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US 8,737,669 B2Granted
Earpiece passive noise attenuating
AssigneeBose Corporation
InventorsMichael Monahan, Ryan C. Silvestri, Eric M. Wallace, Kevin P. Annunziato
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An earpiece with structure for positioning and retaining the earpiece and with structure for sealing against the entrance to the ear canal to provide passive noise attenuation. The positioning and retaining structure engages features of the lateral surface of the ear. The structure for sealing against the entrance to the ear canal includes a conical structure.
Claims17
An in-ear earpiece comprising:
- an acoustic driver;
- and
- an eartip comprising, in a unitary structure:
- a cushion body shaped to rest in the concha of a user's ear to support the acoustic driver when the earpiece is positioned in the user's ear;
- an acoustic passage through the cushion body to conduct sound waves radiated by the acoustic driver to an ear canal of the user;
- a nozzle extending the acoustic passage from the cushion body and having an end near the entrance of the ear canal;
- a positioning and retaining structure to engage features of the lateral surface of the ear of the user to position the earpiece and to hold the earpiece in place without any structure external to the earpiece;
- and
- a substantially conical structure surrounding the nozzle and configured so that the smaller end of the conical structure is smaller than the entrance to the ear canal of the user and so that the larger end of the conical structure is larger than the entrance to the ear canal of the user,
- the conical structure comprising a thin, cone-shaped wall extending from the smaller end at the end of the nozzle to the larger end and open inside, separated from the nozzle, and formed of material that conforms to the entrance to the ear canal to seal the ear canal at an area of transition between the concha and ear canal, without contacting the inside of the ear canal beyond the area of transition;
- wherein the acoustic passage comprises a straight-line passage from the acoustic driver, through the cushion body and the nozzle, and aligned with the entrance of the ear canal, and
- the cushion body rests against the concha and prevents the nozzle and conical structure from being pressed into the ear canal beyond the entrance.
9 more elements
An eartip for an in-ear earpiece having an acoustic driver, comprising, in a unitary structure:
- a cushion body shaped to rest in the concha of a user's ear to support the acoustic driver when the earpiece is positioned in the user's ear;
- an acoustic passage through the cushion body to conduct sound waves radiated by the acoustic driver to an ear canal of the user;
- a nozzle extending the acoustic passage from the cushion body and having an end near the entrance of the ear canal;
- a positioning and retaining structure to engage features of the lateral surface of the ear of the user to position the earpiece and to hold the earpiece in place without any structure external to the earpiece;
- and
- a substantially conical structure surrounding the nozzle and configured so that the smaller end of the conical structure is smaller than the entrance to the ear canal of the user and so that the larger end of the conical structure is larger than the entrance to the ear canal of the user,
- the conical structure comprising a thin, cone-shaped wall extending from the smaller end at the end of the nozzle to the larger end and open inside, separated from the nozzle, and formed of material that conforms to the entrance to the ear canal to seal the ear canal at an area of transition between the concha and ear canal, without contacting the inside of the ear canal beyond the area of transition;
- wherein the acoustic passage comprises a straight-line passage from the acoustic driver, through the cushion body and the nozzle, and aligned with the entrance of the ear canal, and
- the cushion body rests against the concha and prevents the nozzle and conical structure from being pressed into the ear canal beyond the entrance.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.