IP Library Granted Patent US 10,911,857
Granted Patent B2
US 10,911,857 · App. 16/326,034 · Granted Feb 2, 2021

Sound output apparatus

Inventors: Ryota Mihara (Tokyo, JP); Yasuhide Hosoda (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Sony Corporation
H04R1/1016H04R1/06H04R1/10H04R1/105H04R1/1075H04R5/0335H04R25/652H04R25/656H04R25/02H04R25/607H04R2205/024H04R2225/021H04R2225/0213
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,911,857
App. No.
16/326,034
Granted
Feb 2, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A stable wearing state on an ear is secured. A speaker that outputs sound; a speaker arrangement portion in which the speaker is arranged therein; and a sound guiding pipe in which one end portion is continuous with the speaker arrangement portion and an internal space is formed as a sound guiding space that leads the sound outputted from the speaker are provided, in which an opening that emits the sound toward an ear is formed at the other end of the sound guiding pipe. The sound output apparatus is worn on the ear by sandwiching the outer peripheral portion of the auricle between the sound guiding pipe and the speaker arrangement portion or by the sound guiding pipe so that a stable wearing state on the ear can be secured.

Claims (21)

1. A sound output apparatus comprising:

a speaker that outputs sound;

a speaker arrangement portion in which the speaker is arranged therein; and

a sound guiding pipe in which one end portion is continuous with the speaker arrangement portion and an internal space is formed as a sound guiding space that leads the sound outputted from the speaker,

wherein an opening that emits the sound toward an ear is formed at another end of the sound guiding pipe, and

the sound output apparatus is worn on the ear in a state where an outer peripheral portion of an auricle is sandwiched between a part of the speaker arrangement portion and a part of the sound guiding pipe such that the opening is positioned near an external auditory canal and does not come in contact with the ear, wherein a tip portion of the sound guiding pipe is also not in contact with the ear.

2. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the sound guiding pipe is formed as an ear contact face in contact with the auricle, and the ear contact face is formed in a curved shape.

3. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the part of the speaker arrangement portion is formed as an abutting face that can be in contact with the auricle, and

the abutting face is formed in a planar shape.

4. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sound guiding pipe is provided with a coupling base portion, which is continuous with the speaker arrangement portion, and a detachable portion, which is detachable from the coupling base portion and has the opening.

5. The sound output apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the coupling base portion is provided with an entry portion that enters the detachable portion when the detachable portion is attached to the coupling base portion.

6. The sound output apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the detachable portion is formed by using a material with a hardness lower than that of the coupling base portion.

7. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sound guiding pipe is elastically deformable against the speaker arrangement portion.

8. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least a part of the speaker arrangement portion and at least a part of the sound guiding pipe are integrally formed.

9. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a pair of the speaker arrangement portions, a pair of the sound guiding pipes and a pair of the speakers are provided.

10. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a battery that supplies power to the speaker is arranged in the speaker arrangement portion.

11. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a control board for wireless communication is arranged in the speaker arrangement portion.

12. The sound output apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a first pressing portion and a second pressing portion, which are respectively pressed against both faces of the auricle, are provided, and

the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion are elastically deformable in a direction in which the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion are brought into or out of contact with each other.

13. The sound output apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a wear portion, which is bent such that a longitudinal direction becomes a circumferential direction, is provided, and

the first pressing portion and the second pressing portion are provided at both end portions of the wear portion in the longitudinal direction.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 30, 2023
From: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
To: AMBIE CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 063177/0618 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Nov 22, 2022
From: SONY CORPORATION
To: SONY GROUP CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 061987/0079 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2019
From: MIHARA, RYOTA; HOSODA, YASUHIDE
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048373/0822 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2016-169333 · Aug 31, 2016 · national
JP 2017-013705 · Jan 27, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190174216A1 · Jun 6, 2019