GB2367968A

GB2367968A - Earphone adaptor

Info

Publication number: GB2367968A
Application number: GB0014894A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Roger Henry Williams; Michael Kenneth Brown
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-06-16
Filing date: 2000-06-16
Publication date: 2002-04-17
Also published as: GB0014894D0

Abstract

An earphone adaptor comprising attachment means 2 for attachment to an earphone 3, an earpiece 1 and sound transmitting means 4, 5 for transmitting sound from the earphone 3 to the earpiece 1. Preferably, the attachment means 2 comprises a cup 8 into which an earphone can be inserted and the sound transmitting means comprises a first portion of flexible tubing 4 and a second shorter portion of stiff tubing 5 which together transmit sound from the earphone 3 to the earpiece 1. The earpiece 1 is preferably moulded to the size and shape of an individual's ear to improve comfort and sound quality. The adaptor allows a user to use the same earpiece 1 in conjunction with a number of different earphones and also spaces the earphone 3 from the user's ear which may reduce the exposure of the user to harmful radiation.

Description

Earphone Adaptor

The present invention relates to an earphone adaptor, more particularly, to an adaptor for inner earphones of the type comprising a small loudspeaker adapted to sit in the external ear at the opening of the ear canal.

Inner earphones are well known and have been used for a number of years. They are perhaps most frequently associated with portable stereos, portable radios and portable compact disc players although they are increasingly used in hands free kits for mobile telephones. There are many other uses of inner earphones particularly in conjunction with communication equipment and any application that requires sound to be transmitted to the ear.

Inner earphones typically comprise a small loudspeaker located within a plastic, usually circular, outer housing of approximately. 13-16mm in diameter. The loudspeaker is attached to, say, a personal stereo via a wire and a foam cushion may surround the outer plastic housing to improve the comfort of the earphone when placed in the ear.

Most conventional inner earphones, however, suffer from a number of problems. They tend not to be designed to match the shape of the ear and so do not sit securely in the external ear. This can lead to movement of the earphone within the ear leading to poor sound quality and the risk of the earphone falling out of the ear.

Badly fitting earphones can also cause discomfort particularly through prolonged use. In addition, most known earphones are commonly only produced in a single size which may not suit a particular user, again leading to impaired comfort and sound quality.

What is needed is a device which alleviates the problems associated with conventional inner earphones.

The present invention aims to provide such a device and when viewed from a first aspect provides an inner earphone adaptor comprising attachment means for attachment to a conventional earphone, an earpiece and sound transmitting means for transmitting the sound produced by the conventional earphone from the attachment means to the earpiece.

Thus it will be seen that in accordance with the present invention there is provided a device which can be used in conjunction with a conventional inner earphone to transmit the sound produced by the conventional earphone to an earpiece which sits comfortably within the external ear with improved sound quality, comfort and convenience.

By providing an intermediate adaptor located between a conventional earphone and the ear, the present invention allows a user to continue to use any conventional earphones that he or she may have, say for a personal stereo, mobile phone etc. , or any earphones that may be bought in future. In turn, this allows a single earpiece to be used for many different applications thus making it more cost effective to tailor the size and shape of the earpiece to fit the ear more effectively. Earpieces may therefore be provided in a number of sizes to suit an individual and may also be shaped to match the shape of the ear. It is also envisaged that an earpiece may be moulded from an ear impression and thus custom fit to the size and shape of an individual's ear.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention can therefore provide a better fitting earpiece with improved comfort, convenience, sound quality and a reduced signal to noise ratio. A further advantage of the invention is that the noise emanating externally from the earpiece can be reduced.

It has further been appreciated that by effectively removing the earphone some distance from the user's ear

and therefore from the user's head, a potential source of harmful electromagnetic radiation is removed from close proximity to the user's head. This is considered particularly advantageous where an adaptor in accordance with the invention is used in conjunction with a handsfree kit for a mobile telephone since these are considered by some to represent a health hazard.

The attachment means for coupling to a conventional earphone may take any suitable form but it should, as far as possible, not hinder the passage of sound from the loudspeaker to the sound transmitting means.

Preferably the attachment means comprises a generally cup-shaped element having an aperture for receiving a conventional earphone. The cup-shaped portion is generally sized to fit snugly over most conventional inner earphones. The attachment means may be made from any suitable material but preferably comprises a pliant material such as rubber so it can stretch to conform to different sizes and shapes of earphone.

The sound transmitting means may take any suitable form provided that, again, it does not substantially impair transmission of sound between the attachment means and the earpiece. The sound transmitting means may be integral with or permanently fixed to the attachment means. Preferably however it is removably coupled thereto. In a preferred embodiment the attachment means comprises a passage in communication with the interior of the cup and is adapted to receive a part of the sound transmitting means.

Preferably the sound transmitting means comprises a tube having an internal passage along which sound can travel. One end of this tube is preferably coupled to the attachment means, preferably by a friction coupling with insertion into the preferred passage in communication with the interior of the cup. The other end of the sound transmitting means is coupled to the earpiece. In a preferred embodiment, the sound

transmitting means comprises a first flexible tube, preferably formed from a relatively soft material, and a second relatively stiff tube. Preferably the soft tube is coupled to the attachment means, e. g. by being inserted into the preferred passage thereof, with the stiff tube being coupled to the earpiece, preferably by insertion therein.

The stiff tube is preferably shorter than the soft tube. Due to its stiffness it can for example be easily inserted into a passageway formed through the earpiece and also into the soft tube. The stiff tube is preferably curved such that it can be grasped in the fingers to facilitate insertion of the earpiece into the ear and removal of the earpiece from the ear. The flexible, preferably soft tube may be any convenient length but is preferably about 10cm long. A soft tube is preferred since it may be cut to a suitable length as desired.

It will be appreciated that in the preferred embodiment the cup, the passage in the attachment means in communication with the interior of the cup, the flexible tube, the stiff tube and the earpiece together define a continuous passage between the earphone and the ear canal thus effectively transmitting the sound produced to the user.

The earpiece itself may take any suitable form and is preferably adapted in size and shape to fit snugly within the ear. The earpiece preferably comprises a first elongate portion which extends a short way into the ear canal, and a second generally flat portion which extends at approximately 900 to the longitudinal axis of the elongate portion. The flat portion is preferably designed to fit in the concave cavity of the lower pinna of the external ear and serves to securely locate the earpiece, reducing unwanted movement and preventing the earpiece from falling out.

The elongate portion serves to transmit sound as

directly as possible to the eardrum. To facilitate this, the elongate portion is preferably formed with an internal passage extending longitudinally from one side of the earpiece to the other. Where, as is preferred, a stiff tube is provided which can be pushed into this passage thus securing the stiff tube to the earpiece.

Preferably, the stiff tube is pushed far enough into the passage so that one end thereof lies flush with the end of the elongate portion closest to the ear.

A vent is preferably formed through the earpiece which extends from a point close to the inner opening of the internal passage to a portion of the earpiece which is not in contact with the ear when in use. In this way, sound/pressure waves which reach the inner ear can then pass through the vent and leave the earpiece. The size of the vent, e. g. its diameter, can be changed to alter the acoustic properties of the earpiece. If desired, the vent can be blocked by a plug, again to alter the acoustic properties of the earpiece.

The earpiece can be made from any suitable material or combination of materials. Preferably a material is chosen which provides sufficient durability but is comfortable in use.

Whatever materials are chosen for the attachment means, the sound transmitting means and the earpiece, it is preferred that these materials can be coloured to provide the device with an aesthetic appearance.

As will be apparent, the various elements of the device are preferably detachable from one another to dismantle the adaptor and facilitate cleaning.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of an adaptor in accordance with the present invention showing an earpiece, sound transmitting means, and attachment means coupled to a conventional earphone;

Fig. 2 illustrates the device shown in Fig. 1 with the conventional earphone removed ; Fig. 3 illustrates a plan view of two earpieces in accordance with the present invention, one adapted for the left ear and one adapted for the right ear; Fig. 4 illustrates the earpieces shown in Fig. 3 in their orientation when in use and viewed from behind; Fig. 5 illustrates the earpieces shown in Figs. 3 and 4 when in use and viewed from the front; Fig. 6 illustrates the earpieces shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 when in use and viewed from below; Fig. 7 illustrates a side view of the left and right earpieces shown in Figs. 3,4, 5 and 6; Fig. 8 shows a plug suitable for insertion into the vent of an earpiece to change its acoustic properties; Figs. 9,10, 11,12 and 13 illustrate alternative views of an attachment means in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 14 illustrates a cross-section through the cup of the attachment means shown in Figs. 9 to 13 showing the aperture for receiving a conventional earphone and the passage extending into the interior of the cup.

Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate a preferred form of an adaptor in accordance with the present invention. The adaptor comprises an earpiece (1), sound transmitting means (4,5) and attachment means (2). The attachment means (2) is coupled to a conventional earphone (3) in Fig. 1 whereas Fig. 2 shows the adaptor with the conventional earphone (3) removed. The sound transmitting means comprises a first portion of flexible tubing (4) into which at one end is inserted a shorter portion of stiff tubing (5). The stiff tubing (5) is curved to provide a handle which can be grasped to facilitate introduction and removal of the earpiece (1) from the ear.

As best seen in Figs. 3 to 7, the earpiece is adapted for either right-handed or left-handed use and

generally comprises an elongate portion (6) which extends some way into the internal ear canal and second portion (7) which is shaped to fit snugly into the lower portion of the pinna to securely locate the earpiece within the external ear. As can be seen from these figures the second portion (7) is generally flat and extends at approximately 900 to the longitudinal axis of the elongate portion (6).

The elongate portion (6) is formed with an internal passage, shown in dashed lines in Fig. 5, which extends generally longitudinally through the elongate portion (6) from an opening (10) closest to the ear in use to a second opening on the opposite side of the earpiece (1).

The stiff tube (5) is located within this passage and has one end which lies flush with the exterior surface of the elongate portion (6).

As can be seen from Figs. 5 and 7, the earpiece may be provided with a vent which extends through the earpiece from an opening in the region of aperture (10) to an opening (12) located on a portion of the earpiece which is not in contact with the ear when in use. As shown, this vent extends generally parallel to the internal passage formed through the earpiece. The provision of this vent can improve the acoustic properties of the earpiece and the vent can be sized to alter these properties or it can be blocked with a plug (13) (see Fig. 8) if desired.

As best shown in Figs. 9 to 14, the attachment means (2) comprises a cup (8) integrally formed with a portion (9) which defines a passage leading to the interior of the cup (8). The cup is generally circular in cross-section and defines an opening (15) into which a conventional earphone can be inserted. The attachment means is formed from pliable rubber to allow the cup (8) to accommodate various sizes and shapes of conventional earphone.

When in use, sound produced by a conventional

earphone (3) enters the cup (8) of the attachment means and travels through passage (14), along the flexible tubing (4), though the stiff tubing (5), through the internal passage of the earpiece (1) and exits the adaptor at aperture (10) located in the entrance of the ear canal. If a vent is provided, the sound/pressure waves then enter the vent at aperture (11) and are emitted from the earpiece through aperture (12).

Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

Claims 1. An inner earphone adaptor comprising attachment means for attachment to a conventional earphone, an earpiece and sound transmitting means for transmitting sound produced by the conventional earphone from the attachment means to the earpiece.
2. The earphone adaptor of claim 1 wherein the attachment means comprises a generally cup-shaped element having an aperture for receiving a conventional earphone.
3. The earphone adaptor of claim 2 wherein the cupshaped element is generally sized to fit snugly over most conventional inner earphones.
4. The earphone adaptor of claims 2 or 3 wherein the cup-shaped element is made from a pliant material so that it can stretch to conform to different sizes and shapes of earphone.
5. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein the sound transmitting means is integrally formed with or permanently fixed to the attachment means.
6. The earphone adaptor of any of claims 1-4 wherein the sound transmitting means is removably coupled to the attachment means.
7. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein the attachment means comprises a passage in communication with the interior of the attachment means, the passage being adapted to receive a part of the sound transmitting means.
8. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein the earpiece is adapted to fit the ear of a particular user.
9. The earphone adaptor of claim 8 wherein the earpiece is moulded so as to be custom fit to the size and shape of an individual user's ear.
10. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein the earpiece comprises a first elongate portion which extends a short way into the ear canal, and a second generally flat portion which extends at approximately 900 to the longitudinal axis of the elongate portion.
11. The earphone adaptor of claim 10 wherein the flat portion is designed to fit in the concave cavity of the lower pinna of the external ear and serves to locate the earpiece securely.
12. The earphone adaptor of claims 10 or 11 wherein the elongate portion is formed with an internal passage extending longitudinally from one side of the earpiece to the other.
13. The earphone adaptor of claim 12 wherein the internal passage is adapted to receive a part of the sound transmitting means.
14. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein the sound transmitting means comprises a first relatively flexible tube coupled to a second relatively stiff tube.
15. The earphone adaptor of claim 14 wherein the stiff tube is shorter than the flexible tube.
16. The earphone adaptor of claims 14 or 15 wherein the

flexible tube is, at one end, coupled to the attachment means and, at the other end, coupled to the stiff tube, the stiff tube being coupled at one end to the flexible tube and coupled at the other end to the earpiece.
17. The earphone adaptor of any of claims 14-16 wherein one end of the stiff tube is pushed into the internal passage formed through the earpiece to couple the stiff tube to the earpiece.
18. The earphone adaptor of claim 17 wherein the stiff tube is pushed far enough into the internal passage of the earpiece so that one end thereof lies flush with the end of the elongate portion of the earpiece that extends into the ear canal.
19. The earphone adaptor of any of claims 16-18 wherein the stiff tube is curved such that it can be grasped in the fingers to facilitate insertion of the earpiece into the ear and removal of the earpiece from the ear.
20. The earphone adaptor of any of claims 14-19 wherein the flexible tube is approximately 10cm long.
21. The earphone adaptor of any of claims 14-19 wherein the flexible tube is relatively soft such that it may be cut to a suitable length as desired.
22. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein a vent is formed through the earpiece which extends from a point close to a or the inner passage extending through the earpiece to a portion of the earpiece which is not in contact with the user's ear in use.
23. The earphone adaptor of claim 22 wherein the size and/or shape of the vent is adapted to alter the acoustic properties of the earpiece.
24. The earphone adaptor of claims 22 or 23 wherein the vent can be blocked, e. g. by a plug, to alter the acoustic properties of the earpiece.
25. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein the attachment means, the flexible tube, the stiff tube and the earpiece together define in use a continuous substantially unhindered passage between the earphone and the ear canal of a user.
26. The earphone adaptor of any preceding claim wherein the attachment means is attached to an earphone of a mobile telephone hands-free kit, a portable stereo, a portable radio or a portable compact disc player.
27. An earphone adaptor substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.