IP Library Granted Patent US 11,375,307
Granted Patent B2
US 11,375,307 · App. 15/845,364 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Earphone device

Inventors: Tomohiro Matsuo (Saitama-Ken, JP); Takashi Ohta (Tokyo, JP); Koji Nageno (Tokyo, JP); Tomohiro Ito (Tokyo, JP)
H04R1/1016H04R1/02H04R1/10H04R1/1033H04R1/1058H04R1/1066H04R1/1091H04R1/2807H04R1/34H04R1/345H04R1/1008H04R29/001H04R2499/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,375,307
App. No.
15/845,364
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An earphone device includes a housing having a driver unit, and a sound guide tube mounted on a front surface of the housing to protrude from the front surface, in which the sound guide tube is disposed at a position deviated from a center position of the housing.

Claims (34)

1. An earphone device comprising:

a driver unit;

a housing;

a sound guide tube mounted on a front portion of the housing to protrude from the front portion, wherein the sound guide tube is at a position deviated from a center position of the housing, and wherein the position of the front portion of the housing is fixed with respect to the rest of the housing; and

a cushion member interposed between the driver unit and an opening that connects an interior of the housing to an exterior of the housing, in which the cushion member is spaced from the driver unit,

wherein a center line of the housing and a center line of the sound guide tube meet at a point behind the driver unit and the center line of the housing intersects a portion of the cushion member.

2. The earphone device of claim 1 ,

wherein the sound guide tube includes a sound guide tip, and

wherein a distance between a center point of the sound guide tube tip and the center line of the housing is no less than 3 mm and no more than 7 mm.

3. The earphone device according to claim 1 ,

wherein an angle between the center line of the housing and the center line of the sound guide tube is no less than 10° and no more than 60°.

4. The earphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the sound guide tube has a tip made of flexible material.

5. The earphone device according to claim 1 , wherein the opening is at the front portion of the housing.

6. The earphone device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the front portion of the housing is fixed onto a rear portion of the housing, and further comprising:

a projecting portion projecting from the rear portion of the housing.

7. The earphone device according to claim 6 , wherein the projecting portion includes a cylindrical type shape.

8. The earphone device according to claim 6 , wherein the projecting portion is a cord retainer configured to retain a cord.

9. The earphone device according to claim 6 , wherein at least a part of the projecting portion is located at outside of a cavum conchae when the earphone device is worn by a user.

10. The earphone device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an annular part provided around a periphery of the housing.

11. The earphone device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the front portion of the housing is fixed onto a rear portion of the housing, and further comprising:

an annular part provided at a connecting portion of the front portion and the rear portion.

12. The earphone device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the earphone is configured to generate sound corresponding to an audio signal supplied from a music player.

13. The earphone device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a cord connected to the driver unit.

14. The earphone device of claim 1 , further comprising:

an earpiece mounted on a tip portion of the sound guide tube, the earpiece being formed using a flexible material.

15. The earphone device of claim 14 , wherein the earpiece has a flange profile that deforms corresponding to a profile of an external auditory meatus.

16. The earphone device of claim 14 ,

wherein, when the earpiece is fixed to an external auditory meatus, the earpiece deforms corresponding to a profile of the external auditory meatus and is closely attached to the external auditory meatus.

17. The earphone device of claim 1 , wherein a front portion of the housing presses the driver unit toward a rear portion of the housing flexibly with the cushion member.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 17, 2021
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057207/0835 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 19, 2017
From: MATSUO, TOMOHIRO; OHTA, TAKASHI; NAGENO, KOJI; ITO, TOMOHIRO
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044435/0229 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2006-005412 · Jan 12, 2006 · national
Continuity (4)
Continuation 14969416 · Dec 15, 2015
Continuation 13932262 · Jul 1, 2013
Continuation 11651557 · Jan 10, 2007
Related Publication 20180109863A1 · Apr 19, 2018