped to taper substantially linearly from the wide end to the narrow end.

11. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein the sealing structure comprises a thin layer of material that at least partially surrounds the outlet.

12. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein:
the body is coupled to an acoustic driver of the earpiece; and
the outlet comprises an acoustic passage that (i) comprises an opening for receiving sound waves from the acoustic driver, and (ii) conducts the sound waves to the ear canal of the wearer's ear.

13. The ear tip of claim 1 , wherein the retaining structure comprises a material having a lower hardness than a material of the outlet.

14. An earpiece, comprising:
a body configured to fit within the concha of a wearer's ear;
an outlet extending towards the ear canal of the wearer's ear when the earpiece is placed in the wearer's ear;
a sealing structure extending from an end of the outlet; and
a retaining structure coupled to the body and having a first portion configured to engage the antihelix of the wearer's ear, and a second, different portion configured to engage the antitragus of the wearers ear;
wherein, when the earpiece is placed in the wearer's ear, the retaining structure applies a pressure to the antihelix of the wearer's ear and the antitragus of the wearer's ear to orient the sealing structure so that the sealing structure is positioned at the entrance of the ear canal.

15. The earpiece of claim 14 , wherein, when the earpiece is placed in the wearer's ear, the first portion of the retaining structure is positioned underneath at least part of the antihelix of the wearer's ear, or the second portion of the retaining structure is positioned underneath at least part of the antitragus of the wearer's ear.

16. The earpiece of claim 14 , wherein clockwise rotation of the earpiece within the wearer's ear causes the retaining structure to engage at least one of the antihelix of the wearer's ear or the antitragus of the wearer's ear.

17. The earpiece of claim 14 , wherein the first portion of the retaining structure is shaped to generally follow the antihelix of the wearer's ear, and wherein the second portion of the retaining structure is shaped to generally follow the antitragus of the wearer's ear.

18. The earpiece of claim 17 , wherein the sealing structure comprises a thin layer of material that at least partially surrounds the outlet.

19. The earpiece of claim 17 , wherein the body prevents the outlet and sealing structure from contacting the ear canal beyond the entrance of the ear canal.

20. The earpiece of claim 14 , wherein:
the sealing structure has a frusto-conical shape having a narrow end and a wide end;
the sealing structure is joined to the outlet at the narrow end of the frusto-conical shape; and
the wide end of the frusto-conical shape is larger than a typical ear canal is wide.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Monahan Michael J
• Silvestri Ryan C
• Wallace Eric M
• Annunziato Kevin P

Classifications

• H04R1/1058

  Manufacture or assembly · CPC title

• H04R1/1083

  Reduction of ambient noise (active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06) · CPC title

• H04R1/105

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

• A61F11/08

  internal, e.g. earplugs · CPC title

• H04R25/654

  Ear wax retarders · CPC title