Acoustic vent and protective membrane
An in-ear electronic device comprising: an enclosure that defines an enclosed space surrounding a microphone and an acoustic opening to an ambient environment surrounding the enclosure; an acoustic pathway having a first end that opens to the acoustic opening and a second end that opens to the microphone; and a protective membrane positioned between the second end of the acoustic channel and the microphone.
1. An in-ear electronic device comprising:
an enclosure that defines an enclosed space surrounding a microphone and an acoustic opening to an ambient environment surrounding the enclosure;
a tortuous acoustic pathway having a first end that opens to the acoustic opening, and the first end and the acoustic opening are wider than a second end that opens to the microphone;
a protective membrane positioned between the second end of the acoustic pathway and the microphone; and
a mesh coupled to the acoustic opening.
2. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the protective membrane is positioned closer to the microphone than the acoustic opening.
3. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the protective membrane is configured to protect the microphone from ultrasound by damping resonances inside the acoustic pathway.
4. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the protective membrane is configured to protect the microphone from ingress of a contaminant.
5. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the protective membrane comprises a porous polymer material and the mesh comprises a woven material.
6. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the protective membrane is the only protective membrane positioned between the acoustic opening and the microphone.
7. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the protective membrane is coupled to a microphone port of the microphone.
8. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the microphone is operable to collect ambient sound from the ambient environment for an active noise cancellation application.
9. The in-ear electronic device of claim 1 wherein the enclosure comprises a cap portion that interlocks with a body portion to define the enclosed space, and wherein the acoustic opening is through the body portion.
10. The in-ear electronic device of claim 9 wherein the cap portion is dimensioned for insertion within a user's ear.
11. An in-ear electronic device, comprising:
an enclosure having an enclosure wall that defines an interior chamber and an acoustic opening between the interior chamber and a surrounding ambient environment;
a microphone positioned within the interior chamber and having a microphone port acoustically coupled to the acoustic opening;
an acoustic mesh coupled to the acoustic opening; and
a protective membrane coupled to the microphone port to protect the microphone.
12. The in-ear electronic device of claim 11 wherein the protective membrane is positioned between the microphone and the acoustic mesh.
13. The in-ear electronic device of claim 11 wherein a tortuous acoustic channel acoustically couples the microphone port to the acoustic opening.
14. The in-ear electronic device of claim 13 wherein the protective membrane is configured to dampen resonances inside the tortuous acoustic channel.
15. The in-ear electronic device of claim 11 wherein the protective membrane is configured to protect the microphone from ingress of a fluid.
16. The in-ear electronic device of claim 11 wherein the protective membrane comprises a porous polymer material.
17. The in-ear electronic device of claim 11 wherein the protective membrane comprises a surface area substantially similar to a surface area of the microphone port.
18. The in-ear electronic device of claim 11 wherein the microphone comprises a microphone operable to collect ambient sound from the ambient environment for an active noise cancellation application.
19. The in-ear electronic device of claim 11 wherein the enclosure wall forms a cap portion dimensioned for insertion with a user's ear and a body portion coupled to the cap portion, and wherein the acoustic opening is within a portion of the enclosure wall forming the body portion.
20. The in-ear electronic device of claim 19 wherein the body portion is an elongated portion that extends in a perpendicular direction from the cap portion.