PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-11503399-B2
Application Number: US-202117242182-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Replaceable mesh in portable electronic devices

Abstract:
A wireless earphone comprising a housing that defines an interior cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface; an opening extending through the housing from the inner surface to the outer surface; and a mesh assembly disposed over the opening and comprising a permanent assembly coupled to the housing and a replaceable assembly removably coupled to the permanent assembly and comprising a mesh.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless earphone comprising:
 a housing that defines an interior cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface; 
 an opening extending through the housing from the inner surface to the outer surface; and 
 a mesh assembly disposed over the opening and comprising a permanent assembly coupled to the housing and a replaceable assembly removably coupled to the permanent assembly and comprising a mesh; 
 wherein the replaceable assembly is removably coupled to the permanent assembly by a wire form attachment. 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless earphone set forth in  claim 1  wherein the mesh comprises an acoustic mesh and an outer cosmetic mesh. 
     
     
       3. A wireless earbud comprising:
 a housing that defines an interior cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface; 
 an acoustic opening extending through the housing from the inner surface to the outer surface; 
 an audio driver disposed within the interior cavity and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic opening; and 
 a mesh assembly disposed over the acoustic opening, the mesh assembly comprising a permanent assembly affixed to the housing and a replaceable assembly removably coupled to the permanent assembly, the replaceable assembly comprising a mesh that includes an acoustic mesh and an outer cosmetic mesh; 
 wherein the mesh further comprises an annular frame having a central opening aligned with the acoustic opening and wherein the acoustic mesh is disposed between the annular frame and the cosmetic mesh. 
 
     
     
       4. The wireless earbud set forth in  claim 3  wherein the permanent assembly comprises first and second springs, each spring including a finger at its distal end and wherein the replaceable assembly includes first and second opening formed through a sidewall of the annular frame where a finger of each spring is aligned with and protrudes through a respective one of the first or second openings when the replaceable assembly is coupled to the permanent assembly. 
     
     
       5. The wireless earbud set forth in  claim 3  wherein the replaceable assembly comprises first and second springs, each spring including a tab at its distal end and wherein the permanent assembly includes first and second openings formed through the annular frame where a tab of each spring is aligned with and protrudes through a respective one of the first or second openings when the replaceable assembly is coupled to the permanent assembly. 
     
     
       6. The wireless earbud set forth in  claim 5  wherein the first and second springs are wire form springs positioned in a mirrored relationship with each other. 
     
     
       7. The wireless earbud set forth in  claim 6  wherein each wire form spring comprises first and second end segments at opposing ends of the spring and a central u-shaped section between the first and second end segments. 
     
     
       8. The wireless earbud set forth in  claim 7  wherein the tab portion of each wire form spring is coupled to the central u-shaped section and extends into a cutout region of the annular frame.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/083,467, filed Sep. 25, 2020 entitled “Replaceable Mesh In Portable Electronic Devices,” the disclosure which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     This disclosure generally applies to electronic devices that include a mesh disposed over an audio opening in a housing of the device. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable listening devices, such as wireless earphones, typically include a speaker for reproducing audio content and one or more microphones for capturing audio signals by converting sound waves into electrical energy that can be transmitted, recorded or otherwise processed. For example, at least one speaker can be disposed within a housing of the portable listening device and an audio exit in the housing can allow sound waves generated by the speaker to be transmitted from the speaker to a user&#39;s ear so that the user can listen to music or other audio recordings stored on or received by a host portable electronic device paired with the portable listening device. As another example, a microphone can be disposed within a housing of the portable listening device and a microphone opening in the housing can allow sound waves generated in the environment the portable listening device is positioned within to reach the microphone causing a diaphragm of the microphone, a membrane, to vibrate which in turn can produce a varying electric current that represents the sound waves. 
     In general, portable listening devices typically include a mesh covering disposed over the audio openings, such as those described above, to protect the speaker and/or the microphone. The mesh can prevent dust, debris, and other foreign objects from reaching sensitive components of the speaker and microphone, such as the speaker diaphragm or microphone membrane. 
     Mesh coverings, however, can get clogged by the foreign objects they are designed to trap which can lead to decreased performance of a speaker or microphone since audio waves cannot penetrate the foreign objects clogging the mesh. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure describes various embodiments of a portable listening device, such as an earphone, that includes a removable mesh disposed over an audio opening in a housing of the portable electronic device. The audio opening can be an opening through which a speaker can transmit audio waves, an opening through which a microphone can receive audio waves, an opening that allows audio pressure from within the housing to vent, or any other opening through the housing for which a mesh can beneficially provide protection. The mesh can be removably coupled to the portable listening device so that, if the mesh becomes fully or partially clogged or otherwise damaged, the mesh can quickly and easily be removed from the portable listening device and replaced with a new mesh. 
     A wireless earphone according to some embodiments includes a housing that defines an interior cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface; an opening extending through the housing from the inner surface to the outer surface; and a mesh assembly disposed over the opening. The mesh assembly can include a permanent assembly coupled to the housing and a replaceable assembly removably coupled to the permanent assembly and including a mesh. In some instances the mesh can be a multilayer mesh that includes an acoustic mesh and a cosmetic mesh. 
     In various implementations, the wireless earphone can include one or more of the following features. The mesh can include an acoustic mesh and an outer cosmetic mesh. The replaceable assembly can be removably coupled to the permanent assembly by a wire form attachment. The replaceable assembly can be removably coupled to the permanent assembly by an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer can include a debondable pressure sensitive adhesive section. The replaceable assembly can be removably coupled to the permanent assembly by one or more magnets. 
     In some embodiments, a portable listening device is provided. The portable listening device can include: a housing that defines an interior cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface; an opening extending through the housing from the inner surface to the outer surface; and a replaceable mesh disposed over the opening and removably coupled to the housing. 
     In various implementations, the portable listening device can include one or more of the following features. The replaceable mesh can be mechanically secured to the housing by a wire form attachment. The replaceable mesh can be secured to the housing by an adhesive layer. The adhesive layer can include a debondable pressure senstitive adhesive section. The replaceable mesh can be secured to the housing by one or more magnets. The replaceable mesh can be part of a mesh assembly that comprises a permanent assembly and a replaceable assembly where the permanent assembly is affixed to the housing and the replaceable assembly includes the replaceable mesh. 
     A wireless earbud according to some embodiments includes: a housing that defines an interior cavity having an inner surface and an outer surface; an acoustic opening extending through the housing from the inner surface to the outer surface; an audio driver disposed within the interior cavity and aligned to emit sound through the acoustic opening; and a mesh assembly disposed over the acoustic opening. The mesh assembly can include a permanent assembly affixed to the housing and a replaceable assembly, that includes a mesh, removably coupled to the permanent assembly. 
     In various implementations, the wireless earbud can include one or more of the following features. The mesh can include an acoustic mesh and an outer cosmetic mesh. The mesh can annular frame having a central opening aligned with the acoustic opening. The acoustic mesh can be disposed between the annular frame and the cosmetic mesh. The permanent assembly can include first and second springs. Each spring can include a finger at its distal end. The replaceable assembly can include first and second openings formed through a sidewall of the annular frame. A finger of each spring can be aligned with and protrude through a respective one of the first or second openings when the replaceable assembly is coupled to the permanent assembly. The replaceable assembly can include first and second springs. Each spring can include a tab at its distal end. The permanent assembly can include first and second openings formed through an annular frame where a tab of each spring is aligned with and protrudes through a respective one of the first or second openings when the replaceable assembly is coupled to the permanent assembly. The first and second springs can be wire form springs positioned in a mirrored relationship with each other. Each wire form spring can include first and second end segments at opposing ends of the spring and a central u-shaped section between the first and second end segments. 
     To better understand the nature and advantages of the present invention, reference should be made to the following description and the accompanying figures. It is to be understood, however, that each of the figures is provided for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended as a definition of the limits of the scope of the present invention. Also, as a general rule, and unless it is evident to the contrary from the description, where elements in different figures use identical reference numbers, the elements are generally either identical or at least similar in function or purpose. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1A  illustrates a front perspective view of a portable listening device according to an embodiment of the disclosure; 
         FIG. 1B  illustrates a rear perspective view of the portable listening device shown in  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  illustrates a front perspective view of the portable listening device shown in  FIG. 1A  with its ear tip removed; 
         FIG. 2A  is an exploded view of a mesh assembly that includes a replaceable mesh that can be mechanically secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 2B  is an exploded perspective view of the mesh assembly shown in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 2C  is a perspective view of the mesh assembly shown in  FIG. 2A  assembled within an earphone; 
         FIG. 2D  is a partial perspective view of the mechanical latching mechanism employed in the mesh assembly shown in  FIG. 2A ; 
         FIG. 3  is a simplified perspective view of selected components of a mesh assembly that can include a replaceable mesh that can be mechanically secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 4  is a simplified perspective view of selected components of a mesh assembly that can include a replaceable mesh that can be mechanically secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 5  is a simplified perspective view of selected components of a mesh assembly that can include a replaceable mesh that can be mechanically secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6A  is a simplified view of a mesh assembly, as viewed from the interior cavity of the earphone, that can include a replaceable mesh that can be adhesively secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments; 
         FIG. 6B  is an exploded perspective view of the as viewed from the interior cavity of the earphone shown in  FIG. 6A ; 
         FIG. 6C  is a partial side perspective view of the as viewed from the interior cavity of the earphone shown in  FIG. 6A  attached to an earphone; 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of a mesh assembly as viewed from the interior cavity of the earphone that can include a replaceable mesh that can be adhesively secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments prior to attachment to the earphone; 
         FIG. 7B  is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the mesh assembly shown in  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 7C  is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the mesh assembly shown in  FIG. 7A ; 
         FIG. 7D  is a simplified side view of the mesh assembly shown in  FIG. 7A  attached to an earphone; 
         FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of a mesh assembly that includes a replaceable mesh that can be magnetically secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments prior to attachment to an earphone; 
         FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional perspective view of the mesh assembly shown in  FIG. 8A  prior to attachment to the earphone; 
         FIGS. 9A-9C  are simplified views of a portable wireless earbud according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 10A  is a simplified partial view of an earbud according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 10B  is a simplified cross-sectional view of the earbud shown in  FIG. 10A ; 
         FIG. 10C  is a simplified exploded view of a multi-layer snorkel mesh that can be included in the earbud of  FIGS. 10A and 10B ; 
         FIG. 11A  is a simplified perspective view of a replaceable mesh according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 11B  is a simplified perspective view of a portion of speaker housing within an earbud according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 11C  is a simplified and expanded perspective view illustrating the interaction of the replaceable mesh  1100  shown in  FIG. 11A  with the speaker housing  910  shown in  FIG. 11B  according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 12A  is a simplified perspective view of a replaceable mesh according to some embodiments; 
         FIG. 12B  is a simplified perspective view of a portion of an earbud including the replaceable mesh depicted in  FIG. 12A ; 
         FIG. 13  is a simplified perspective view of a replaceable mesh according to some embodiments; and 
         FIGS. 14A-14D  are simplified cross-sectional views of the replaceable mesh assembly  1320  shown in  FIG. 13  along different planes along with a simplified plan views of the wire form springs in the mesh assembly as the springs are loaded by the spring activation wedges during the mesh insertion process. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to certain embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known details have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention. 
     The present disclosure describes various embodiments of a portable listening device, such as an earphone. In order to provide robust protection for certain components of the portable listening device, a mesh covering can be used to cover some or all of the user facing audio ports to prevent foreign objects from reaching, contacting or damaging the components disposed behind the covered audio port. Mesh coverings, however, can become clogged with debris encountered during normal use. For example, a mesh covering on a portable listening device that is repeatedly placed in and out of a user&#39;s ear can become covered with ear wax and/or skin oils. As another example, when a mesh covering is exposed to certain liquid substances, such as milk, a residue can be left behind which can clog a portion of the mesh covering that was exposed to the liquid. Once a mesh covering becomes partially or fully clogged, the clogged covering can adversely impact the acoustic performance of the portable listening device. 
     As used herein, the term “portable listening device” includes any portable device configured to be worn by a user and placed such that a speaker of the portable listening device is adjacent to or in a user&#39;s ear. A “portable wireless listening device” is a portable listening device that is able to receive and/or send streams of audio data from or to a second device without a wire connecting the portable wireless listening device to the second device using, for example, a wireless communication protocol. 
     Headphones are one type of portable listening device, headsets (a combination of a headphone and an attached microphone) are another and hearing aids (in-ear devices that are designed to augment sounds from the surrounding environment to improve a user&#39;s hearing) are still an additional type of portable listening device. The term “headphones” represents a pair of small, portable listening devices that are designed to be worn on or around a user&#39;s head. Headphones convert an electrical signal to a corresponding sound that can be heard by the user. Headphones include both traditional headphones that are worn on or around a user&#39;s head and that include left and right ear cups connected to each other by a headband, and earphones (very small headphones that are designed to be fitted directly on or in a user&#39;s ear). Traditional headphones include both over-ear headphones (sometimes referred to as either circumaural or full-size headphones) that have ear pads that fully encompass a user&#39;s ears, and on-ear headphones (sometimes referred to as supra-aural headphones) that have ear pads that press against a user&#39;s ear instead of surrounding the ear. 
     The term “earphones” includes both small headphones, sometimes referred to as “earbuds”, that fit within a user&#39;s outer ear facing the ear canal without being inserted into the ear canal, and in-ear headphones, sometimes referred to as canal phones, that are inserted in the ear canal itself. Thus, earphones can be another type of portable listening device that are configured to be positioned substantially within a user&#39;s ear. As used herein, the term “ear tip”, which can also be referred to as an earmold, includes pre-formed, post-formed, or custom-molded sound-directing structures that at least partially fit within an ear canal. Ear tips can be formed to have a comfortable fit capable of being worn for long periods of time and can have different sizes and shapes to achieve a better seal with a user&#39;s ear canal and/or ear cavity. 
     According to embodiments described herein, a portable wireless listening device, such as an earphone, can include a removable mesh disposed over an audio opening in a housing of the portable electronic device through which a speaker can transmit audio waves or through which a microphone can receive audio waves. The mesh can be removably coupled to the portable listening device so that, if the mesh becomes clogged with ear wax, skin oil, liquid or other debris or otherwise damaged, the mesh can quickly and easily be removed from the portable listening device and replaced with a new mesh. 
     In order to simplify the description of various embodiments discussed herein, the discussion below repeatedly refers to an “earphone” or to “pair of earphones” or a “pair of wireless earphones” rather than referring to a more generic portable listening device. It is to be understood, however, that reference to an earphone is simply because of each of the specific examples described herein are with respect to an earphone. Embodiments of the invention can be useful in other types of portable listening devices including hearing aids, wired headsets, wireless or wired headphones and the like. Additionally, the techniques and features described herein can also be incorporated into any small portable electronic device that includes one or more mesh elements that protect an audio or other component within the device. For example, a replaceable mesh as described herein can be incorporated into a portable electronic device such as a smart phone, a tablet computer, a smart watch or a laptop computer, among other types of portable electronic devices, in various embodiments. 
     Example Portable Listening Device 
     In order to better appreciate and understand the present invention, reference is first made to  FIGS. 1A-1C , which depict an example earphone  100 . Specifically,  FIG. 1A  illustrates a front perspective view of a portable listening device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;  FIG. 1B  illustrates a rear perspective view of the portable listening device shown in  FIG. 1A ; and  FIG. 1C  illustrates a front perspective view of the portable listening device shown in  FIG. 1A  with its ear tip removed. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the description of earphone  100  in  FIGS. 1A-1C  is provided for illustrative purposes only and that, as discussed above, while earphone  100  is an in-ear headphone that represents a specific example of a portable listening device according to some embodiments, embodiments of the invention are not limited to in-ear headphones or to the specific features of earphone  100  as discussed below. 
     Earphone  100  can include a housing  110  and an ear tip  120  that can direct sound from an internal audio driver (e.g., a speaker) out of housing  110  and into a user&#39;s ear canal. Ear tip  120  can be made primarily from a deformable material and can be sized and shaped to fit within a user&#39;s ear canal In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 1A-1C , ear tip can be removably attached to speaker housing  110  and is shown in  FIG. 1A  in an attached state and in  FIG. 1C  in a detached stated. 
     Housing  110  can include a speaker housing  112  and a stem  114  extending from the speaker housing  112 . Stem  114  can be substantially cylindrical in construction, but it can include a planar region  130  that does not follow the curvature of the cylindrical construction. Planar region  130  can indicate an area where the wireless listening device is capable of receiving user input. For instance, a user input can be inputted by squeezing stem  114  at planar region  130 . Stem  114  can also include electrical contacts  140  and  142  for making contact with corresponding electrical contacts in charging case (see e.g.,  FIG. 10 ) that can store and charge a pair of earphones  100 . 
     In some embodiments housing  110  can be formed of a seemingly monolithic outer structure without any obvious seams or rough edges. Housing  110  can enclose an interior cavity (not shown) in which the various components of earphone  100  are positioned. For example, enclosed within housing  110  can be a processor or other type of controller, one or more computer-readable memories, wireless communication circuitry, an antenna, a rechargeable battery, power receiving circuitry and various sensors, such as an accelerometer, a photodetector, and the like, none of which are shown in  FIG. 1 . Housing  110  can also house an active driver (i.e., a speaker) and one or more microphones. The speaker and one or more microphones can each be positioned within housing  110  at a location adjacent to an audio opening that extends through housing  110  to allow the speaker and one or more microphones to transmit and receive audio waves through the housing. 
     Some or all of such audio openings can be covered by a mesh. For example, as shown in  FIG. 1C , a mesh  150  can be disposed over an audio exit formed in speaker housing  112 . A speaker can be positioned within the speaker housing and aligned to emit sound through the audio opening, through mesh  150  and through a central channel  122  that extends through ear tip  120  into a user&#39;s ear canal. As another example, a rear vent can be formed through speaker housing  112  and covered with a mesh  152 . The rear vent can be acoustically coupled to a back volume of the speaker housing to provide improved acoustic performance of the earphone. As still another example, a microphone port can formed through housing  110  at a location where speaker housing  112  and stem  114  are joined and covered by a mesh  154 . A microphone can be disposed within housing  110  at a location adjacent to the microphone port such that the microphone can receive sound waves through mesh  154  and through the microphone port. 
     According to embodiments disclosed herein, some or all of meshes  150 ,  152  and  154  can be attached to earphone  100  in a manner that allows the meshes to be replaced using relatively quick and easy techniques that do not damage the earphone or any of the permanent earphone components. For example, in some embodiments one or more of meshes  150 ,  152  and  154  can be mechanically attached to earphone  100  using an interference or snapping fit that allows the meshes to be removed with an appropriate tool or other device without damaging the earphones. In other embodiments the meshes can be magnetically secured to the earphones and in still other embodiments the meshes can be removably attached to the earphones with an adhesive, such as a pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) that can be debonded when exposed to an external energy source, such as a sufficiently high voltage. These and other embodiments are discussed below with respect to  FIGS. 2-8 . 
     Mechanically Attached Meshes 
       FIG. 2A  is an exploded view of a mesh assembly  200  in accordance with some embodiments. Mesh assembly  200  can include a replaceable assembly  210  and a permanent assembly  220 . The permanent assembly  220  can be positioned within an interior cavity of the earphone and can be affixed to a housing  110  and/or other portions of an earphone in a generally permanent manner. For example, permanent assembly  220  can be welded, glued or otherwise directly or indirectly attached to housing  110  in a manner such that the assembly is not intended to be replaced. Replaceable assembly  210 , on the other hand, can be mechanically secured to permanent assembly  220  in a removable manner so that if the mesh gets clogged or otherwise damaged, the replaceable assembly  210  can be detached from the permanent assembly  220  and replaced with a new replaceable assembly. 
     The replaceable assembly  210  can include a stiffener  212 , a mesh  215  and a seal  218 . Stiffener  212  can provide structural integrity to the replaceable assembly  210  and in various embodiments can be made out of a metal (e.g., stainless steel), hard plastic or other suitable rigid material. In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 2A , stiffener  212  includes a rib  212   b  positioned between opposing ends of an outer, annular stiffener wall  212   a . Outer wall  212   a  and rib  212   b  can include contours that conform to the topography of the external surface of housing  110 . Rib  212   b  can bisect a central opening defined by outer annular wall  212   a  to provide additional structural rigidity across the length of replaceable assembly  210 . Stiffener  212  can also include two tabs  212   c  attached to rib  212   b  and positioned in an opposing relationship and extending away from the rib  212   b  as described in more detail below with respect to  FIG. 2D . 
     When mesh assembly  200  is fully assembled and coupled to housing  110 , mesh  215  can be positioned over an acoustic opening  250  to prevent debris and other unwanted particles from falling into the housing through the acoustic opening. Acoustic opening  250  can be any acoustic opening formed through housing  110 , such as one of openings  150 ,  152  or  154  described above. Mesh  215  can be an interlaced structure formed of a network of wire that allows sound to propagate through the mesh but prevents debris from passing through. In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 2A-2D , mesh  215  is a multilayer mesh that includes an acoustic mesh  214  and a cosmetic mesh  216 . 
     Acoustic mesh  214  can be constructed as a single layer with contours that conform to a topography of an external surface of a housing. In some instances, acoustic mesh  214  can be a porous layer that is tuned to a specific acoustic impedance to enable proper operation of an underlying microphone. In some embodiments, acoustic mesh  214  is formed of a pliable, porous material, such as a porous polyester. Acoustic mesh  214  can be covered with a hydrophobic coating that enables acoustic mesh  214  to resist ingress of water into the housing of the wireless listening device. Acoustic mesh  214  can be adhered to cosmetic mesh  216  via any suitable adhesive, such as pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA). 
     Cosmetic mesh  216  can be an interlaced structure formed of a network of stiff wire for providing a visible mesh texture to mesh assembly  200  when the wireless listening device is viewed from the outside. An outer surface of cosmetic mesh  216  can be positioned substantially flush with an external surface of housing  110  of earphone  100 . Thus, an outer surface of cosmetic mesh  216  can form an external surface of the mesh assembly  200  and a portion of an external surface of earphone  100 . When positioned over an audio opening, such as microphone aperture  154 , having the outer surface of the cosmetic mesh  216  flush with the outer contours of the housing can act as acoustic shielding for the microphone to mitigate potential wind noise and improve sound capture quality of the microphone. 
     The porosity of cosmetic mesh  216  can lend itself to have negligible acoustic impact on sound passing through mesh  215 , while having a degree of aesthetic appeal so that its design complements the appearance of the earphone  100 . Mesh  216  can include a sidewall surface  216   a  that extends downward from its outer surface into the acoustic opening and surrounding an outer periphery of stiffener  212 . In some embodiments, cosmetic mesh  216  can be formed of a stainless steel mesh and can be attached to stiffener  212  via a plurality of laser welding points (e.g., between the sidewall  216   a  of cosmetic mesh  216  and a sidewall of stiffener  212 ) or by an appropriate adhesive. In some embodiments stiffener  212  can include sidewalls that have one or more portions bending upwards towards the exterior surface of housing  110 . When included, such sidewalls can increase the surface area contact with cosmetic mesh  216  to improve mechanical coupling with the cosmetic mesh. 
     Replaceable assembly  210  can be removably attached to permanent assembly  220  enabling mesh  215  to be easily replaced if the mesh becomes clogged or otherwise damaged.  FIG. 2B  is a simplified partially exploded illustration of replaceable assembly  210  with its components (stiffener  212 , acoustic mesh  214  and cosmetic mesh  216 ) in an assembled state spaced apart from various components of permanent assembly  220  including a flange  222 , a wire form  224  and an attachment element  226 . As discussed below with respect to  FIGS. 2C and 2D , wire form  224  can latch onto the end tabs  212   c  of stiffener  212  when replaceable assembly  210  is pressed into the permanent assembly  220 . Permanent assembly  220  itself can be attached to earphone  100  via an acoustic frame  230 . As shown in  FIG. 2A , acoustic frame  230  can be positioned within the speaker housing portion  110  of earphone  100 . Acoustic frame  230  can define or partially define acoustic chambers within the earphone. For example, in some embodiments acoustic frame  230  can define or partially define the back volume and/or the front volume of the speaker within speaker housing  110 . In some embodiments acoustic frame  230  can be formed from a rigid material, such as a hard plastic. 
     Acoustic frame  230  can also serve as a mounting structure for permanent assembly  220  as well as for a speaker and/or other components of earphones  100 . For example, acoustic frame  230  can include a recess  232  (shown in  FIG. 2C ) formed in an inner surface that is sized and shaped to accept flange  222 . The flange  222  can sit within recess  232  and be permanently attached to acoustic frame  230  by, for example, a pressure sensitive adhesive or other appropriate attachment mechanism. Wire form  224  can be positioned adjacent to flange  222  and secured to the flange by attachment element  226 . 
     Wire form  224  can include a body formed of a single, contiguous strip of wire that is bent in various directions to create a compressible spring that can serve as a latching point for the replaceable assembly  210 . For example, as shown in  FIG. 2C , which is a perspective view of mesh assembly  200  assembled within acoustic frame  230 , wire form  224  can include a u-shaped portion  224   a  at one end and two separate smaller u-shaped portions  224   b  and  224   c  spaced apart from each other at the opposite end. Outer intermediate segments  224   d ,  224   e  can extend between larger u-shaped portion  224   b  and each of the smaller u-shaped portions  224   c ,  224   d , respectively. Wire form  224  can also include two end segments  224   f ,  224   g  as well as two inner intermediate segments  224   h ,  224   i . Inner intermediate segment  224   h  can extend between u-shaped portion  224   c  and end segment  224   f  and inner intermediate segment  224   i  can extend between u-shaped portion  224   d  and end segment  224   g . The arrangement of wire form  224  allows the two inner intermediate signments  224   h ,  224   i  to function as a spring that can latch onto tips  212   c  of rib  200  as discussed below with repsect to  FIG. 2D . 
     Wire form  224  can be secured to flange  222 . For example, wire form  224  can be positioned over an inner surface of flange  222  and the flange can include a hook  222   a  at one end that can hook over u-shaped segement  224   a . Additionally, attachment element  226  can be bonded to flange  222  and extend over inner intermediate segments  224   h ,  224   i  of wire form  224  and under outer intermediate segments  224   d ,  224   e  to further secure the wire form  224  to flange  222 . End segments  224   f ,  224   g  can point outwards away from a central axis of wire form  224  towards the outer intermediate segments  224   d ,  224   e  preventing, in combination with hook  222   a , the wire form from being pulled out of joined flange  222  and attachment  226 . 
       FIG. 2D  is a partial perspective view of replaceable assembly  210  mechanically latching to permanent assembly  220 . As shown in  FIG. 2D , tabs  212   c  include lower angled surfaces  212   d  and upper angled surfaces  212   f  that join together at a corner  212   e . When the replaceable assembly  210  is pressed into permanent assembly  220 , lower angled surfaces  212   d  contact the inner intermediate segments  224   h ,  224   i  pressing the inner intermediate segments apart until they encounter corners  212   e . Once the tabs  212   c  are pressed further into the permanent assembly  220 , the inner intermediate segments snap inward along upper angled surfaces  212   f  such that wire form spring  224  latches onto the tabs  212   c  securing the replaceable assembly  210  to the permanent assembly  220 . 
     To remove or otherwise replace mesh  215 , the replaceable assembly  210  can be pulled away from permanent assembly  220  such that the inner intermediate segments  224   h ,  224   i  are forced apart until they encounter corners  212   e . Then, once the tabs  212   c  are pulled further away from the permanent assembly  220 , the inner intermediate segments snap inward along lower angled surfaces  212   d  allowing the replaceable assembly  210  to be fully removed from the permanent assembly. In some embodiments, replaceable assembly  210  can be pushed into the permanent assembly by a user&#39;s finger or a tool with a flat or slightly curved surface that matches the curvature of the earphone housing in which the mesh is included. Replaceable assembly  210  can then be detached from the earphone by a tool that includes one or more small hooks that can latch onto the cosmetic mesh and pull the replaceable assembly off of the earphone. 
       FIG. 3  is a simplified perspective view of a mesh assembly  300  in accordance with some embodiments that serve to can protect an audio opening, such as any of the audio openings  150 ,  152 , or  154 . Similar to mesh assembly  200 , mesh assembly  300  can include a permanent assembly that can be directly or indirectly affixed to an earphone and a replaceable assembly that can be mechanically attached to the permanent assembly in a removable manner. For ease of illustration, mesh assembly  300  is shown without several components including the mesh itself 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , mesh assembly  300  includes a stiffener  310 , which can be part of a replaceable assembly that includes a single or multi-layered mesh, along with a flange  322  and a wire form  324 . Flange  322  and wire form  324  can be part of a permanent assembly that can be permantly affixed to an earphone housing. In some embodiments the permanent assembly can be directly affixed to an acoustic frame, which in turn, can be affixed to the earphone housing. 
     Flange  322  can include first and second opposing holding elements  326  that extend downward (i.e., away from the audio opening in the earphone housing that mesh  300  protects) from within a central opening of the flange  322 . Each of the holding elements  326  can include a shelf  326   a  that projects inward towards the opposing holding element. Similar to wire form  224 , wire form  324  can include a body formed of a single, contiguous strip of wire that is bent in various directions to create a compressible spring that can serve as a latching point for the replaceable assembly stiffener  312 . Wire form  324  can site on the shelves  326   a  and can include first and second opposing arms  324   a  along with first and second end members  324   b . Each of the end members  324   b  can extend away from one of the arms and include a section extending away from the other end member. When mesh assembly  300  is fully assembled, the end members  324   b  can be pressed up against an inner surface of flange  322 . While not shown in  FIG. 3 , flange  322  can include hooks that each of the end members  324   a  fits within to secure the end members to the flange. 
     Stiffener  310  can include first and second tabs  312  that have a length that extends downward (i.e., away from the audio opening that mesh assembly  300  protects). Each of the tabs  312  can have a concave shape such that a portion of each tab  312  is closest to the opposing tab at a location along the length of the tab between an upper surface  310   a  of stiffener  310  and a distal end  312   b  of each tab  312 . When the stiffener  310  is pressed into flange  322 , tabs  312  contact wire form  324  forcing the two arms of the wire form apart until they latch onto the tabs when the narrowest portion of the concave tabs extends below the wire form  324 . 
       FIGS. 4 and 5  are simplified perspective views of mesh assemblies  400  and  500 , respectfully, that can be mechanically secured to an earphone in accordance with additional embodiments. Similar to  FIG. 3 , the mesh assemblies  400  and  500  can each include a replaceable assembly and a permanent assembly, but for ease of illustration, the mesh assemblies are shown without several components of such assemblies including the mesh itself 
     Mesh assembly  400  can include a stiffener  412  that can be removably attached to a flange  422 . Stiffener  412  can include two tabs  412   a  at opposing ends of the stiffener and a wire form spring  414  can extend between the two tabs exerting a force that pushes the tabs away from each other. Flange  422  can include first and second tabs  422   a  at opposing ends of an opening defined by the flange that align with tabs  412   a . The stiffener tabs  412   a  can be press fit within tabs  422   a  with wire form spring  414  mechanically securing the fit. 
     Mesh assembly  500  can include a stiffener  512  that can be removably attached to a flange  522 . Instead of including a wire form spring, stiffener  512  includes first and second tabs  512   a  can be press fit within openings formed in corresponding tabs  522   a  of flange  522 . 
     Adhesively Attached Meshes 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 6A-6C  in which  FIG. 6A  is a simplified view of a mesh assembly  600  that can include a replaceable assembly that can be adhesively secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments as viewed from the interior cavity of a speaker housing  110 ,  FIG. 6B  is an exploded perspective view of the mesh assembly  600 , and  FIG. 6C  is a partial side perspective view of the mesh assembly  600  attached to an earphone. Similar to mesh assembly  200 , mesh assembly  600  includes a replaceable assembly  610  and a permanent assembly  620 . The permanent assembly  620  can be positioned within a recess or cutout on an interior surface of speaker housing  110  that is sized and shaped to accept a flange portion  622  of the permanent assembly  620 . Replaceable assembly  610  can be removably coupled to the permanent assembly  620  so that if its mesh gets clogged or otherwise damage, the replaceable assembly  610  can be detached from the permanent assembly  620  and replaced with a new replaceable assembly. 
     The replaceable assembly  610  can include a stiffener  612  and a mesh  615  and can be adhesively coupled to flange  622  by a debondable conductive adhesive  630  such as a conductive debondable PSA. Stiffener  612  can provide structural integrity to the replaceable assembly and in various embodiments can be made out of a metal (e.g., stainless steel), hard plastic or other suitable rigid material. In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 6A-6C , stiffener  612  is a cross-shaped structure that includes a first central rib  612   a  and a second rib  612   b  that bisects and is perpendicular to the first rib. The first and second ribs  612   a  and rib  612   a  can include contours that conform to the topography of the external surface of housing  110 . 
     Mesh  615  can be positioned over an acoustic opening, such as any of openings  150 ,  152 ,  154 , to prevent debris and other unwanted particles from falling into the housing through the acoustic opening. Mesh  615  can be similar to mesh  215  described above and can include an acoustic mesh  614  (e.g., a mesh that catches earwax) sandwiched between stiffener  612  and a cosmetic mesh  616 . The acoustic mesh  614  and cosmetic mesh  616  can be similar to the acoustic and cosmetic meshes  214  and  216  described above. 
     Replaceable assembly  610  can be removably attached to permanent assembly  620  by adhesive  630 . The adhesive  630  can essentially secure replaceable assembly  610  to the earphone  600  with a sufficient adhesive force that the replaceable assembly  610  cannot be detached during normal operation and use of earphone  100 . If the replaceable mesh  615  becomes clogged or otherwise needs to be replaced, however, debondable adhesive  630  can be exposed to a treatment step that greatly reduces the adhesion between replaceable assembly  610  and permanent assembly  620  allowing the replaceable mesh to be removed. In some embodiments adhesive  630  can be an electrically conductive adhesive that can be debonded by exposing the adhesive to a sufficiently high voltage. Once exposed, the replaceable assembly  610  can be removed and a new replaceable assembly  610  with a new mesh  615  can be attached to flange  630 . 
     In some embodiments, mesh assembly  600  can further include a second acoustic mesh  626  coupled to flange  622  by a second pressure sensitive adhesive or other appropriate mechanism. Acoustic mesh  626  can be coupled to the opposite side of permanent assembly  620  that replaceable mesh  615  is coupled to. Mesh  615  includes an earwax catching mesh  614  that prevents material that might otherwise clog a mesh from reaching acoustic mesh  626  enabling mesh  626  to be, essentially, a permanently installed acoustic mesh that is not replaced when replaceable assembly  610  is detached from earphone  100 . 
       FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of a mesh assembly  700  that can be adhesively secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments. Similar to mesh assembly  200 , mesh assembly  700  can include a replaceable assembly  710  and a permanent assembly  720 .  FIG. 7A  depicts replaceable assembly  710  in a spaced apart relationship from permanent assembly  720  which is affixed to an earphone housing  110  prior to attachment of the mesh assembly  700  to the earphone  100 . As shown in  FIG. 7B , which is an exploded perspective view of replaceable assembly  710 , the replaceable assembly can include a stiffener  712 , a mesh  715  and an adhesive layer  718 . Mesh  715  can be a multilayer mesh and include an acoustic mesh  714  and a cosmetic mesh  716 . The acoustic mesh  714  and cosmetic mesh  716  can be similar to the acoustic and cosmetic meshes  214  and  216  described above. 
     Stiffener  712  can be made from a rigid material such as a metal or hard plastic and can include a lip that around an outer periphery of the stiffener. Adhesive layer  718  can have an annular oval shape and fit within the lip of stiffener  712 . The adhesive layer  718  can include a pressure sensitive adhesive segment  718   a  extending along a portion of the annular layer and a conductive PSA segment  718   b  abutting the adhesive segment  718   a  and extending along a remainder of the annular layer. When stiffener  712  is made from a conductive metal or similar material, the conductive PSA region  718  can provide a ground path from the cosmetic mesh  715  through the stiffener  712  and the conductive PSA region  718   b  to an underlying flange  720  that the adhesive layer  718  is adhered to. 
       FIG. 7C  is a bottom perspective view of the replaceable assembly  710 . As shown in  FIG. 7C , the cosmetic mesh  716  can include a sidewall  716   a  that wraps around the components of the replaceable assembly  710 .  FIG. 7D  is a simplified side view of the mesh assembly  700 . As shown in  FIG. 7D , an o-ring  730  can be disposed between a flange  722  that is a component of permanent assembly  720  and an interior surface of the wall of housing  110  providing a seal around the region of housing  110  in which the mesh assembly  700  is attached to prevent the ingress of liquid (such as water, sweat or other moisture) and debris into the speaker housing. 
     Magnetically Attached Meshes 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 8A and 8B .  FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of a mesh assembly  800  that can be magnetically secured to an earphone in accordance with some embodiments and  FIG. 8B  is a cross-sectional perspective view of mesh assembly  800 . Mesh assembly  800  can include a replaceable assembly  810  and a permanent assembly  820 . Each of  FIGS. 8A and 8B  depict the replaceable assembly  810  in a spaced-apart relationship with permanent assembly  820  prior to the attachment of the replaceable assembly  810  to the permanent assembly. When mesh assembly  800  is fully assembled and coupled to housing  110 , a mesh  815  of the assembly can be positioned over an acoustic opening  850  of the housing to prevent debris and other unwanted particles from falling into the housing through the acoustic opening. Acoustic opening  850  can be any acoustic opening formed through housing  110 , such as one of openings  150 ,  152  or  154  described above. 
     Replaceable assembly  810  can include a base plate  812 , a mesh  815  and a seal  812 . Base plate  812  can be made from a relatively rigid magnetic material that provides structural integrity to the replaceable assembly  810  and enables the assembly  810  to be magnetically secured to the permanent assembly  820 . In some embodiments, base plate  812  can be made out of ferromagnetic steel. Mesh  815  can be an interlaced structure formed of a network of wire that allows sound to propagate through the mesh but prevents debris from passing through. In the embodiments depicted in  FIGS. 8A and 8B , mesh  815  can be a multilayer mesh that includes an acoustic mesh  814  and a cosmetic mesh  816  that can be similar to acoustic and cosmetic meshes  214 ,  216  discussed above. Seal  812  can be a layer of foam, silicone or similar compressible material that forms a seal between replaceable member  810  and permanent member  820  to prohibit the ingress of water or other moisture and/or dust or other debris from entering into the earphone housing around mesh assembly  800  and through opening  850 . 
     Permanent assembly  820  can include a flange  822  and one or more magnets  824 . The flange  822  can couple the permanent assembly  820  to an acoustic housing (as shown in  FIG. 8A or 8B ) or, in other embodiments, directly to the housing  110  of an earphone. Magnets  824  can be adhesively secured to flange  822  and positioned to magnetically couple with base plate  812  when replaceable assembly  810  is positioned within the opening  850 . Magnets  824  can be selected to generate a sufficiently strong magnetic field to secure base plate  812  during normal operation and during a drop event or similar impact event while still enabling the replaceable assembly to be removed from the earphone when replacement is desired. In some embodiments magnets  824  can be electropermanent magnets that are activated prior to or upon initial installation of the replaceable assembly to secure the replaceable assembly  810  to the permanent assembly  820 . Then, when the replaceable assembly is to be removed, the electropermanent magnet can be energized to switch the direction of magnetization enabling the replaceable assembly to be easily detached. 
     Representative applications of methods and apparatus according to the present application were described above. The various examples described above are provided solely to add context and aid in the understanding of the described embodiments. It will thus be apparent to one skilled in the art that the described embodiments may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid unnecessary obscuring the described embodiments. For example, various aspects, embodiments, implementations or features of the described embodiments can be used separately or in any appropriate combination. Also, other applications are possible, such that the following examples should not be taken as limiting. 
     Snorkel Meshes 
     As noted above, various embodiments of replaceable meshes described herein can be useful for both earbuds as well as in-ear headphones. As an example, reference is now made to  FIGS. 9A-9C , which are simplified views of a wireless earbud  900  according to some embodiments. Specifically,  FIG. 9A  is a simplified plan view of a first side of earbud  900 ,  FIG. 9B  is a simplified plan view of a second side, opposite the first side, of earbud  900 , and  FIG. 9C  is a simplified top view of earbud  900 . 
     Earbud  900  includes a housing  902  that can be made from, for example, a hard radio frequency (RF) transparent plastic such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polycarbonate. In some embodiments, housing  902  can be made from one or more components that can be bonded together (e.g,. with tongue and groove joints and an appropriate adhesive) to form a monolithic housing structure with a substantially seamless appearance. Housing  902  forms a shell that defines an internal cavity in which the various components of earbud  900  are housed. As depicted housing  902  includes two primary sections: a speaker housing  910  and a stem  912  that protrudes away from the speaker housing at an angle. The cavity portion within speaker housing  910  can hold an audio driver and battery while the cavity portion within stem  912  can hold a primary circuit board and other electronics. In some embodiments, stem  912  can also include electrical contacts  922 ,  924  at the distal tip of the stem. Electrical contacts  922 ,  924  provide a physical interface that can be electrically coupled with corresponding electrical contacts in a corresponding charging case. 
     Earbud  900  can be configured to have an open, unsealed acoustic architecture that is sometimes referred to as a “leaky acoustic architecture”. That is, earbud  900  does not include a deformable ear tip that is included on the in-ear headphone  100  discussed above (e.g., ear tip  120 ). Instead, speaker housing  910  can be sized and shaped to fit within a user&#39;s ear without being inserted into the ear canal and all acoustic air volumes within earbud  900  have a free flowing air path to the ambient. 
     Speaker housing  910  is the primary support mechanism for earbud  900  when the earbud is positioned within a user&#39;s ear and speaker housing  910  can be shaped to rest between a user&#39;s tragus and anti-tragus without putting unwanted pressure on the crus helix, which could lead to a source of discomfort when the earbud is engaged in a user&#39;s ear for a long period of time. Towards this end, in some embodiments speaker housing  910  can be contoured to include an end portion  915  at its distal end that allow the speaker housing portion to sit deep within the space between the tragus and anti-tragus of a user&#39;s ear. End portion  915  is sometimes referred to as a snorkel and, in some embodiments, can form a pseudo seal (sometimes referred to as a passive seal) between the housing and user&#39;s ear even though earbud  900  is not an in-ear headphone and does not include a deformable ear tip that is inserted into the user&#39;s ear canal. The pseudo seal allows earbud  900  to have improved audio quality compared to other leaky architecture earbuds without creating potential pressure build-up within a user&#39;s ear that can be created by earbuds with deformable ear tips and that some user&#39;s find uncomfortable. 
     Speaker housing  910  can be further contoured such that certain surfaces of the housing are not in contact with any portion of an average user&#39;s ear. These non-contact portions provide locations for various features of earbud  900  including audio ports, such as a primary acoustic port  914 , a base port  916  and a control leak  918 . Acoustic port  914  provides an acoustic pathway for sound generated by an audio driver (not shown in  FIGS. 9A-9C ) within speaker housing  910  to reach a user&#39;s ear canal through the snorkel portion  915 . Base port  916  can be an opening in speaker housing  910  that provides an acoustic pathway from the driver that allows air to flow easier within the acoustic pathway for low frequency sounds, e.g., bass sound waves that are lower than 20 Hz. Similarly, control leak  918  can be an opening within speaker housing  910  that allows air to flow out of housing  902 , however, instead of improving bass sound quality, control leak  918  can provide an atmospheric pass-through between an outside environment and acoustic port  914  when earbud  900  is worn by a user so that speaker housing  910  does not completely seal the ear canal and trap pressure within the ear canal. 
     Some or all of the audio ports  914 ,  916  and  918  can include a replaceable mesh according to embodiments described herein over the port to prevent foreign objects from reaching, contacting or damaging the components disposed behind the covered audio port. As examples, control leak  918  can be covered by an acoustic mesh  928  and acoustic port  914  can include a mesh  920  that, because acoustic port  914  is formed through the snorkel portion  915  of earbud  900 , can be referred to as a snorkel mesh  920 . 
     An embodiment of earbuds  900  that includes a snorkel mesh  920  is shown in  FIGS. 10A and 10B  where  FIG. 10A  is a simplified partial view of an earbud  900  (without stem  912 ) looking towards acoustic port  914  and  FIG. 10B  is a simplified cross-sectional view of earbud  900  taken through acoustic port  914 . As shown in  FIG. 10B , acoustic port  914  can be formed as a cutout through speaker housing  910  such that the size and shape of acoustic port  914  is defined by an inner, annular surface of a wall  930  of the speaker housing. 
     Snorkel mesh  920  can be coupled to speaker housing  910  by a support component (not shown in  FIG. 10B ) and can sit within the acoustic port and within the edges of wall  930  such that snorkel mesh  920  spans across the entirety of acoustic port  914 . In some embodiments, mesh  920  can include multilayer, distinct layers, each of which serves a different purpose. For example, as shown in  FIG. 10C , which is a simplified exploded view of mesh  920 , the snorkel mesh can be formed as a multi-layered structure including a cosmetic mesh  940  and an acoustic mesh  944  where the cosmetic mesh forms an outer surface of earbud  900  while the acoustic mesh is positioned within acoustic port  914  beneath the cosmetic mesh. As a specific non-limiting example, the cosmetic mesh can be formed of interlaced stainless steel and the acoustic mesh can be formed of a porous fabric, such as polyester. A supporting frame (also referred to as a stiffener)  948  made out of a rigid material can provide additional structure to the mesh  920  and can define an opening  950  that aligns with acoustic port  914 . Acoustic mesh  944  can be adhered to stiffener  948  by an adhesive  946 . Similarly, cosmetic mesh  940  can be adhered to acoustic mesh  944  by an adhesive  942 . In some embodiments, one or both of adhesives  942 ,  946  can be a thin flexible pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) layer. 
     Because earbuds are worn directly in a user&#39;s ear, earbuds are susceptible to a build-up or collection of ear wax that can collect on within the acoustic port between a speaker driver and a user&#39;s ear canal. Such wax build-up can cover a portion of the snorkel mesh  920  and can muffle or otherwise adversely impact the sound quality of an earphone. 
     Referring back to  FIG. 10B , to reduce ear wax build-up, in some embodiments snorkel mesh  920  is recessed within acoustic port  914  such that snorkel mesh  920  is spaced a distance X from the opening at the exterior surface of speaker housing  910  in order to space the mesh further away from a user&#39;s ear. In some embodiments, X can be between 0.3 and 2.0 mm and in some embodiments X can be between 0.5 and 1.0 mm. In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 10B , mesh  920  is shown as having a concave profile in which the center of mesh  920  is recessed further within acoustic port  914  than the outer edges of mesh  900 . In some embodiments, however, mesh  920  can be substantially planar or have a convex shape in which the center of mesh  920  is still recessed within acoustic port  914  but is recessed less than the outer edges of mesh  920 . 
     In some embodiments, snorkel mesh  920  can be a replaceable mesh such that, if ear wax build-up on the mesh occurs and reaches an undesirable amount, the snorkel mesh  920  with wax build up on it can be replaced with a new snorkel mesh  920  without any wax build up. For example, the entire snorkel mesh structure  920  can be a replaceable assembly that can be removably attached to a permanent assembly (e.g., a support component) that is bonded to or otherwise affixed to or a part of the speaker housing  910  in the area of the acoustic port. Various, non-limiting examples of a replaceable snorkel mesh are described below with respect to  FIGS. 11A to 14D . 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 11A and 11B  where  FIG. 11A  is a simplified perspective view of a replaceable mesh assembly  1100  according to some embodiments, and  FIG. 11B  is a simplified perspective view of a portion of a permanent assembly  1150  coupled to speaker housing  1160  of an earbud, such as earbud  900 , according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 11A , replaceable mesh assembly  1100  can include a multilayer mesh  1102  attached to a frame  1104 . A pair of openings  1106  can be formed on the opposing sides of frame  1104 . In some embodiments multilayer mesh  1102  can include an outer cosmetic mesh and an acoustic mesh as described above with respect to  FIG. 10C . 
     As shown in  FIG. 11B , speaker housing  1160  can include an annular wall  1165  that defines an acoustic opening  1162  that can be, for example, similar to acoustic opening  914 . A channel  1170  (only a portion of which is visible in  FIG. 11B ) can be formed within the speaker housing  1160  and extend between opposite ends of acoustic opening  1162 . Permanent assembly  1150  can include first and second springs  1172  formed in each channel  1170  (only one of which is shown in  FIG. 11B ) and an annular snap frame  1180 . Each of the first and second springs  1172  can include a finger  1174  disposed at its distal end. In some embodiments, channel  1170  can be a single u-shaped channel that extends along approximately half the length of annular wall  1165  and the first and second springs  1172  can be disposed at opposite ends of a single u-shaped component that fits within and is adhered to channel  1170 . Annular snap frame  1180  can be fitted within annular wall  1165  and coupled to speaker housing  1160 . Snap frame  1180  can include first and second openings  1182  at opposing ends of the frame and each spring  1172  biases its respective finger  1174  so that the finger extends through its corresponding opening  1182 . 
       FIG. 11C  is a simplified and expanded perspective view illustrating the interaction of replaceable mesh assembly  1100  shown in  FIG. 11A  with permanent assembly  1150  shown in  FIG. 11B  according to some embodiments. As shown in  FIG. 11C , when replaceable mesh  1100  is fully inserted into opening the acoustic port  1162 , opening  1106  in the replaceable mesh frame  1104  aligns with finger  1174  of the spring  1172 . Spring  1172  biases finger  1174  such that it extends through opening  1182  and through opening  1106  locking the replaceable mesh assembly  1100  to speaker housing  1150 . While  FIG. 11C  illustrates the interaction between spring  1172  and opening  1106  at one end of the replaceable mesh assembly  1100 , the equivalent attachment features at opposite end of the replaceable mesh assembly, which is not shown in  FIG. 11C , operate in essentially the same manner. 
     In the embodiment depicted in  FIGS. 11A-11C , a custom tool can be used to attach and deattach the replaceable mesh assembly from the speaker housing. For example, the tool can be inserted into a channel  1176  between the snap frame  1180  and frame  1104  of the replaceable mesh assembly at each end and slid towards finger  1174 . As the tool contacts curved region  1178 , it can compress finger  1174  and spring  1172  away from opening  1106  in direction  1190  as indicated by the dashed line in  FIG. 11C . Replaceable mesh assembly  1100  can then be inserted within acoustic opening  1162  and when the tool is removed, springs  1172  push fingers  1174  through openings  1106  locking the replaceable mesh assembly in place. The custom tool can then also be used to remove the replaceable mesh assembly from the speaker housing in essentially the same manner. 
     In some embodiments, replaceable mesh assembly  1100  can further include an adhesive layer  1110  along a bottom surface of frame  1104  that aligns with ledge  1184  of snap frame  1180  to adhesively bond the replaceable mesh assembly to the snap frame. 
     The embodiment shown in  FIGS. 11A-11C  included spring fingers that were permanently affixed to the speaker housing of earbud  1150 . In some embodiments, spring fingers can instead be included on the replaceable mesh assembly. One example of such an embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 12A and 12B  where  FIG. 12A  is a simplified bottom perspective view of a replaceable mesh assembly  1200  and  FIG. 12B  is a simplified perspective view of a portion of an earbud  1250  including an acoustic opening  1262 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 12A , replaceable mesh assembly  1200  can include a snorkel mesh  1220  that can include a supporting frame similar to snorkel mesh  920  discussed above. First and second springs  1230  can be disposed in an opposing relationship and attached to snorkel mesh  1220 . Each spring  1230  can have a curved body  1232  that extends along its length between opposing first and second ends  1234 ,  1236 . Body  1232  can be laser welded (e.g., with welds  1235 ) to the supporting frame of mesh  1220  at its first end  1234 . Spring  1230  is not bonded to snorkel mesh  1220  at its second end  1236  which allows the second end to be rotated under pressure (e.g., compressed) in the direction  1240  as shown in  FIG. 12A . When compressed in this manner, a tab  1238  at the second end  1236  is moved from a position in which the tab extends out past an outer periphery of a wall  1222  of snorkel mesh  1220  to a position in which the tab  1238  is fully within an inner perimeter of wall  1222 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 12B , a permanent assembly  1250  can be affixed within an acoustic opening of an earbud and can include a snap frame  1280  bonded to an inner wall  1265  of the speaker housing  1260  that defines an acoustic opening  1262  of the earbud. Permanent assembly  1250  can include a snap frame  1280  that has first and second openings  1282  at opposing ends that align with tabs  1236  when replaceable mesh assembly  1200  is inserted into acoustic opening  1262  and pressed against a mounting face  1284  of snap frame  1280 . Similar to the embodiment discussed with respect to  FIGS. 11A-11C , a custom tool can be used to attach and deattach the replaceable mesh assembly  1200  from speaker housing  1260 . For example, the tool can be inserted over the replaceable mesh assembly along an outer surface of wall  1222  and rotated or otherwise moved in direction  1240  to compress the tabs  1238 . When tabs  1238  are so compressed, replaceable mesh assembly  1200  can be fully inserted into acoustic opening  1262 . Then, when the tool is removed, springs  1230  bias tabs  1238  back to their initial position such that the tabs extend through the opposing openings  1282  locking the replaceable mesh assembly  1200  to speaker housing  1260 . The custom tool can then later be used to remove the replaceable mesh assembly from the speaker housing in essentially the same manner. 
     In some embodiments springs  1230  can be made from sheet metal and the entire replaceable mesh assembly can be designed to minimize its height. When designed as such, when the assembly is snapped onto speaker housing  1260  within acoustic opening  1262 , the outer surface of the mesh assembly can be recessed from the outer surface of speaker housing  1260  by a distance that helps minimize the accumulation of ear wax on the snorkel mesh in the first place. 
       FIG. 13  is a simplified perspective view of an embodiment of a mesh assembly  1300 . Mesh assembly  1300  includes a permanent assembly or frame  1310  and a replaceable mesh assembly  1320  that includes a snorkel mesh  1325  and a pair of wire form springs  1330 . In some embodiments, frame  1310  can be bonded or otherwise attached to an earbud housing such that the frame  1310  sits within an acoustic opening, such as acoustic opening  914 . Frame  1310  can be made out of a stiff material such as a hard plastic or a metal and can include a sidewall  1314  that extends away from a substantially planar surface  1312 . Two openings  1316  are formed on opposite sides of the frame through sidewall  1314  and two spring activation wedges  1318  are formed on opposing sides of the frame between the two openings  1316 . 
     Snorkel mesh  1325  can include a multilayer mesh similar to, for example, snorkel mesh  920  described above. Snorkel mesh  1325  can also include a stiffener  1322  at its bottom surface that has cutouts (not labeled) to hold various portions of the wire form springs  1330 . First and second supports  1324 ,  1326  can be disposed at opposite ends of the stiffener with each of the supports centered within one of the cutouts, while two additional cutouts are disposed in an opposing relationship with each other and radially spaced away from the supports by 90 degrees. 
     Each wire form spring  1330  can include a u-shaped portion  1334  disposed between first and second opposing ends  1332 ,  1336  and a tab  1338  centered along and attached to the u-shaped portion  1334 . As shown in  FIG. 13 , the ends  1332  in the pair of wire form springs  1330  include segments that are parallel to and spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of support  1324 . Similarly, the ends  1336  include segments that are parallel to and spaced apart from each other on opposite sides of support  1326 . Each tab  1338  of the wire form springs is sized to fit within one of the cutouts disposed between the two supports  1324 ,  1326  such that a bottom surface of the tabs is approximately planar with a bottom surface of stiffener  1322 . 
       FIG. 13  depicts the springs  1330  in their natural, pre-loaded state. Replaceable mesh assembly  1320  can be removably attached to an earbud by aligning the replaceable mesh with frame  1310  and pressing the mesh assembly into the frame. When properly positioned the two tabs  1338  of the replaceable mesh assembly  1320  align with the two openings  1316  of the frame and each of the pair of ends  1332  and  1334  aligns with one of the spring activation wedges  1318 . 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 14A-14D , which depict a sequence of events that occurs when the replaceable mesh assembly  1320  is properly aligned with and pressed into frame  1310 . Each of  FIGS. 14A through 14D  depicts a simplified cross-sectional view of the mesh assembly  1300  along both of planes A-A and B-B depicted in  FIG. 13  along with a simplified plan view of the replaceable mesh assembly  1320  including wire form springs  1330  as the springs are loaded by the spring activation wedges  1318 . Referring first to  FIG. 14A , replaceable assembly  1320  is shown directly above an acoustic opening  914  formed through speaker housing  910 . Additionally, frame  1310  is attached to speaker housing  910  within the acoustic opening providing a receptacle for the replaceable mesh assembly  1320  as described below and a retaining ring  1340  is shown coupled to the stiffener  1322  to retain springs  1330  to the replaceable mesh. In some embodiments retaining ring  1340  can be made from a stamped sheet of metal or a similarly rigid material. 
     As the wire form springs  1330 , in  FIG. 14A , are not yet in contact with wedges  1318 , the springs  1330  are in the same pre-loaded state as shown in  FIG. 13 . Additionally, the ends  1332  of the springs  1330  are pressed against support  1324 , the two ends  1336  are pressed against support  1326  and each tab  1338  extends into its respective cutout in stiffener  1322  without protruding past the outer edge of the stiffener. 
     In  FIG. 14B , replaceable mesh assembly  1320  is moved into acoustic opening  914  but the springs  1330  are not yet in contact with wedges  13198  and are thus still in the pre-loaded condition and the ends  1332 ,  1336  and tabs  1338  are all positioned as discussed above with respect to  FIG. 14A . As the replaceable mesh assembly  1320  is pressed further into the acoustic opening, however, the ends of the springs  1330  come into contact with the angled surface of the wedges  1318  driving the two ends  1332  away from each other and driving the two ends  1336  away from each other as shown in  FIG. 14C . As the pairs of ends  1332  and  1334  are split apart, tabs  1338  are pushed out of their respective channels with the ends of each tab  1338  contacting the sidewall  1314  of frame  1310 . Then, as the replaceable mesh assembly  1320  is pressed still further into the acoustic opening, the ends of the springs  1330  move past the angled portion of wedges  1318  and the ends of tabs  1338  are snapped into the two opposing holes  1316  locking the replaceable mesh assembly to frame  1310 . 
     The foregoing description, for purposes of explanation, used specific nomenclature to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the specific details are not required in order to practice the described embodiments. For example, while earphones  100  were described as in-ear headphones having a compressible ear tip that can be inserted into a user&#39;s ear canal providing an acoustic seal within the ear canal, in other embodiments earphones  100  can have a hard plastic or similar housing structure that is not compressible and that sits within a user&#39;s ear adjacent to his or her ear canal. Also, while earphones  100  were described as having electrical contacts to enable a charging case to recharge the battery within the earphones, in other embodiments the earphones can be recharged wirelessly through a wireless power receiving coil or similar element. 
     As another example, while several embodiments described above a mechanical attachment mechanism in which a wire form spring is attached to the permanent assembly by an attachment element or by hooks or other attachment features of components within the permanent assembly, in some embodiments portions of the wire form assembly can be insert molded within the earphone housing, within the acoustic frame or within another component that is part of the permanent assembly. The insert molded portions can anchor the wire form to the permanent assembly while portions of the wire form that the replaceable assembly can latch onto are not insert molded over. As still another example, in some embodiments the mechanical attachment mechanism can have a release mechanism that can be activated at the push of a button, electronically or by any other appropriate means. Thus, the foregoing descriptions of the specific embodiments described herein are presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not target to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise forms disclosed. Also, while different embodiments of the invention were disclosed above, the specific details of particular embodiments may be combined in any suitable manner without departing from the spirit and scope of embodiments of the invention. Further, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications and variations are possible in view of the above teachings. 
     Finally, it is well understood that the use of personally identifiable information should follow privacy policies and practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmental requirements for maintaining the privacy of users. In particular, personally identifiable information data should be managed and handled so as to minimize risks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use, and the nature of authorized use should be clearly indicated to users.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20210427
Publication Date: 20221115
Grant Date: 20221115
Priority Date: 20200925
Inventors: ZHANG, MEI
COUSINS, Benjamin A.
GHAHRI SARABI, Mohammad Soroush
QIAN, Phillip
MCINTOSH, Sean T.
MINERBI, MICHAEL B.
PANECKI, LEE M.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R1/2819", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1075", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2420/07", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/023", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/086", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1075", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1016", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1075", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2420/07", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2201/10", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 80821660