IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,035,094
Granted Patent B2
US 12,035,094 · App. 17/895,025 · Granted Jul 9, 2024

Ear tip for portable wireless listening device

Inventors: Benjamin A. Cousins (San Jose, CA); Robert Chun (San Diego, CA); Priyanka Venkatesh (San Francisco, CA); Thanh P. Hua (San Jose, CA); Jarrett Lagler (San Francisco, CA); Hanchi Chen (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04R1/1016G06F3/04144G06F3/044H02J7/0044H04R1/023H04R1/1025H04R1/1041H04R1/1058H04R1/1075H04R2420/07H04R2460/11
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,035,094
App. No.
17/895,025
Granted
Jul 9, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A deformable ear tip comprising: an annular inner ear tip body having a sidewall extending between first and second opposing ends thereby defining a sound channel through the ear tip; an annular outer flange integrally formed with and surrounding the first end of the inner ear tip body and extending towards the inner ear tip second end forming an air gap between the annular inner ear tip body and the annular outer flange along a portion of a length of the ear tip, wherein the outer flange comprises a first material having a first durometer and is sized and shaped to be inserted into a human ear canal; and an inner flange integrally formed with the inner ear tip body and comprising a second material having a second durometer less than the first durometer, the inner flange body extending from a location along the inner ear tip body between the first and second ends towards an inner surface of the outer flange body.

Claims (31)

1. A deformable ear tip comprising:

an annular inner ear tip body having a sidewall extending between first and second opposing ends thereby defining a sound channel through the ear tip;

an annular outer flange integrally formed with and surrounding the first end of the inner ear tip body and extending towards the inner ear tip second end forming an air gap between the annular inner ear tip body and the annular outer flange along a portion of a length of the ear tip, wherein the outer flange comprises a first material having a first durometer and is sized and shaped to be inserted into a human ear canal; and

an inner flange integrally formed with the inner ear tip body and comprising a second material having a second durometer less than the first durometer, the inner flange body extending from a location along the inner ear tip body between the first and second ends towards an inner surface of the outer flange body.

2. The ear tip set forth in claim 1 wherein the outer flange has a first radius of curvature and the inner flange has a second radius of curvature greater than the first radius of curvature.

3. The ear tip set forth in claim 1 wherein the ear tip is formed with a double shot injection molding process in which one shot forms the outer flange and an upper portion of the inner ear tip body and a second shot forms the inner flange and a lower portion of the inner ear tip body.

4. The ear tip set forth in claim 1 wherein the inner flange extends fully around a perimeter of the inner ear tip body.

5. The ear tip set forth in claim 1 wherein the inner flange physically contacts the inner surface of the outer flange.

6. The ear tip set forth in claim 1 wherein the inner flange contacts the inner surface of the outer flange at a location where the outer flange curves inward towards the inner ear tip body.

7. The ear tip set forth in claim 1 wherein the sidewall of the inner ear tip body gradually varies in thickness from a first thickness at the first end to a second thickness at the second end.

8. The ear tip set forth in claim 7 wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

9. The ear tip set forth in claim 1 further comprising an annular rigid attachment structure coupled to the second end of the inner ear tip body, wherein the annular rigid attachment member includes an attachment member sidewall that defines a central opening that is aligned with and forms part of the sound channel.

10. The ear tip set forth in claim 9 wherein the attachment member sidewall includes at least one control leak formed there through creating an acoustic pathway between an ambient environment and the sound channel.

11. A deformable ear tip comprising:

an annular inner ear tip body having a sidewall extending between first and second opposing ends thereby defining a sound channel through the ear tip;

an annular outer flange integrally formed with and surrounding the first end of the inner ear tip body and extending towards the inner ear tip second end forming a gap between the annular inner ear tip body and the annular outer flange along a portion of a length of the ear tip; and

an inner flange integrally formed with the inner ear tip body and comprising a second material having a second durometer less than the first durometer, the inner flange body extending from a location along the inner ear tip body between the first and second ends towards an inner surface of the outer flange body;

wherein the outer flange has a first radius of curvature and the inner flange has a second radius of curvature greater than the first radius of curvature.

12. The ear tip set forth in claim 11 wherein the ear tip is formed with a double shot injection molding process in which one shot forms the outer flange and an upper portion of the inner ear tip body and a second shot forms the inner flange and a lower portion of the inner ear tip body.

13. The ear tip set forth in claim 11 wherein the inner flange extends fully around a perimeter of the inner ear tip body.

14. The ear tip set forth in claim 11 wherein the inner flange physically contacts the inner surface of the outer flange.

15. The ear tip set forth in claim 11 wherein the inner flange contacts the inner surface of the outer flange at a location where the outer flange curves inward towards the inner ear tip body.

16. The ear tip set forth in claim 11 wherein the sidewall of the inner ear tip body gradually varies in thickness from a first thickness at the first end to a second thickness at the second end.

17. The ear tip set forth in claim 16 wherein the second thickness is greater than the first thickness.

18. The ear tip set forth in claim 11 further comprising an annular rigid attachment structure coupled to the second end of the inner ear tip body, wherein the annular rigid attachment member includes an attachment member sidewall that defines a central opening that is aligned with and forms part of the sound channel.

19. The ear tip set forth in claim 18 wherein the attachment member sidewall includes at least one control leak formed there through creating an acoustic pathway between an ambient environment and the sound channel.

20. A deformable ear tip comprising:

an annular inner ear tip body having a sidewall extending between first and second opposing ends thereby defining a sound channel through the ear tip;

an annular outer flange integrally formed with and surrounding the first end of the inner ear tip body and extending towards the inner ear tip second end forming an air gap between the annular inner ear tip body and the annular outer flange along a portion of a length of the ear tip, wherein the outer flange comprises a first material having a first durometer and is sized and shaped to be inserted into a human ear canal;

an inner flange integrally formed with the inner ear tip body and extending fully around a perimeter of the inner ear tip body from a location along the inner ear tip body between the first and second ends towards and physically contacting an inner surface of the outer flange body, the inner flange comprising a second material having a second durometer less than the first durometer; and

an annular rigid attachment structure coupled to the second end of the inner ear tip body, wherein the annular rigid attachment member includes an attachment member sidewall that defines a central opening that is aligned with and forms part of the sound channel.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 060911 FRAME: 0401. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Oct 16, 2023
From: COUSINS, BENJAMIN A.; CHUN, ROBERT; VENKATESH, PRIYANKA; HUA, THANH P.; LAGLER, JARRETT; CHEN, HANCHI
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 065242/0749 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 26, 2022
From: COUSINS, BENJAMIN A; CHUN, ROBERT; VENKATESH, PRIYANKA; HUA, THANH P.; LAGLER, JARRETT; CHEN, HANCHI
To: INC., APPLE
Reel/Frame 060911/0401 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63268356 · Feb 22, 2022
Related Publication 20230269509A1 · Aug 24, 2023