Seamless earbud structures and methods for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016142807-A1
Application number	US-201615006046-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 15, 2011
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Seamless earbud structures and methods for making the same are disclosed. Seamless earbud structures can be constructed using an insert molding construction method, which overmolds a cosmetic material over two sub-enclosures that are mated together. The two sub-enclosures form a housing that can encompass a driver assembly (e.g., woofer and tweeter), a conductor bundle, and provide one or more acoustic volumes. The housing has a non-occluding member and a neck member, and has a seamless or nearly seamless construction. The cosmetic material is insert molded around the housing to provide a smooth and seamless surface disposed around the periphery of the housing.

First claim

1 - 27 . (canceled)

28 . Apparatus comprising:
a housing providing a port member and a neck member extending away from the port member in a first direction; the port member comprises a port operative to direct sound out from the port member in a second direction; and the first direction and the second direction are skew.

29 . The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein:
the housing comprises a first sub-enclosure coupled to a second sub-enclosure; the apparatus further comprises a component covering at least a portion of the housing; and the at least a portion of the housing comprises at least a portion of a junction between the coupled first and second sub-enclosures of the housing.

30 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the at least a portion of the housing further comprises at least a portion of the port member.

31 . The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the at least a portion of the housing further comprises at least a portion of the neck member.

32 . The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the at least a portion of the housing further comprises at least a portion of the neck member.

33 . The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the port member is a non-occluding member.

34 . The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein a first line extending along the first direction does not intersect a second line extending along the second direction.

35 . The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the first line is not parallel to the second line.

36 . An earbud comprising:
a housing providing a port member and a neck member extending away from the port member in a first direction, wherein:
the port member comprises a port provided through the port member in a second direction and operative to direct sound out from the port member; and
a first line comprising the first direction does not intersect a second line comprising the second direction.

37 . The earbud of claim 36 , wherein the first line is not parallel to the second line.

38 . The earbud of claim 36 , wherein:
the housing comprises a first sub-enclosure coupled to a second sub-enclosure; the earbud further comprises a component covering at least a portion of the housing; and the at least a portion of the housing comprises at least a portion of a junction between the coupled first and second sub-enclosures of the housing.

39 . The earbud of claim 38 , wherein the at least a portion of the housing further comprises at least a portion of the port member.

40 . An earbud comprising:
a port member defining at least a portion of a volume of a housing; and a driver assembly positioned within the volume of the housing, wherein:
the port member comprises a port;
the driver assembly is operative to direct sound through the port;
a first periphery of the port member in the largest cross-section of the port member surrounds a portion of the driver assembly; and
a second periphery of the port member in the smallest cross-section of the port member comprises the port.

41 . The earbud of claim 40 , wherein the largest cross-section of the port member is parallel to the smallest cross-section of the port member.

42 . The earbud of claim 40 , wherein:
the port is provided through the port member in a first direction; and a first line comprising the first direction is perpendicular to the largest cross-section of the port member.

43 . The earbud of claim 42 , wherein the first line is perpendicular to the smallest cross-section of the port member.

44 . The earbud of claim 40 , wherein:
the port is operative to direct the sound out from the housing in a first direction; and a first line comprising the first direction is perpendicular to the largest cross-section of the port member.

45 . The earbud of claim 44 , wherein the first line is perpendicular to the smallest cross-section of the port member.

46 . The earbud of claim 40 , wherein:
a first line extends through the center of the largest cross-section of the port member; the first line is perpendicular to the largest cross-section of the port member; a second line extends through the center of the smallest cross-section of the port member; the second line is perpendicular to the smallest cross-section of the port member; and the first line is parallel to the second line.

47 . The earbud of claim 40 , wherein:
the housing provides a port member and a neck member extending away from the port member in a first direction; the port is provided through the port member in a second direction; and a first line comprising the first direction does not intersect a second line comprising the second direction.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Aase Jonathan S

Classifications

• 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

• Y10T29/49176

  with molding of electrically insulating material · CPC title

• H04R2460/11

  Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion · CPC title

• H04R1/1016 Primary

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R2460/09

  Non-occlusive ear tips, i.e. leaving the ear canal open, for both custom and non-custom tips (H04R2460/11 takes precedence) · CPC title