EP3416404A1 - In-ear earpiece and expansion adapter - Google Patents

Abstract

An in-ear earphone is provided which includes a housing (50) for receiving an electroacoustic transducer and an expansion adapter unit (20) coupled to the housing (50) of the in-ear earpiece. The expansion adapter unit includes an extension unit (20) having an upper portion (26) with a curvature for conforming to a Crus Inferius Anthelicis, an anti-helix, and / or a concha of an ear of a user. The expansion adapter unit further comprises at least one coupling element for coupling the upper part (26) to the housing (50) of the in-ear earphone, the extension unit (20) having at least two flexible legs (22, 25) as coupling elements, one leg (22) is coupled to a first end (28) of the upper part (26) and a second leg (25) to a second end (29) of the upper part (26).

Description

The present invention relates to an in-ear earpiece and an expansion adapter.

In-ear listeners have become very popular in recent years as they are increasingly used with MP3 players or media players. However, in-ear listeners are often not suited to be worn during sports or heavy activity, as these in-ear listeners tend to fall out of a user's concha.

US 5,712,453 shows an in-ear earpiece with an expansion adapter that has an arm that can be anchored in the Concha.

US 1,668,910 shows an in-ear handset with an expansion adapter, which is designed in the form of a question mark.

DE 10 2004 010 198 A1 shows an in-ear listener with a support element, which can be anchored in the concha of a listener.

US Pat. No. 6,810,987 B1 shows an in-ear earpiece with a support element, which can be anchored in the concha of a user.

DE 102 27 450 A1 shows a headset with a stiff strap to rest in the Concha. Here, only one end of the bracket is attached to the in-ear earpiece.

DE 297 18 483 U1 shows a mounting unit for mounting otological devices in an ear of a user. In this case, the attachment unit may have two stirrups, which are anchored on the one hand in the concha and on the other in the area of the antitragus.

US 2003/0174853 A1 shows a headset with an expansion adapter, the expansion adapter is fastened with its first end to the headset and the second end is mounted in a concha.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an in-ear earphone which can be used in sports or other violent or animated activities and which provides the user with the best possible wearing comfort, i. On the one hand, the listener should sit in the user's ear during sporting activities, but on the other hand, he should be able to comfortably adapt to almost any user's ear, without creating an uncomfortable wearer's feeling, in particular pressure pain in the user's ear.

This object is achieved by an in-ear earphone according to claim 1 and an expansion adapter according to claim 5.

Therefore, an in-ear earphone is provided which has a housing for receiving an electro-acoustic transducer and an expansion adapter unit which is coupled to the housing of the in-ear earphone. The expansion adapter unit has an extension unit having an upper portion with a curvature that fits into the Crus Inferius Anthelicis, the anti-helix, and / or the concha of an user's ear. The expansion adapter further comprises at least one coupling element for coupling the upper part to the housing of the in-ear listener. The extension unit has at least two flexible legs as coupling elements. One leg is coupled to a first end of the upper part and a second leg is coupled to the second end of the upper part.

The invention also relates to an expansion adapter for an in-ear listener. The expansion adapter has a ring unit for attachment to a housing of an in-ear Listener. The expansion adapter further includes an extension unit having an upper portion with a curvature for conforming to the Crus Inferius Anthelicis, the anti-helix, and the concha of an ear of a user. The extension unit also has at least one coupling element for coupling the upper part to the ring.

According to one aspect of the invention, the extension unit has at least two legs as coupling elements. One leg is coupled to a first end of the upper part and a second leg is coupled to the second end of the lower part.

The invention relates to an expansion adapter with a ring for coupling to a housing of an in-ear listener and an extension unit substantially in the form of a shark fin. The extension unit has a curvature that fits into a Crus Inferius Anthelicis, an anti-helix, and / or a concha of an user's ear.

The invention relates to the idea to use an expansion adapter or an extension unit, which is made for example of a soft rubber, which allows bending and fitting in different ears. Such an extension unit can be attached to the housing of the in-ear, whereby a secure and tight fit in the user's ear, in particular on the Crus Inferius Anthelicis, the anti-helix and the Concha is made possible.

According to one aspect of the invention, the extension unit may be designed exchangeable.

Further aspects of the invention are described in the appended claims.

Fig. 1A und 1B

zeigen schematische Darstellungen eines Erweiterungsadapters gemäß einem ersten Ausführungsbeispiel und

Fig. 2A bis 2D

zeigen eine Draufsicht, eine Frontansicht, eine Seitenansicht, eine isometrische Ansicht A und eine isometrische Ansicht B eines Ohr-Hörers gemäß einem zweiten Ausführungsbeispiel.

Embodiments and advantages of the invention are explained below with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1A and 1B

show schematic representations of an expansion adapter according to a first embodiment and

Fig. 2A to 2D

show a plan view, a front view, a side view, an isometric view A and an isometric view B of an ear-listener according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 1A and 1B show a schematic representation of an expansion adapter according to a first embodiment. The expansion adapter can be interchangeably attached to a housing of an in-ear earpiece. The expansion adapter or the expansion adapter unit has a ring 10 with a hole 11 and an extension unit 20. The ring 10 and the hole 11 are selected so that the ring fits securely on a housing of an in-ear listener. Thus, the expansion adapter unit can be mounted or attached to a housing of an in-ear listener. The extension unit 20 is connected to the ring 10 and serves as means for securing the expansion adapter in an ear of a user. The extension unit 10 has four legs 22, 23, 24 and 25 and an upper and a lower part 26, which has a certain curvature. The upper portion 26 may be placed on the Crus Inferius Anthelicis, the anti-helix and / or the concha of an ear and has a first end 28 and a second end 29. The first end 28 of the upper part 26 is coupled to the first leg 22 of the extension unit 20, while the fourth leg 25 is coupled to the second end 29 of the upper part 26. The first leg 22 of the extension unit 20 is at a first connection point 22, the second leg 23 is connected to a second connection point 13, the third leg 24 is connected to a third connection point and the fourth leg 24 is coupled to a fourth connection point 15. The first, second, third and fourth connection points 12, 13, 14 and 15 are provided on the ring 10. The ring 10 and the extension unit 20 can be made in one piece or as a part. Alternatively, the extension unit 20 may be provided on the ring 10. The ring may be configured as a closed or open ring.

Although the first, second, third and fourth legs 22-25 have been shown with a particular curvature, these legs may also be implemented as straight lines. It should be noted that although four different legs 22 - 25 in the Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B have been shown, the expansion unit 20 can be implemented with fewer or more than these four legs. The extension unit 20 can also be implemented without legs, for example as a solid body. The curvature 27 of the upper portion 26 is selected to fit (certainly) in a Crus Inferius Anthelicis, an anti-helix, and a concha of an user's ear.

Although the material of the extension unit 20 and in particular the material of the four legs have been described above as one material, the extension unit may be implemented, wherein the upper part 26 may be made of a different material than the legs 22-25.

By the expansion adapter according to the first embodiment, an in-ear listener can be safely and comfortably adapted to almost every ear of a user. Thus, an expansion adapter can be provided, which has a one-size fits-all and fits in all ears.

The material of the expansion adapter according to the first embodiment is preferably soft rubber. Alternatively, other materials may be used which are sufficiently flexible and which allow comfortable and safe use of the expansion adapter in the ears of the users.

Fig. 2A to 2D shows a plan view, a front view, a side view, an isometric view A and an isometric view B of an in-ear receiver according to a second embodiment. Here in the second embodiment, the expansion adapter according to the Fig. 1A and 1B a part of the housing of an in-ear listener, for example, a part of the in-ear listener. The housing 50 of the in-ear earpiece is connected to the expansion adapter. As in the Figs. 2B, 2C and 2E to see, the expansion adapter according to the second embodiment substantially corresponds to the expansion adapter according to the first embodiment. Thus, the extension unit 20 has four legs 22 - 25 which are connected to the ring 10 at their first ends and which are connected at their second ends to the upper part 26. The upper part 26 has first and second ends 28, 29, with the first end 28 coupled to the first leg 22 and the second end 29 to the fourth leg 25.

The extension unit 20 according to the first or second embodiment has an upper part 26 with a curvature. The upper part 26 with the curvature is connected to the ring 10 by at least one leg 22-25. The legs are preferably made of a soft rubber. The upper portion 26 with the curvature is selected to fit within the crus inferius anthelicis, anti-helix and concha of a user, with the second ends 29 on the crus inferius anthelicis, and the first end 28 in the concha of the User can rest. By means of the flexible legs 22-25, the upper part 26 can match the curvature in differently complex shapes of an ear of a user. In particular, since the legs are flexible, the upper part 26 may bend as necessary. If the curvature of the Crus Inferius Anthelicis, the anti-helix, and the concha of a user is large, then the curvature of the upper portion 26 may be adjusted to such curvature as the flexible legs 22-25 will bend accordingly.

As in the Fig. 1A to 2D As shown, the expansion adapter is configured essentially in the form of a shark fin.

The expansion adapter according to the first or second embodiment, for example, have a spring stiffness, wherein the spring stiffness in the vertical direction (according to the arrow F1 of Fig. 2B ) may be between 0.05 to 0.6 N / mm. The spring stiffness here preferably has a value of 0.3 N / mm.

The expansion adapter can also have a spring stiffness in the horizontal direction (according to the arrow F2 of Fig. 2C ) from 0.02 to 0.4 N / mm. Preferably, this spring stiffness may have a value of 0.08 N / mm.

The spring stiffness F1 was determined by clamping the in-ear earpiece at the chucking points 1000 and applying a pressure from above at the location of the arrow F1 in FIG Fig. 2B is exercised. The force was recorded at an extension (deflection) of 4 mm. In particular, five measurements were made with the measured force 0.507; 0.508; 0.514; 0.504; Reached 0.507 N.

In the case of the second spring stiffness, the handset or the extension adapter was likewise clamped or clamped at the clamping points 1000 and a force at an extension (deflection) of 4 mm was determined. Five measurements were made and pressures of 0.197; 0.195; 0.200; 0.194 and 0.201 N recorded.

In the spring stiffness measurements, the force was recorded at a deflection of 4 mm.

Claims (11)

In-ear handset, with
a housing (50) for receiving an electroacoustic transducer, and
an expansion adapter unit (20) coupled to the housing (50) of the in-ear listener,
wherein the expansion adapter unit comprises an extension unit (20) having an upper portion (26) with a curvature for fitting into a Crus Inferius Anthelicis, an anti-helix and / or a concha of an ear of a user and at least one flexible coupling element for coupling the upper one Part (26) to the housing (50) of the in-ear earphone. In-ear earpiece according to claim 1, characterized in that the upper part (26) has a first end (28) and a second end (29) which enclose the region of the curvature and that the second end (29) on the Crus Inferius Anthelicis and the first end (28) can rest in the concha of the user. The in-ear earphone of claim 1, wherein the at least one leg (22-25) has a curvature. In-ear earpiece according to claim 1 or 3, wherein the extension unit (2) has a spring stiffness in the vertical direction between 0.05 and 0.6 N / mm. In-ear earpiece according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the extension unit (2) has a spring stiffness in the horizontal direction of 0.02 to 0.4 N / mm. Extension adapter for an in-ear earpiece, with
a ring unit (10) for attachment to a housing (50) of the in-ear earphone, and
an extension unit (20) having an upper portion (26) with a curvature for conforming to a Crus Inferius Anthelicis, an anti-helix and / or a concha of an ear of the user and at least one flexible coupling element (22-25) for coupling the upper one Part (26) to the ring unit (10). Expansion adapter according to claim 6, characterized in that the upper part (26) has a first end (28) and a second end (29), which cover the area of Include curvature, and that the second end (29) a Crus Inferius Anthelicis and the first end (28) can rest in the concha of the user. The expansion adapter of claim 7, wherein the at least one leg has a curvature. Expansion adapter according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the extension unit (2) in the vertical direction has a spring stiffness between 0.05 and 0.6 N / mm. Expansion adapter according to one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the extension unit (2) has a spring stiffness in the horizontal direction of 0.02 to 0.4 N / mm. Expansion adapter, in particular according to one of claims 7 to 10, with
a ring (10) for coupling to a housing of an in-ear earphone and an extension unit (20) substantially in the form of a shark fin, the extension unit (20) having a curvature which is crus inferius anthelicis, anti-helix and / or a concha of an ear of a user fits.

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