Earphone having a controlled acoustic leak port

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016150309-A1
Application number	US-201514951028-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 24, 2015
Priority date	Jun 20, 2012
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An earphone comprising an earphone housing having a wall comprising (1) a front side that joins (2) an end portion in which a primary sound output opening is formed, which joins (3) a face portion in which a secondary output opening is formed, which joins (4) a back side which joins the front side and encloses a driver, wherein the face portion and the front side form a tapered portion of the earphone housing that is dimensioned to be inserted into, and contact, an ear of a wearer, wherein the primary output opening is dimensioned to output sound generated by a diaphragm of the driver contained within the earphone housing into the ear, the secondary output opening is dimensioned to vent the ear to a surrounding environment, and wherein the primary output opening and the secondary output opening face different directions and are positioned over a sound output face of the driver.

First claim

1 . An earphone comprising:
an earphone housing having a wall comprising (1) a front side that joins (2) an end portion in which a primary sound output opening is formed, which joins (3) a face portion in which a secondary output opening is formed, which joins (4) a back side which joins the front side and encloses a driver, wherein the primary output opening is dimensioned to output sound generated by a diaphragm of the driver contained within the earphone housing into the ear and the secondary output opening is dimensioned to vent the ear to a surrounding environment, and wherein the primary output opening and the secondary output opening face different directions.

2 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the back side is positioned within a concha of the ear when the tapered portion is inserted into the ear.

3 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the secondary output opening is calibrated to tune an acoustic response of the earphone.

4 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the secondary output opening is calibrated to modify a sound pressure level at around 6 kHz.

5 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the secondary output opening has a surface area of from 3 mm 2 to 12 mm 2 .

6 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the secondary output opening has an elongated shape that extends outward from the ear when the end portion is positioned in the ear.

7 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the earphone housing further comprises a tube portion that joins the front side and the back side, wherein the secondary output opening has an elongated shape that is oriented in a substantially horizontal direction when the tube portion of the earphone housing is positioned vertically downward.

8 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the secondary output opening is dimensioned to provide consistency in an acoustic performance of the earphone when worn by different users.

9 . The earphone of claim 1 further comprising an acoustic material positioned over the secondary output opening to tune an acoustic response of the earphone.

10 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the face portion and the front side form a tapered portion of the earphone housing that is dimensioned to be inserted into, and contact, an ear of a wearer, and the tapered portion is formed of a non-compliant material.

11 . The earphone of claim 1 wherein the earphone housing does not have a rubber tip.

12 . An earphone comprising:
an earphone housing having an end portion, a face portion, a back side and a front side that are joined together in that order to surround a driver that is positioned within the earphone housing, wherein the end portion of the earphone housing is dimensioned to be inserted into an ear of a wearer and comprises a primary output opening to output sound from the front side of the driver into the ear and the face portion comprises a secondary output opening that vents the ear to a surrounding environment, and wherein an angle formed at an intersection, within the earphone housing, of a first axis through a center of the primary output opening and a second axis through a center of the secondary output opening is less than 90 degrees.

13 . The earphone of claim 12 wherein the secondary output opening modifies a sound pressure frequency response of the primary output opening.

14 . The earphone of claim 12 wherein the secondary output opening has a surface area of from 3 mm 2 to 12 mm 2 .

15 . The earphone of claim 12 wherein the end portion and the face portion form a first chamber with a front side of the driver, and the front side and the back side of the earphone housing form a second chamber with a rear side of the driver.

16 . The earphone of claim 12 wherein the earphone housing further comprises a tube portion having a longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis.

17 . An earphone housing comprising:
an earphone housing wall comprising (1) a front side that joins (2) an end portion in which a primary output opening is formed, which joins (3) a face portion in which a secondary output opening is formed, which joins (4) a back side which joins the front side and encloses a driver, wherein portions of the face portion, the end portion and the front side are dimensioned to be inserted into and contact an ear of a wearer.

18 . The earphone housing of claim 17 wherein the face portion and the front side form a tapered portion that tapers from the back side to the end portion and, the tapered portion is one integrally formed structure.

19 . The earphone housing of claim 17 wherein an angle formed at an intersection between a first axis through a center of the primary output opening and a second axis through a center of the secondary output opening is less than 90 degrees.

20 . The earphone housing of claim 17 wherein the primary output opening and the secondary output opening are horizontally aligned with one another when a tube portion extending from a body portion is positioned vertically downward.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Howes Michael B
• Azmi Yacine
• Porter Scott P
• Aase Jonathan S
• Bright Andrew P
• Wilk Christopher R

Classifications

• H04R1/2849 Primary

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/1016 Primary

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R1/023

  Screens for loudspeakers · CPC title

• H04R1/2826

  for loudspeaker transducers · CPC title

• H04R1/1058 Primary

  Manufacture or assembly · CPC title