# US 12,593,162 B2 · Earbud housing apparatus and method of manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,593,162 B2 - Document ID: US12593162B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/135,988 - Filed: 2023-04-18 - Published: 2024-10-24 - Granted: 2026-03-31 - Earliest claimed: 2023-04-18 - Applicants: William Struckman; Michael Vinson Edwards - Inventors: William Struckman; Michael Vinson Edwards - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12593162B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/1058: {Manufacture or assembly} - H04R 1/1066: {Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support (earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335)} - H04R 1/1016: {Earpieces of the intra-aural type} - H04R 1/1075: {Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones} - H04R 2201/105: Manufacture of mono- or stereophonic headphone components - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract An earbud housing apparatus and method of manufacture for entirely encapsulating a speaker assembly within a single unit earbud housing. A plurality of flanges permanently fixed inside a multi-point inner ear lock create a hearing protection and sound adapter. The hearing protection and sound adapter is permanently fixed to the speaker assembly to form the complete earbud housing apparatus. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An earbud housing apparatus comprising: a single unit earbud housing; a speaker assembly, the speaker assembly including a base plate, a speaker mounted to a first surface of the base plate and a locking socket coupled to a second surface of the base plate; the single unit earbud housing encapsulating the speaker assembly with the locking socket extending from a first side of the single unit earbud housing; and an inner ear lock coupled to the locking socket. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The earbud housing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the speaker assembly includes a cable attached to the speaker, a cable guard extending around at least a portion of the cable, wherein a portion of the cable guard is encapsulated by the single unit earbud housing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The earbud housing apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display platform extending from a second side of the single unit earbud housing, the display platform configured to receive indicia. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The earbud housing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the display platform is a round extrusion. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The earbud housing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base plate has a disc shape and the locking socket is a hollow tube. ### Claim 6 An earbud housing apparatus comprising: an earbud housing, a tip of the earbud housing is angled from a top portion at an angle in a range of about 30 degrees to about 45 degrees; a speaker assembly, the speaker assembly including a base plate, a speaker mounted to a first surface of the base plate and a locking socket coupled to a second surface of the base plate; the earbud housing encapsulates the speaker assembly with the locking socket extending from a first side of the earbud housing; and an inner ear lock coupled to the locking socket. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The earbud housing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inner ear lock comprises a sound protector ear piece including a plurality of flanges extending circumferentially from a first coupler, the first coupler being attached to a multi-point inner ear mount, the multi- point inner ear mount including an upper portion configured in a shape of an upper ear portion and a lower portion configured in a shape of a lower ear portion, a second coupler extending from the sound protector ear piece, the second coupler being coupled to the locking socket. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The earbud housing apparatus of claim 1 wherein the single unit earbud housing is formed of one or more materials of rigid plastic, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and epoxy. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The earbud housing apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cable guard is formed of one or more materials of heat shrinkable tubing, polyolefin, polyolefin tubing or polyvinyl tubing. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The earbud apparatus of claim 7 wherein the sound protector ear piece and the multi-point inner ear mount are formed of a thermoplastic material. ### Claim 11 A method for manufacturing at least one earbud housing apparatus comprising the steps of: placing at least one speaker assembly in a respective at least one cavity of a bottom mold, the speaker assembly including a base plate, a speaker mounted to a first surface of the base plate and a locking socket coupled to a second surf ace of the base plate; encapsulating the at least one speaker assembly in the respective at least one cavity in a material to form the at least one earbud housing apparatus of an at least one earbud housing encapsulating the at least one speaker assembly, the locking socket being accessible from a first side of the earbud housing; and coupling an inner ear lock to the locking socket. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the step of encapsulating the speaker assembly comprises: placing a top mold over the bottom mold, the top mold having at least one cavities respectively corresponding to the at least one cavities of the bottom mold, to form at least one completed cavities between the bottom mold and the top mold; coupling the bottom mold to the top mold; and inserting a resin into the at least one completed cavities. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12 wherein the step of coupling the bottom mold to the top mold comprises the steps of: placing the bottom mold on a base plate, the base plate including a threaded bolt, the threaded bolt extending through an opening in the bottom mold and an opening in the top mold; and fastening the bottom mold to the top mold with using a fastener engaging the threaded bolt. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the speaker assembly includes a cable attached to the speaker, a cable guard extending around at least a portion of the cable, wherein a portion of the cable guard is encapsulated by the earbud housing apparatus. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein a display platform extends from a second side of the earbud housing apparatus, the display platform configured to receive indicia. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the base plate has a disc shape and the locking socket is a hollow tube. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11 wherein the inner ear lock comprises a sound protector ear piece including a plurality of flanges extending circumferentially from a first coupler, the first coupler being attached to a multi-point inner ear mount, the multi-point inner ear mount including an upper portion configured in a shape of an upper ear portion and a lower portion configured in a shape of a lower ear portion, a second coupler extending from the sound protector ear piece, the second coupler being coupled to the locking socket. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1 the step of encapsulating comprising using a resin formed of one or more materials of rigid plastic, polycarbonate, high density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene and epoxy. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14 wherein the cable guard is formed of one or more materials of heat shrinkable tubing, polyolefin, polyolefin tubing or polyvinyl tubing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17 wherein the sound protector ear piece and the multi-point inner ear mount are formed of a thermoplastic material.