Adjustable in-ear plug
AssigneeMicrosoft Technology Licensing, LLC
InventorsJason Lin, Kaitlyn M. Schoeck, Randal Joseph Kinser, Young S. Kim, Olli-Pekka Ahokas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Generic adjustable in-ear monitors (IEMs) may suffer from a limited range of resilient ear plugs that may not adequately fit each user, and the user may prefer different ear plugs for different purposes (e.g., the user's interest in secure fitment may be higher when exercising, while the user's interest in comfort may be higher when the user is relaxing). The presently disclosed technology is directed to IEMs that permit a user to adjust without removing and replacing an associated ear plug. Instead, the ear plug is adjustable by the user to achieve a desired fit and may be adjusted repeatedly for different desired fits and/or different users.
Claims19
An adjustable in-ear plug comprising:
- an adjustment mechanism including:
- a center post;
- an adjustment collar concentric with and screwed onto the center post;
- and
- an adjustment ring concentrically oriented around the center post, rotatable with reference to the center post, and fixed linearly along the center post;
- and
- a resilient membrane tip having a first end fixedly attached to the adjustment collar and a second end fixedly attached to the adjustment ring, the resilient membrane tip also concentric with the center post and covering a portion of the adjustment mechanism, wherein rotation of the adjustment ring, resilient membrane tip, and adjustment collar with reference to the center post pulls a center portion of the resilient membrane tip inward, thus changing an outside diameter of the resilient membrane tip.
A method of using an adjustable in-ear plug comprising:
- grasping in a user's first hand a main housing of the adjustable in-ear plug, the main housing in fixed relation to a center post;
- grasping in the user's second hand a resilient membrane tip of the adjustable in-ear plug, the resilient membrane tip having a first end fixedly attached to an adjustment collar concentric with and screwed onto the center post, the resilient membrane tip further having a second end fixedly attached to an adjustment ring, the adjustment ring concentrically oriented around the center post, rotatable with reference to the center post, and fixed linearly along the center post, the resilient membrane tip covering a portion of an adjustment mechanism that includes the center post rotatably attached to the adjustment collar;
- and
- rotating the resilient membrane tip with reference to the main housing, which in turn rotates the adjustment ring and the adjustment collar with reference to the center post thereby pulling a center portion of the resilient membrane tip inward, thus changing an outside diameter of the resilient membrane tip.
An adjustable in-ear monitor comprising:
- a sound tube having a threaded end;
- an adjustment collar having a threaded end, the adjustment collar concentric with the sound tube, and the threaded end of the adjustment collar screwed onto the threaded end of the sound tube;
- an adjustment ring concentrically oriented around the sound tube, rotatable with reference to the sound tube, and fixed linearly along the sound tube;
- and
- a resilient membrane tip having a first end fixedly attached to the adjustment collar and a second end fixedly attached to the adjustment ring, the resilient membrane tip also concentric with the sound tube and covering the adjustment collar,
- wherein rotation of the adjustment ring, resilient membrane tip, and adjustment collar with reference to the sound tube pulls a center portion of the resilient membrane tip inward, thus changing an outside diameter of the resilient membrane tip.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.