In-ear earpiece and expansion adaptor
View Patent ↗There is provided an in-ear earphone having a housing for receiving an electroacoustic transducer and an expansion adaptor unit which is coupled to the housing of the in-ear earphone. The expansion adaptor unit has an expansion unit with an upper portion having a curvature for fitting into a crus inferius anthelicis, an anti-helix and/or a concha of an ear of a user. The expansion adaptor unit further has at least one coupling element for coupling the upper portion to the housing of the in-ear earphone, wherein the expansion unit has at least two flexible legs as coupling elements, wherein one leg is coupled to a first end of the upper portion and a second leg is coupled to a second end of the upper portion.
1. An in-ear earphone, comprising:
a housing;
an electroacoustic transducer disposed within the housing; and
an expansion unit having an upper portion and at least three coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the housing, the upper portion having a substantially convex curvature for bearing against a crus inferius anthelicis when the in-ear earphone is secured to an ear of a user, a first coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the housing toward the upper portion in a substantially convex shape, a second coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the housing toward the upper portion in a substantially concave shape, the second coupling element and the upper portion tapering together at distal ends to join at a peak, and a third coupling element of the at least three coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
2. The in-ear earphone of claim 1 wherein the peak has a rounded shape that provides a transition between the substantially convex curvature of the upper portion and the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element.
3. The in-ear earphone of claim 1 wherein the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element has a local minimum near a midpoint between the peak and the housing.
4. The in-ear earphone of claim 1 wherein the expansion unit has at least four coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the housing, a third coupling element of the at least four coupling elements and a fourth coupling element of the at least four coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
5. The in-ear earphone of claim 1 wherein the second coupling element joins the upper portion at the peak to form a shark fin shape with the peak corresponding to a tip of the shark fin shape.
6. An in-ear earphone, comprising:
a housing;
an electroacoustic transducer disposed within the housing; and
an expansion unit having an upper portion and at least three coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the housing, the upper portion having a substantially convex curvature for bearing against a crus inferius anthelicis when the in-ear earphone is secured to an ear of a user, a first coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the housing toward the upper portion in a substantially convex shape, a second coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the housing toward the upper portion in a substantially concave shape, the second coupling element and the upper portion joining at an acute angle to form a peak, and a third coupling element of the at least three coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
7. The in-ear earphone of claim 6 wherein the peak has a rounded shape that provides a transition between the substantially convex curvature of the upper portion and the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element.
8. The in-ear earphone of claim 6 wherein the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element has a local minimum near a midpoint between the peak and the housing.
9. The in-ear earphone of claim 6 wherein the expansion unit has at least four coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the housing, a third coupling element of the at least four coupling elements and a fourth coupling element of the at least four coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
10. The in-ear earphone of claim 6 wherein the second coupling element joins the upper portion at the peak to form a shark fin shape with the peak corresponding to a tip of the shark fin shape.
11. An expansion adaptor for an in-ear earphone, comprising:
a ring unit for fixing to a housing of the in-ear earphone; and
an expansion unit having an upper portion and at least three coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the ring, the upper portion having a substantially convex curvature for bearing against a crus inferius anthelicis when the in-ear earphone is secured to an ear of a user, a first coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the ring toward the upper portion in a substantially convex shape, a second coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the ring toward the upper portion in a substantially concave shape, the second coupling element and the upper portion tapering together at distal ends to join at a peak, and a third coupling element of the at least three coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
12. The in-ear earphone of claim 11 wherein the peak has a rounded shape that provides a transition between the substantially convex curvature of the upper portion and the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element.
13. The in-ear earphone of claim 11 wherein the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element has a local minimum near a midpoint between the peak and the ring.
14. The in-ear earphone of claim 11 wherein the expansion unit has at least four coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the ring, a third coupling element of the at least four coupling elements and a fourth coupling element of the at least four coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
15. The in-ear earphone of claim 11 wherein the second coupling element joins the upper portion at the peak to form a shark fin shape with the peak corresponding to a tip of the shark fin shape.
16. An expansion adaptor for an in-ear earphone, comprising:
a ring unit for fixing to a housing of the in-ear earphone; and
an expansion unit having an upper portion and at least three coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the ring, the upper portion having a substantially convex curvature for bearing against a crus inferius anthelicis when the in-ear earphone is secured to an ear of a user, a first coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the ring toward the upper portion in a substantially convex shape, a second coupling element of the at least three coupling elements extending from the ring toward the upper portion in a substantially concave shape, the second coupling element and the upper portion joining at an acute angle to form a peak, and a third coupling element of the at least three coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
17. The in-ear earphone of claim 16 wherein the peak has a rounded shape that provides a transition between the substantially convex curvature of the upper portion and the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element.
18. The in-ear earphone of claim 16 wherein the substantially concave shape of the second coupling element has a local minimum near a midpoint between the peak and the ring.
19. The in-ear earphone of claim 16 wherein the expansion unit has at least four coupling elements coupling the upper portion to the ring, a third coupling element of the at least four coupling elements and a fourth coupling element of the at least four coupling elements disposed between the first coupling element and the second coupling element.
20. The in-ear earphone of claim 16 wherein the second coupling element joins the upper portion at the peak to form a shark fin shape with the peak corresponding to a tip of the shark fin shape.