Patent Publication Number: US-11381897-B2

Title: Variable eartip for earphone

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0108278, filed on Aug. 27, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a variable eartip used for an earphone. 
     BACKGROUND 
     In general, an earphone is used while being stuck in an ear of a user so that a speaker configured to convert an electrical signal generated by an audio system or a communication device into an acoustic signal is inserted into the ear to allow a sound of the speaker to be directly emitted inside the ear and to be heard by transmitting vibrations to a tympanum of the ear. 
     Since it is possible to hear sounds with less output while hardly doing harm to other people while hearing sounds using such earphones, earphones are generally used for hearing sounds output from a portable audio system such as a cellular phone, an MP3 player, and the like. 
     As described above, earphones used for providing sounds output from an audio system only to a user without bothering other people are classified into open-type earphones and kernel-type earphones depending on a part of an ear on which an earphone is mounted. 
     In open-type earphones, since an earphone unit is placed in an auricle, there are advantages of good wearability and less fatigue in an ear even in long-time use. However, when an earphone does not fit into a user&#39;s ear, the earphone may be loose and detached frequently. Also, there are disadvantages in which due to a low noise canceling ability, sound quality may be influenced and sounds may leak out. 
     Since a kernel-type earphone is inserted into an external auditory meatus of an ear and has sound insulation performance higher than that of an open-type earphone, sound is clear so as to be adequately used outdoors or a noisy place. An eartip for the kernel-type earphone is coupled to an earphone to transmit a sound output from the earphone to the inside of user&#39;s ear and is inserted into the ear and come into direct contact with the skin so as to improve wearability of the earphone, secure air-tightness, and block external noise. 
     However, since an external auditory meatus into which the eartip is inserted has a rather complicated shape as shown in  FIG. 1 , even when the eartip is formed of a flexible material, a pain may be caused by a pressure partially applied to the external auditory meatus. Also, since a shape and a size of the external auditory meatus such as a depth, a width, an angle, and the like are various for each person, it is impossible to provide uniform wearability and comfortability to users using eartips having a determined size and shape. To overcome this, two or three eartips having different sizes are provided with an earphone so as to allow a user to select an eartip adequate for the user among the eartips. However, there is still a limitation in providing eartips having a variety of shapes. Also, an eartip which is not selected is wasted which causes resource waste. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present invention is directed to providing a variable eartip configured to provide user-customized wearability and comfortability by adjusting a length and an angle of the eartip to be adequate for an earphone. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an eartip for an earphone. The eartip includes a fixing portion formed to have a cylindrical shape with a bottom fixedly coupled to a nozzle of an earphone, a variable portion formed to have a cylindrical shape with a bottom coupled to a top of the fixing portion and to have a length and bending which are variable, and a contact portion formed of a flexible material and including an inner section having a cylindrical shape with a bottom coupled to a top of the variable portion and an outer section extending to be rounded downward from a top end of the inner section to surround at least parts of the inner section, the variable portion, and the fixing portion and to come into contact with an external auditory meatus of a user&#39;s ear. 
     The variable portion may include a first section formed below and coupled to the top of the fixing portion, a second section formed above and coupled to a bottom of the inner section, and a third section located between the first section and the second section and having a length and bending which are variable. 
     The third section may be formed of a corrugated tube. 
     The first section may be coupled to the fixing portion while being inserted into an insertion groove formed along a periphery of a top end of the fixing portion. 
     The first section and the fixing portion may be coupled through insertion-injection molding, and the first section may include one or more holes formed therein. 
     The second section may be coupled to the inner section while being inserted into an insertion groove formed along a periphery of a bottom end of the inner section. 
     The second section and the inner section may be coupled through insertion-injection molding, and the second section may include one or more holes formed therein. 
     The fixing portion may include a groove portion recessed in at least one side surface from a top end so that an inside and an outside of the cylindrical shape may communicate with each other. Also, the first section may include a hole formed in a part corresponding to the groove portion. 
     The fixing portion may be formed of a flexible material, and hardness of the fixing portion may be higher than or equal to hardness of the contact portion. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing exemplary embodiments thereof in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates an ear structure of a human which includes an external auditory meatus; 
         FIG. 2A  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an eartip according to one embodiment of the present invention when viewed from above; 
         FIG. 2B  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the eartip according to one embodiment of the present invention when viewed from below; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the eartip according to one embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D  are cross-sectional views illustrating the eartip according to one embodiment of the present invention which is mounted on an earphone and illustrate examples of a length and an angle being adjusted according to the earphone; 
         FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D and 5E  are plan views of the eartip mounted on the earphone and illustrate examples of an angle with respect to the earphone being adjusted; 
         FIG. 6A  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an eartip according to another embodiment of the present invention when viewed from above; 
         FIG. 6B  is an exploded perspective view illustrating the eartip according to another embodiment of the present invention when viewed from below; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional perspective view of the eartip according to another embodiment of the present invention which is mounted on an earphone. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, throughout the following description and the attached drawings, substantially like elements will be referred to as like reference numerals and a repetitive description thereof will be omitted. Also, in a description of the embodiments of the present invention, a detailed description of well-known functions or components of the related art will be omitted when it is deemed to obscure understanding of the embodiments of the present invention. 
       FIGS. 2A to 3  are views of an eartip according to one embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 2A  is an exploded perspective view of the eartip when viewed from above,  FIG. 2B  is an exploded perspective view of the eartip when viewed from below, and  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the eartip. 
     The eartip according to the embodiment includes a fixing portion  10 , a variable portion  20 , and a contact portion  30 . 
     The fixing portion  10  has a cylindrical shape with a bottom fixedly coupled to a nozzle of an earphone. The fixing portion  10  may include a step  11  formed thereinside not to be easily detached from the nozzle of the earphone and a tilted surface  12  at an inlet of a bottom end so as to easily insert the nozzle of the earphone thereinto. 
     The variable portion  20  has a cylindrical shape with a bottom coupled to a top of the fixing portion  10 . The variable portion  20  is formed to have a length and bending which are variable to adjust a length and an angle of the eartip with respect to the earphone on which the eartip is mounted. 
     The contact portion  30  is formed of a flexible material such as silicone, rubber, and the like and includes an inner section  31  and an outer section  32 . The inner section  31  has a cylindrical shape with a bottom coupled to a top of the variable portion  20 . The outer section  32  is formed to extend and be rounded downward from a top end of the inner section  31  and surrounds at least parts of the inner section  31 , the variable portion  20 , and the fixing portion  10 . The outer section  32  is a part which comes into contact with an external auditory meatus of a user&#39;s ear while the eartip is used. 
     The fixing portion  10  may be formed of a hard material or may be formed of a flexible material to allow the nozzle of the earphone to be easily insertable. When the fixing portion  10  is formed of a flexible material, the fixing portion  10  may have hardness higher than or equal to hardness of the contact portion  30  not to be easily detachable from the nozzle. For example, both the contact portion  30  and the fixing portion  10  are formed of silicone, hardness of silicone forming the fixing portion  10  may be higher than or equal to hardness of silicone forming the contact portion  30 . 
     The variable portion  20  may include a first section  21  formed below, a second section  22  formed above, and a third section  23  located between the first section  21  and the second section  22 . 
     The first section  21  is coupled to the top of the fixing portion  10 . The second section  22  is coupled to the bottom of the inner section  31  of the contact portion  30 . 
     The third section  23  is formed to have a length and bending which are variable. To this end, the third section  23  may be formed of a corrugated tube as shown in the drawings. The corrugated tube has advantages of having an easily variable length and of easily bending in a desired direction. In the embodiment, although the corrugated tube has two folds in the drawing, it is possible to design the corrugated tube has an adequate number of folds in consideration of a desired length or bending angle. 
     The first section  21  may be coupled to the fixing portion  10  while being inserted into an insertion groove  10   a  formed along a periphery of a top end of the fixing portion  10 . In this case, the first section  21  and the fixing portion  10  may be coupled through insertion-injection molding. When the first section  21  and the fixing portion  10  are coupled through insertion-injection molding, the first section  21  may include one or more holes  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c , and  21   d  at a part to be inserted into the fixing portion  10  to prevent the first section  21  and the fixing portion  10  from being separated from each other. When the first section  21  and the fixing portion  10  are coupled through insertion-injection molding, the holes  21   a ,  21   b ,  21   c , and  21   d  are filled with a material forming the fixing portion  10  so as to firmly fix the first section  21  to the fixing portion  10 . However, instead of insertion-injection molding, the variable portion  20  and the fixing portion  10  may be separately formed and the first section  21  of the variable portion  20  may be attached to an outer circumference or inner circumference of the fixing portion  10  through thermosetting, ultrasonic fusion, adhesion, or the like. 
     The second section  22  may be coupled to the inner section  31  of the contact portion  30  while being inserted into an insertion groove  31   a  formed along a periphery of a bottom end of the inner section  31  of the contact portion  30 . In this case, the second section  22  and the inner section  31  may be coupled through insertion-injection molding. When the second section  22  and the inner section  31  of the contact portion  30  are coupled through insertion-injection molding, the second section  22  may include one or more holes  22   a ,  22   b ,  22   c , and  22   d  at a part to be inserted into the inner section  31  of the second section  22  to prevent the second section  22  and the inner section  31  from being separated from each other. When the second section  22  and the inner section  31  are coupled through insertion-injection molding, the holes  22   a ,  22   b ,  22   c , and  22   d  are filled with a material forming the contact portion  30  so as to firmly fix the second section  22  to the inner section  31 . However, instead of insertion-injection molding, the variable portion  20  and the contact portion  30  may be formed separately and the second section  22  of the variable portion  20  may be attached to an outer circumference or inner circumference of the inner section  31  through thermosetting, ultrasonic fusion, adhesion, or the like. 
       FIGS. 4A to 4D  are cross-sectional views illustrating the eartip according to one embodiment of the present invention which is mounted on an earphone and illustrate examples of a length and an angle being adjusted according to the earphone. 
       FIG. 4A  illustrates an eartip having a basic shape. Here, when the contact portion  30  is pulled, as shown in  FIG. 4B , a length of the variable portion  20  increases so that an overall length of the eartip may increase. When a force is applied to the contact portion  30  laterally or a user inserts the eartip into the external auditory meatus, the variable portion  20  may be bent by a force applied to the eartip caused by contact with the external auditory meatus so that an angle of the eartip with respect to the earphone may be adjusted as shown in  FIGS. 4C and 4D . 
       FIGS. 5A to 5E  are plan views of the eartip mounted on the earphone and illustrate examples of the angle with respect to the earphone being adjusted. 
       FIG. 5A  illustrates an eartip having a basic shape. When a force is applied to the eartip laterally or the user inserts the eartip into the external auditory meatus, the angle of the eartip with respect to the earphone may be adjusted in all desired directions by a force applied to the eartip caused by contact with the external auditory meatus as shown in  FIGS. 5B, 5C, 5D, and 5E . 
       FIGS. 6A to 7  are views of an eartip according to another embodiment of the present invention.  FIG. 6A  is an exploded perspective view of the eartip when viewed from above,  FIG. 6B  is an exploded perspective view of the eartip when viewed from below, and  FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional perspective view of the eartip mounted on an earphone. Hereinafter, for convenience, only differences from the above-described embodiment will be mainly described. 
     A fixing portion  10 ′ includes groove portions  10   b  and  10   c  recessed from top ends of one or more side surfaces so that a cylindrical inside communicates with an outside through the groove portions  10   b  and  10   c . Also, a first section  21 ′ of a variable portion  20 ′ includes holes  21   e  and  21   f  formed at parts corresponding to the groove portions  10   b  and  10   c . The holes  21   e  and  21   f  of the groove portions  10   b  and  10   c  may relieve unfamiliarity that a wearer of the earphone can feel due to an increase in internal pressure caused by sealing an external auditory meatus and an internal space of the earphone. Referring to  FIG. 7 , the external auditory meatus (or the internal space of the earphone) and a space outside the earphone may communicate with each other through the holes  21   e  and  21   f  so as to prevent the external auditory meatus and the space inside the earphone from being sealed. According to an embodiment, a mesh member (not shown) configured to cover the holes  21   e  and  21   f  may be provided to prevent water or a foreign substance from flowing through the holes  21   e  and  21   f  or to adjust a pressure difference between the inside of the earphone and the space outside the earphone. 
     According to the present invention, a variable eartip configured to provide user-customized wearability and comfortability by adjusting a length and an angle of the eartip to be adequate for an earphone may be provided. 
     The exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described above. It should be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be implemented as a modified form without departing from the essential features of the present invention. Therefore, the disclosed embodiments should be considered not in a limitative view but a descriptive view. The scope of the present invention will be shown in the claims not in the above description, and all differences within an equivalent range thereof should be construed as being included in the present invention.