IP Library Granted Patent US 11,317,196
Granted Patent B2
US 11,317,196 · App. 16/868,372 · Granted Apr 26, 2022

Earphone having a controlled acoustic leak port

Inventors: Michael B. Howes (San Jose, CA); Yacine Azmi (San Jose, CA); Scott P. Porter (Inglewood, CA); Jonathan S. Aase (Rochester, MI); Andrew P. Bright (San Francisco, CA); Christopher R. Wilk (Los Gatos, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04R1/2849H04R1/02H04R1/1016H04R1/1058H04R1/1075H04R1/2826H04R1/2846H04R1/023
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 11,317,196
App. No.
16/868,372
Granted
Apr 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

An earphone comprising an earphone housing having a wall comprising (1) a front side that joins (2) an end portion in which a primary sound output opening is formed, which joins (3) a face portion in which a secondary output opening is formed, which joins (4) a back side which joins the front side and encloses a driver, wherein the primary output opening is dimensioned to output sound generated by a diaphragm of the driver contained within the earphone housing into the ear and the secondary output opening is dimensioned to vent the ear to a surrounding environment, and wherein the primary output opening and the secondary output opening face different directions.

Claims (28)

1. An earphone comprising:

an earphone housing having a cap portion and a body portion that interlock with one another to enclose a driver, the driver having a front face that outputs sound waves and a back face opposite the front face, the cap portion comprises a first portion and a second portion that are at angles relative to the front face of the driver and together defines a first chamber coupled to the front face of the driver and the body portion defines a second chamber coupled to the back face of the driver,

a first opening formed through the first portion of the cap portion; and

a first port and a second port formed through the body portion of the earphone housing, the first port and the second port facing different directions and open to a surrounding environment.

2. The earphone of claim 1 wherein the body portion comprises a front side that joins a back side to form the second chamber, and the second portion of the cap portion faces a pinna portion of an ear when the first portion is inserted into the ear.

3. The earphone of claim 1 further comprising:

a second opening, wherein the second opening is formed through the second portion, both the first opening and the second opening are directly over the front face of the driver, and the first opening and the second opening face different directions.

4. The earphone of claim 3 wherein the second opening is calibrated to modify a sound pressure level at around 6 kHz.

5. The earphone of claim 3 wherein the second opening has a surface area of from 3 mm 2 to 12 mm 2 .

6. The earphone of claim 3 wherein the second opening has an elongated shape that extends outward from an ear when the first opening is facing an ear canal of the ear.

7. The earphone of claim 3 wherein the earphone housing further comprises a tube portion coupled to the second chamber, and the second port is a bass port formed in the tube portion, the bass port is dimensioned to control a bass response of the earphone.

8. The earphone of claim 3 wherein the second opening is dimensioned to provide consistency in an acoustic performance of the earphone when worn by different users.

9. The earphone of claim 3 further comprising an acoustic material that is snap fit over the first opening or the second opening to tune an acoustic response of the earphone, and a protective material positioned between the acoustic material and the first opening or the second opening.

10. The earphone of claim 1 further comprising a mesh that is snap fit over the first opening, the first port or the second port.

11. The earphone of claim 1 wherein the earphone housing does not have a rubber tip.

12. An earphone comprising:

an earphone housing having a cap portion and a body portion that interlock with one another to enclose a driver, the driver having a front face that outputs sound waves and a back face opposite the front face, the cap portion defines a first chamber coupled to the front face of the driver, and the body portion defines a second chamber coupled to the back face of the driver,

a first opening and a second opening are formed through the cap portion, wherein the first opening and the second opening face different directions and a portion of the front face of the driver is closer to the first opening than the second opening, and

a first port is formed through the body portion defining the second chamber.

13. The earphone of claim 12 wherein an angle formed at an intersection, within the earphone housing, of a first axis through a center of the first opening and a second axis through a center of the second opening is less than 90 degrees.

14. The earphone of claim 12 wherein the second opening has a surface area of from 3 mm 2 to 12 mm 2 .

15. The earphone of claim 12 wherein the first port is a turning port formed through the body portion.

16. The earphone of claim 12 wherein the earphone housing further comprises a second port and a tube portion, the first port is a tuning port, the second port is a bass port and the bass port is formed through the tube portion and faces a different direction than the tuning port.

17. An earphone housing comprising:

a cap portion that defines a first chamber coupled to a front face of a driver and a body portion that defines a second chamber coupled to a back face of the driver that faces a different direction than the front face of the driver, the cap portion having a first side that is at an angle to a second side and the front face of the driver, and the cap portion and the body portion interlock with one another to enclose the driver, and wherein a first opening is formed through the first side, a second opening is formed through the second side, and the first opening, the second opening, the first port and the second port face different directions.

18. The earphone housing of claim 17 wherein the first port and the second port are formed through the body portion.

19. The earphone housing of claim 18 wherein at least portions of the first opening and the second opening are formed directly over the front face of the driver, and the first port is a tuning output port formed over the back face of the driver.

20. The earphone housing of claim 17 wherein the second port is a bass port, and the body portion comprises a tube through which the bass port is formed.

Continuity (7)
Continuation 16286346 · Feb 26, 2019
Continuation 15723079 · Oct 2, 2017
Continuation 15339563 · Oct 31, 2016
Continuation 14951028 · Nov 24, 2015
Continuation 14626806 · Feb 19, 2015
Continuation 13528566 · Jun 20, 2012
Related Publication 20200267470A1 · Aug 20, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 1,146,885