IP Library Granted Patent US 12,256,188
Granted Patent B2
US 12,256,188 · App. 18/215,827 · Granted Mar 18, 2025

Eartips and earphone devices, and systems and methods therefore

Inventor: John P. Keady (Fairfax Station, VA)
Assignee: Earsoft, LLC
H04R1/1083H04R1/1016H04R1/1058A61F11/085A61F11/10H04R2460/09
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,256,188
App. No.
18/215,827
Granted
Mar 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The application discloses an eartip, an earphone device, an earphone housing and a hearbud housing device. The eartip can include an outer portion, an inner portion, and an encapsulated volume formed by the inner and outer portion, wherein the outer portion is designed to contact the ear canal, and wherein the inner portion is designed to fit upon a stent. In an alternative embodiment, the airtip can include an inverted body, wherein when the inverted body is at least partially folded on itself the inverted body is arranged to include a bulbous region sized for insertion in an ear canal, a cavity internal to the bulbous region that holds a gas, where increasing pressure on the bulbous region releases a portion of the gas.

Claims (13)

1. An eartip comprising:

an outer portion; and

an inner portion, wherein the inner portion has at least one sizing structure, wherein a first section of the outer portion is designed to contact the ear canal, and wherein the inner portion is configured to receive a stent, wherein the at least one sizing structure is flexible and is designed to flex to accept various outside diameters of a stent.

2. The eartip according to claim 1 , where the outer portion is either flexible polymer or foam.

3. The eartip according to claim 2 , where the outer portion includes a tip.

4. The eartip according to claim 3 , where the tip rests against a portion of a first ridge or a second portion of a second ridge creating the contact area.

5. The eartip according to claim 3 , where a portion of the tip contacts the inner portion when the eartip is inserted upon the stent or inserted into an ear canal.

6. An eartip comprising:

an outer portion; and

an inner portion, wherein the inner portion has at least one structure, wherein a first section of the outer portion is designed to contact the ear canal, and wherein the inner portion is configured to receive a stent, wherein the at least one structure is flexible and is designed to accept various outside diameters of a stent, wherein a first portion of the outer portion contacts a first ridge when the eartip is inserted upon a stent or inserted into an ear canal.

7. The eartip of any of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising a lip extending from the inner portion.

8. The eartip of any of claims 1 to 5 , further comprises of a material with a material property between 2 Shore A to 90 Shore A.

9. The eartip of any of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the eartip forms an earplug with a mean attenuation between 15 dB to 36 dB.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: KEADY, JOHN P.
To: STATON TECHIYA, LLC
Reel/Frame 065918/0493 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: STATON TECHIYA, LLC
To: EARSOFT, LLC
Reel/Frame 065918/0545 →
Continuity (10)
Continuation 17861820 · Jul 11, 2022
Continuation 16979076
Provisional Application 62790427 · Jan 9, 2019
Provisional Application 62696682 · Jul 11, 2018
Provisional Application 62685271 · Jun 14, 2018
Provisional Application 62681083 · Jun 5, 2018
Provisional Application 62676280 · May 25, 2018
Provisional Application 62666026 · May 2, 2018
Provisional Application 62640967 · Mar 9, 2018
Related Publication 20230403497A1 · Dec 14, 2023
References Cited (59)
US 2521414A · Schier et al. · 1950 [cited by applicant]
US 2803308A · Mattia · 1957 [cited by applicant]
US 4852683A · Killion · 1989 [cited by examiner]
US 5781638A · Hosaka et al. · 1998 [cited by applicant]
US 6094494A · Haroldson · 2000 [cited by applicant]
US 6513621B1 · Deslauriers et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 7130437B2 · Stonikas et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 8047207B2 · Perez et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 8061472B2 · Tiemens · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 8186478B1 · Grason · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8229128B2 · Keady · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8251925B2 · Staab et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 8391534B2 · Ambrose et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8522916B2 · Keady · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8548181B2 · Kraemer · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8631801B2 · Keady · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8649540B2 · Killion et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8678011B2 · Goldstein et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8774435B2 · Ambrose et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8792669B2 · Harsch · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8903113B2 · Gebert · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 8942405B2 · Jones et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 9288592B2 · Basseas · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9338568B2 · van Hal · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 9462100B2 · Usher et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 10045107B2 · Kirsch et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10506320B1 · Lott · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10917711B2 · Higgins · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11006198B2 · Lott · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11012770B2 · Hatfield et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11294619B2 · Usher et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 20040258263A1 · Saxton et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20070221232A1 · Jenkins · 2007 [cited by applicant]
US 20080187161A1 · Tiemens · 2008 [cited by examiner]
US 20090101433A1 · Stiehl et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20110079227A1 · Turncot et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20130136285A1 · Naumann · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130251172A1 · Mosseri · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140205123A1 · Lafort et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20160050483A1 · Kulavik et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160057528A1 · Trine et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160127818A1 · Ambrose · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20160295311A1 · Keady et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20180220239A1 · Keady et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190387305A1 · Keady · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20210152924A1 · Keady · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220061767A1 · Goldstein et al. · 2022 [cited by applicant]
DE 102012221233 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
DE 102013203334 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
EP 1841283 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
EP 2749043 · 2014 [cited by applicant]
EP 2991381 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
EP 3068142 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
FR 2560520 · 1985 [cited by applicant]
JP 2017147677A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 101194923B1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2019081650 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
UK Examination Report under Section 18(3), Sep. 22, 2021, App. No. GB2015940.6 (attached). [cited by applicant]
Office Action in Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-7028874, Issued May 16, 2023, with translation. [cited by applicant]