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AssigneeJabra Corporation
InventorsMedford Alan Dyer, Daniel Wayne Mauney, Thomas Henry Perszyk, Edward Daniel Springer
Estimating the term…
An earmold, including retention flaps to more securely hold an audio device coupled to the earmold, is provided. In some embodiments, the audio device includes both a microphone and a speaker while in other embodiments the audio device is a speaker associated with a portable audio system.
An earmold for holding an audio device near a user's ear, the user's ear comprising an ear canal and an outer ear, the earmold comprising:
An earmold for holding an audio device near a user's ear, the user's ear comprising an ear canal and an outer ear, the earmold comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Protective devices for the ears: internal, e.g. earplugs
Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones: earpieces of the intra-aural type
Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture: ear tips; Ear moulds
Additional features; Implant or prostheses properties not otherwise provided for: identification means; Administration of patients
Term end not estimated
The present invention relates to the field of devices used to hold audio devices at the opening of a user's ear.
Various types of earmolds are manufactured in the prior art, primarily for use with hearing aids, communication devices and portable audio systems. Most existing earmolds rely on a deep and tight insertion into the ear canal for providing stability of the device in the ear. This type of deep and tight insertion tends to cause painful rubbing of the insert against the ear canal and also can have the effect of sealing the ear canal. As a result, the user experiences irritation and discomfort, particularly after many consecutive hours or days of use. Sealing the ear canal has dangerous implications to the wearer. It will also affect a person's ability to hear ambient sound by reducing the intensity of the sound. It will alter a person's ability to localize sound, particularly in the high frequencies where interaural sound pressure differences are the primary cue for localization.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,659,156 (“the '156 patent”) solves most of the foregoing problems of such prior art devices. However, the earmolds disclosed in the '156 patent sometimes come loose from the speaker, communication device, hearing aid, etc. (referred to herein as an “audio device”) to which they are coupled.
FIG. 1 depicts one preferred embodiment of a left earmold of the present invention installed in a human ear.
FIG. 2 depicts one preferred embodiment of a left earmold of the present invention installed in a human ear.
FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of a left earmold of the present invention.
FIG. 1 shows one preferred embodiment of left earmold 101 inserted at the opening of a human ear. Left earmold 101 is disposed within concha 108, which is the largest cavity in the outer ear, and between tragus 110 and antitragus 115. Helix 120 begins at crus 125 and wraps around most of the outer ear.
Left earmold 101 is held in place in the ear, at least in part, by first protrusion 103. Left earmold 101 includes receptacle or cavity 104 to accommodate at least a portion of an audio device.
Optional vent or notch 105 prevents a pneumatic seal from forming in the ear canal. Vent 105 also accommodates the transmission of sound into the ear canal from the user's surroundings.