Ear bud earphone with variable noise isolation, a cushion for an ear bud earphone and a corresponding method

There is provided an insert ear bud earphone with variable noise isolation. The earphone includes a housing with a serpentine channel which is able to contain at least one transducer in a main body of the housing; and a cushion which contacts a user's ear canal wall, the cushion being mounted on the serpentine channel. There is preferably at least one opening in either the housing or the cushion which causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter the user's ear canal. There is also provided a cushion for an insert ear bud earphone. Finally, there is provided a method to enable variable noise isolation in an insert ear bud earphone comprising an inclusion of at least one opening in either a housing of the earphone or a cushion mounted on the earphone which causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter a user's ear canal.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to an ear bud earphone which is able to vary an extent of noise isolation and a cushion for use with the earphone. The invention also relates to a corresponding method to vary an extent of noise isolation.

BACKGROUND

Ear bud earphones which are inserted into users' ear canals during use have become increasingly popular for use with portable media devices and mobile phones. One of the reasons for the popularity of these earphones is because they are able to isolate the external noises which adversely affect the sounds emanating from the earphones.

However, it is for this reason that the use of such earphones is hazardous to the user under certain conditions. Such earphones are typically able to isolate noise within a certain bandwidth by more than 20 dB. When the user is using such earphones while jogging or cycling outdoors, this isolation may detrimentally reduce the user's awareness to ambient/environmental conditions, and this lack of awareness because of the noise isolation may lead to the safety of the user being compromised. For example, the user may be unaware that a vehicle is approaching or the user may take a longer than usual duration to react appropriately to the approach of a vehicle.

Despite the hazards mentioned earlier, many users still continue with the use of such earphones while exercising outdoors. This is because it has often become a habit which is difficult to break. Thus, there is a need to have earphones with adjustable isolation levels for use in different usage scenarios.

In addition, such insert earphones typically introduce “microphonic” noise which is generated from conduction of cables to our ear. This effect is also heard when there is conduction between our skulls and jaw during movement of the jaw. This “microphonic” noise may also be reduced with the use of earphones with adjustable isolation levels.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect, there is provided an insert ear bud earphone with variable noise isolation. The earphone includes a housing with a serpentine channel which is able to contain at least one transducer in a main body of the housing; and a cushion which contacts a user's ear canal wall, the cushion being mounted on the serpentine channel. There is preferably at least one opening in either the housing or the cushion which causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter the user's ear canal.

The at least one opening in the housing may be on the serpentine channel, with a size of each of the at least one opening being variable by adjusting how the cushion is mounted on the serpentine channel. Alternatively, the at least one opening in the housing may be on the main body of the housing. It is advantageous that a size of each of the at least one opening is variable by using either a multi-stepped shutter or a plug. The cushion may be made from a material such as, for example, high density foam, silicone, rubber and the like.

In a second aspect, there is provided a cushion for an insert ear bud earphone. The cushion includes a first portion for contact with a user's ear canal wall; a second portion for mounting the cushion onto a housing of the earphone; a channel for transmission of audio signals from the earphone; and at least one opening. It is advantageous that the at least one opening causes leakage which allows ambient noise to enter the user's ear canal. The at least one opening may be located at either the first portion or the second portion. It is preferable that the cushion is mounted on a serpentine channel of the housing.

In a third aspect, there is provided a method to enable variable noise isolation in an insert ear bud earphone comprising an inclusion of at least one opening in either a housing of the earphone or a cushion mounted on the earphone which causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter a user's ear canal.

Preferably, the at least one opening in the housing is on a serpentine channel of the housing, with a size of each of the at least one opening being variable by adjusting how the cushion is mounted on the serpentine channel.

Alternatively, the at least one opening in the housing is on the main body of the housing. A size of each of the at least one opening may be variable by using either a multi-stepped shutter or a plug. The cushion is preferably made from a material such as, for example, high density foam, silicone, rubber and the like. Preferably, the cushion contacts a user's ear canal wall to form an acoustic seal.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In a first aspect, there is provided an insert ear bud earphone20with variable noise isolation, with a cross sectional view of a first embodiment shown while in use in a user's ear18as depicted inFIG. 3. The earphone20includes a housing22with a serpentine channel24which is able to contain at least one transducer26in a main body28of the housing22. Only one transducer26is shown in this embodiment. The earphone20may include a cushion30which contacts the user's ear canal32wall. The cushion30may be mounted on the serpentine channel24of the housing22. At least one opening in either the housing22or the cushion30may cause leakage which allows ambient noise to enter the user's ear canal33. The at least one opening will be described in further detail in subsequent portions of this section. A size of each of the at least one opening may be variable. Allowing ambient noise to enter the user's ear canal aids in improving safety of the user while the user is exercising outdoors.

Referring toFIGS. 2 and 3, the at least one opening34in the housing22may be found on the serpentine channel24. A size of each of the at least one opening34may be variable by adjusting how the cushion30(as depicted inFIGS. 2(a) and2(b)) is mounted on the serpentine channel24. In this instance, the cushion30includes opening(s)36at a portion of the cushion30which mounts onto the serpentine channel24. The opening(s)36at a portion of the cushion30which mounts onto the serpentine channel24operate in conjunction with the at least one opening34on the serpentine channel24to enable ambient noise to enter the serpentine channel24and subsequently, the user's ear canal33. In this embodiment, twisting38the cushion30in either a clock-wise (as shown inFIG. 2(b)) or anti clock-wise direction while the cushion30is mounted onto the serpentine channel24aids in enabling leakage from the housing22of the earphone20.FIGS. 2(a) and2(b) show how twisting38the cushion30enables the at least one opening34in the housing22to align with the opening(s)36at a portion of the cushion30which mounts onto the serpentine channel24. The at least one opening34in the housing22and the opening(s)36need not be of the same size. The cushion30may be made from a material which is flexible and compressible such as, for example, high density foam, silicone, rubber and the like. Such materials are employed to enable the cushion30to form an acoustic seal with the user's ear canal32wall. Such materials should also have high coefficient of friction to prevent the user from removing the cushion30from the serpentine channel24when twisting38the cushion30.

In a second embodiment as shown inFIGS. 4(a) and4(b), the at least one opening38in the housing22may be on the main body28of the housing22. The size of the at least one opening38may be varied using a multi-stepped shutter40. The shutter40may be slidable (FIG. 4(b) shows the shutter40sliding upwards60) and may reside at various locations to enable variation in the size of the at least one opening38besides configurations where the shutter40is fully closed or fully open. This enables control in relation to an extent of ambient noise entering the housing22, and correspondingly, the user's ear canal33.

In a third embodiment as shown inFIGS. 5(a) and5(b), the at least one opening42in the housing22may also be on the main body28of the housing22. In this embodiment, the at least one opening42either allows ambient noise to enter the housing22or does not allow ambient noise to enter the housing22. This is due to the use of a plug44with the at least one opening42.FIG. 5(a) shows the plug44sealing the at least one opening42whileFIG. 5(b) shows the removal of the plug44from the at least one opening42. The plug44is preferably made from a flexible and compressible material which seals the at least one opening42in a manner which would not cause the plug44to be unplugged from the at least one opening42without intervention from the user.

In a second aspect, there is provided a cushion30for an insert ear bud earphone. A cross-sectional view of the cushion30is shown inFIG. 1and a perspective cut-away view of a second portion of the cushion30is shown inFIGS. 2(a) and2(b). It is preferable that the cushion30may be adaptable for use with all insert ear bud earphones. The cushion30may include a first portion50for contact with a user's ear canal32wall. A second portion52may be used for mounting the cushion30onto a housing of the earphone. It is preferable that the second portion52may be mounted on a serpentine channel of the housing. The cushion30may also include a channel54for transmission of audio signals from the earphone. The cushion30may also include at least one opening, where the at least one opening causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter the user's ear canal32.

The at least one opening56may be found in the first portion50of the cushion30. Alternatively, the at least one opening36may be found in the second portion52of the cushion30. The at least one opening36found in the second portion52of the cushion30may be used to enable leakage with openings found on the serpentine channel of the housing. This has been described in an earlier portion of this section.

In a third aspect, there is provided a method to enable variable noise isolation in an insert ear bud earphone comprising an inclusion of at least one opening in either a housing of the earphone or a cushion mounted on the earphone. Including the at least one opening causes leakage and allows ambient noise to enter a user's ear canal. In the method, the at least one opening in the housing may be on a serpentine channel of the housing, and a size of each of the at least one opening may be variable by adjusting how the cushion is mounted on the serpentine channel. Using the cushion to vary the size of the at least one opening has been described in an earlier portion of this section.

In the method, when the at least one opening in the housing is on the main body of the housing, a size of each of the at least one opening being variable by using a multi-stepped shutter. The shutter may be slidable and may reside at various locations to enable variation in the size of the at least one opening. This enables control in relation to an extent of ambient noise entering the housing, and correspondingly, the user's ear canal. Alternatively, instead of the shutter, a plug may also be used to enable an “open-and-shut” type of opening in the housing. However, the size of the opening is not variable when using the plug.

In the method, it is preferable that the cushion may be made from a material which is flexible and compressible such as, for example, high density foam, silicone, rubber and the like. Such materials are employed to enable the cushion to form an acoustic seal with the user's ear canal wall. Such materials should also have high coefficient of friction to prevent the user from removing the cushion from the serpentine channel when twisting the cushion to vary an extent of noise isolation offered by the earphones.

Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that many variations or modifications in details of design or construction may be made without departing from the present invention.