Back to results
US 8,553,923 B2Granted
Earphone having an articulated acoustic tube
AssigneeApple Inc.
InventorsVictor M. Tiscareno, Michael B. Hailey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An in-ear earphone has a housing in which a driver is located. An articulated acoustic tube is coupled to the housing at its near end portion. The acoustic tube has an open far end portion that is to be inserted into an ear. A hinge or pivot mechanism is formed in the tube, between the near and far end portions. An acoustic aperture formed within the mechanism acoustically couples sound pressure waves, generated by the driver, to the far end portion of the acoustic tube. Other embodiments are also described.
Claims19
An in-ear earphone comprising:
- a housing;
- a driver located in the housing to receive an externally generated audio signal;
- and
- an articulated acoustic tube having a near end portion, with a near end opening therein and a far end portion with a far end opening therein, the articulated acoustic tube coupled to the housing at its near end portion and configured to be inserted into an ear at its far end portion, the far end opening being acoustically coupled to the near end opening through an articulated region in the acoustic tube.
1 more element
An in-ear earphone comprising:
- means for converting an incoming, externally generated electrical signal to the earphone, into sound pressure waves;
- means for containing the converting means;
- first means aimed in a first direction for guiding the sound pressure waves;
- second means aimed in a second direction for guiding the sound pressure waves;
- and
- means for a) acoustically coupling the first and second guiding means and b) changing an angle between the first and second directions.
3 more elements
A system comprising:
- a portable digital media playback device having a headphone output port;
- and
- an in-ear earphone having a housing, a driver located in the housing to receive an electrical audio signal from the headphone output, an articulated acoustic tube having a near end open portion and a far end open portion, the near end open portion and the far end open portion forming open ends of the articulated acoustic tube, the articulated acoustic tube coupled to the housing at the near end open portion, the far end open portion being acoustically coupled to the near end open portion through the articulated acoustic tube, and wherein the far end open portion is movable with respect to the near end portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.