PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-10924836-B1
Application Number: US-201816101281-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B1

Title: Techniques for improving glass earcup drop performance

Abstract:
An earpiece includes a glass earcup having an outer exposed surface, an inner surface, and an edge extending around the perimeter of the glass earcup. The earpiece further includes an upper enclosure to which the glass earcup is laminated, and a protective coating lining the edge of the glass earcup.

Claims:
What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An earpiece comprising:
 an enclosure defining an interior volume, the enclosure having a front surface with one or more holes formed there through, a rear surface opposite the front surface and an outer annular periphery between the front and rear surfaces; 
 a speaker disposed within a central portion of the interior volume and positioned to direct sound through the one or more holes formed in the front surface; 
 an annular cushion frame coupled to the enclosure; 
 a glass plate having an outer exposed surface that defines a first portion of an outer periphery of the earpiece, an inner surface, and an annular edge extending between the outer exposed and inner surfaces around a perimeter of the glass plate; 
 a protective adhesive coating disposed between and coupling the inner surface of the glass plate to the rear surface of the enclosure; and 
 a textile coupled to the cushion frame and surrounding the outer annular periphery of the enclosure to form a second portion of the outer periphery of the earpiece adjacent to the first portion, the textile further extending to but spaced apart from the annular edge of the glass plate forming a gap between the textile and the annular edge. 
 
     
     
       2. The earpiece of  claim 1  wherein the protective adhesive coating comprises anti-shatter material. 
     
     
       3. The earpiece of  claim 1  wherein the enclosure is made from plastic. 
     
     
       4. The earpiece of  claim 1  wherein the protective adhesive coating lines the inner surface and the annular edge of the glass plate. 
     
     
       5. The earpiece of  claim 4  wherein the protective adhesive coating extends from the annular edge of the glass plate along a portion of the outer exposed surface. 
     
     
       6. The earpiece of  claim 1  wherein the textile includes a foam cushion. 
     
     
       7. A pair of headphones comprising:
 first and second earpieces; and 
 a headband coupled between the first and second earpieces; 
 wherein each of the first and second earpieces comprises: 
 an enclosure defining an interior volume, the enclosure having a front surface with one or more holes formed there through, a rear surface opposite the front surface and an outer annular periphery between the front and rear surfaces; 
 a speaker disposed within a central portion of the interior volume and positioned to direct sound through the one or more holes formed in the front surface; 
 an annular cushion frame coupled to the enclosure; 
 a glass plate having an outer exposed surface that defines a first portion of an outer periphery of the earpiece, an inner surface, and an annular edge extending between the outer exposed and inner surfaces around a perimeter of the glass plate; 
 a protective adhesive coating disposed between and coupling the inner surface of the glass plate to the rear surface of the enclosure; and 
 a textile coupled to the cushion frame and surrounding the outer annular periphery of the enclosure to form a second portion of the outer periphery of the earpiece adjacent to the first portion, the textile further extending to but spaced apart from the annular edge of the glass plate forming a gap between the textile and the annular edge. 
 
     
     
       8. The pair of headphones set forth in  claim 7  wherein the enclosure of each of the first and second earpieces is made from plastic. 
     
     
       9. The pair of headphones set forth in  claim 7  wherein, for each of the first and second earpieces, the protective adhesive coating lines the inner surface and the annular edge of the glass plate. 
     
     
       10. The pair of headphones set forth in  claim 7  wherein, for each of the first and second earpieces, the protective adhesive coating extends from the annular edge of the glass plate along a portion of the outer exposed surface. 
     
     
       11. The pair of headphones set forth in  claim 7  wherein, for each of the first and second earpieces, the textile includes a foam cushion. 
     
     
       12. The pair of headphones set forth in  claim 7  wherein, for each of the first and second earpieces, the protective adhesive coating comprises anti-shatter material.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/565,745, filed Sep. 29, 2017, which is incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Headphones have been in use for over 100 years, but the design and performance of the earpieces that are held against the ears of a user by a headband have remained somewhat static. Thus, there is a need for improved design and performance of the headphone earpieces. 
     SUMMARY 
     Various techniques for improving the drop performance of an earphone, in particular along the edge of the earphone&#39;s glass earcup, are described in this disclosure. In accordance with some embodiments, an earpiece includes a glass earcup having an outer exposed surface, an inner surface, and an edge extending around the perimeter of the glass earcup. The earpiece further includes an upper enclosure to which the glass earcup is laminated, and a protective coating lining the edge of the glass earcup. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, an earpiece includes a glass earcup includes an outer exposed surface, an inner surface, and edges extending around the perimeter of the glass earcup. The earpiece further includes an upper enclosure to which the glass earcup is laminated, and a textile extending around the glass earpiece and to the edge of the glass earcup and having a wall facing the edge of the earcup. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, a glass earcup includes an outer exposed surface, an inner surface, and edges extending around the perimeter of the glass earcup. The Earpiece further includes an upper enclosure to which the glass earcup is laminated. The edge of the glass earcup is inset from an outer edge of the upper enclosure. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, a glass earcup includes an outer exposed surface, an inner surface, and edges extending around the perimeter of the glass earcup. The earpiece further includes an upper enclosure to which the glass earcup is laminated. The upper enclosure includes a trim portion extending up along the edge of the glass earcup. 
     In accordance with other embodiments, a glass earcup having an outer exposed surface, an inner surface, and edges extending around the perimeter of the glass earcup. The glass earcup includes an upper compression layer extending along its outer surface and an inner compression layer extending along its inner surface, wherein the upper compression layer extends deeper into the glass earcup than the lower compression layer. The glass earcup further includes a barrier layer extending along the inner surface of the glass earcup, and a protective layer extending along a surface of the edge of the glass earcup. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1A  is a perspective view of a headphone; 
         FIG. 1B  is a magnified view of an edge area of the earpiece in  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate a technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup by lining the outer edge of the glass earcup with a protective coating; 
         FIG. 3  shows an application of the technique illustrated in  FIGS. 2B-2C  in an earpiece; 
         FIGS. 4A-4B  show another technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup by extending the earpiece textile up to the edge of the glass earcup; 
         FIG. 5  shows another technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup by forming the glass earcup so that its edge is inset relative to an edge of the upper enclosure of the earpiece; 
         FIG. 6  shows another technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup by extending a trim portion around the glass edge; 
         FIGS. 7A-7B  illustrate a variation of the technique in  FIG. 6  where an earpiece with a cosmetic edge is formed. 
         FIG. 8  is a cross section view of a glass earcup that has been treated using asymmetrical chemical strengthening process; and 
         FIG. 9  is a flow chart showing the steps of the asymmetrical chemical strengthening process used in treating the glass earcup in  FIG. 8 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of headphone  100  having two earpieces  102  held together by headband  104 . Each earpiece  102  includes earcup  106  and cushion frame and soft goods  108  extending around the earpiece. Earcup  106  may include a touch sensor area that can be configured to allow a user to manipulate settings and the playback of media. For example, the touch sensor could be configured to receive and process multiple gestures corresponding to commands such as changes in volume, next/previous track, pause, stop, and the like. Earcup  106  may be made from various materials such as polycarbonate and/or glass. Polycarbonate is advantageous in that it is shatter resistant, however, it is prone to scratching. Glass is advantageous in that it is more scratch resistant and cosmetically more appealing than polycarbonate, however, it is more prone to shattering than polycarbonate. This disclosure is primarily directed to earpiece designs, and in particular, to various techniques for improving the drop performance of headphones with earpieces that include glass earcups. 
       FIG. 1B  is a magnified cross section view at edge area  110  of earpiece  102  in  FIG. 1A . Glass earcup  106  is laminated to earpiece upper enclosure  112  by adhesive material  114 . Adhesive material  114  may also have anti-shatter properties to help prevent glass shards from flying out in the event glass earcup  106  hits a rough surface, such as asphalt, along its exposed outer surface. As can be seen, glass earcup  106  extends past and overhangs earpiece enclosure  112 , and thus edge areas  116  of glass earcup  106  are exposed. This manner of making the glass edge visible may be cosmetically preferred to a design where the glass edge is covered by, for example, a plastic trim. While this configuration of glass earcup  106  is esthetically pleasing and adhesive coating  114  can help prevent glass shards from flying out, it has been found that the  FIG. 1B  configuration of glass earcup  106  is particularly susceptible to shattering along its edge area  116  if, for example, the headphone is dropped and hits the ground along edge  116  of glass earcup  106 . A number of techniques are described in this disclosure for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup while preserving the cosmetic appeal of the earpiece. 
       FIGS. 2A-2C  illustrate a technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup by lining the outer edge of the glass earcup with a protective coating.  FIG. 2A  corresponds to the configuration in  FIG. 1B . Coating  114  in  FIG. 2A , similar to that in  FIG. 1B , covers only the enclosed inner surface of glass earcup  106 , and thus, peripheral edges  222  of glass earcup  106  are exposed and susceptible to shattering in the event the earpiece impacts ground  220  along peripheral edges  222  of glass earcup  106 .  FIG. 2B  shows protective coating  214  lining edges  222  of glass earcup  106 , and as such serves to protect peripheral edges  222  of glass earcup  106  from shattering.  FIG. 2C  shows another embodiment where peripheral edges  222  of glass earcup  106  are coated with protective layer  216  independent of coating  114  that lines the inner surface of glass earcup  106 . Protective layer  216  may be any optically clear material, such as a polymer and/or epoxy, that adds thickness along edges  222  of glass earcup  106 . 
       FIG. 3  shows how the technique illustrated in  FIGS. 2B-2C  may be applied to an earpiece. As can be seen, protective coating  310  extending along the enclosed inner surface of glass earcup  106  may be extended up and around the peripheral edge of glass earcup  106 . Protective coating  310  may be a single layer similar to that shown in  FIG. 2B , or may comprise two layers, one extending along the inner surface of glass earcup  106  and another one extending along the peripheral edge of glass earcup  106 , similar to that shown in  FIG. 2C . In some variations, protective coatings  114 ,  214 ,  216 ,  310  may have a thickness in the range of 0.05 to 2 mm, and may be optically clear. In general, coatings  114 ,  214 ,  216 ,  310  may be from any material suitable for protecting glass edges  222  from shattering in the event glass earcup  106  impacts a hard object or drops to the ground along its peripheral edge. For example, any or all of protective layers  114 ,  214 ,  216 ,  310  may be from any material that is resistant to shatter or cracking when it comes into contact with sharp objects or rough surfaces, such as asphalt. The protective layers, may be, for example, from plastic, polymer or organic material. While any or all of coatings  114 ,  214 ,  216 ,  310  may be optically clear for esthetic purposes, any or all of them may be opaque depending on the design goals. For example, in embodiments where the glass edge may be less visible, for example, due to a plastic trim (such as trim  612 A in  FIG. 6 ), then opaque material, such as, ink or paint, may be used to coat the glass edges for even better drop performance. 
     In  FIGS. 2A-2C , any or all of coating layers  114 ,  214 ,  216  may be formed by a masking and spraying process. For example, in  FIG. 2A , edges  222  of glass earcup may be masked during the spraying process for forming coating layer  114 . In  FIG. 2B , edges  222  are not masked during the spraying process, thus allowing a coating layer  214  to be formed along the enclosed inner surface and the peripheral edges of glass earcup  106 . 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  show another technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup by extending the earpiece textile up to the edge of the glass earcup.  FIG. 4A  is a perspective view of earphone  400 , and  FIG. 4B  shows a cross section view of earpiece  402  along cutline B-B in  FIG. 4A . Glass earcup  406  may be plate-shaped and may have a circular outline, a square outline with rounded corners or a rectangular outline with rounded corners. Glass earcup  406  and extends along an exterior of earpiece  402 , with its outer surface visible. A thin layer  414  coats the inner surface of earcup  406 , and may be from material that would keep glass shards from flying out in the event glass earcup  406  is shattered due to a drop. Dashed line  418  outlines a plastic enclosure in which the internal components of the headset (e.g., electronic components such as the speaker, inverter, and the like) are housed. Cushion frame and soft goods  408  extends around the perimeter of earpiece  402 . Both glass earcup  406  and cushion frame and soft goods  408  may be fastened to upper enclosure  410  of earpiece  402 . Upper enclosure  410  may be from hard plastic. Advantageously, cushion frame and soft goods  408  is extended all the way to outer edges of glass earcup  406  so that the foam cushion in cushion frame and soft goods  408  protects peripheral edges of glass earcup  406  against impact. As shown, a small cosmetic gap  420  may be provided between the edge of glass earcup  406  and extended portion of cushion frame and soft goods  408  so that the glass edge is visible. 
     While the foam cushion provides added protection for the edges of glass earcup against impact, because of the flexibility of the foam cushion, which may be a soft textile, and the presence of gap  420 , the foam cushion can potentially move out of the way without absorbing the impact if the earphone drops on the ground at just the right angle. Combining the technique illustrated in  FIGS. 4A, 4B  with, for example, the technique illustrated in  FIGS. 2B, 2C, 3  where the edges of the glass earcup are coated with optically clear protective layer  310  ( FIG. 3 ) would provide added protection in the event the earphone is dropped at an angle such that the foam cushion is moved out of the way without absorbing the impact. 
       FIG. 5  shows another technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup. In this embodiment, peripheral edges of glass earcup  506  are inset relative to the underlying earpiece enclosure  512  so that outer regions of earpiece enclosure  512  become exposed. With outer regions of earpiece enclosure  512  exposed, in the event of a drop along peripheral edges of the earpiece, the exposed outer portions of earpiece enclosure  512  glass earcup  506  serve to protect peripheral edges of glass earpiece  506 . While  FIG. 5  shows peripheral edges of glass earcup  506  having straight edges, earcup  506  can be manufactured to have a bullnose or rounded peripheral edge, as depicted by the rounded dashed line  516 . In some variations, coating  514  may be extended up and around the peripheral edges of glass earcup  506  for added protection of the glass edge against impact. 
       FIG. 6  shows another technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup by extending a trim portion around the glass edge. In this embodiment, earpiece enclosure  612  extends up along peripheral edge of glass earcup  606  to form protective plastic trim  612 A around earcup  606 . In the event of a drop along an edge of earcup  606 , extended trim  612 A protects the peripheral edge of glass earcup  606 . In  FIG. 6 , a gap is present between extended portion  612 A and glass earcup  606  edge so that the earcup edge around the perimeter of the earcup is visible. In some variations, plastic trim  612 A may be designed to abut the edges of glass earcup  606 . Alternatively, gap filler  614  may be used to completely or partially fill the gap between plastic trim  612 A and glass earcup  606 .  FIGS. 7A and 7B  show a variation of the technique in  FIG. 6  where an earpiece with a rounded cosmetic edge is formed. In  FIG. 7A , glass earcup  704  is thicker than normal, and earpiece enclosure  708  extends up around the perimeter of earcup  704 . Earpiece enclosure  708  and earcup  704  are assembled together, with gap filler  710  filling the gap between them. Earpiece enclosure  708 , earcup  704  and gap filler  710  may then be simultaneously cut and polished, for example, using co-machining, to the dashed line  712  in  FIG. 7A . This results in the upper surfaces of earpiece enclosure  708 , earcup  704  and gap filler  710  to become flush with one another, and together form a rounded edge for the earpiece, as shown in  FIG. 7B . 
     Another technique for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup involves engineering the glass earcup itself using asymmetrical chemical strengthening. This technique will be described with reference to  FIGS. 8 and 9 .  FIG. 8  is a cross section view of a portion of glass earcup  806 , and  FIG. 9  is a flow chart outlining a simplified process flow for the asymmetrical chemical strengthening process. 
     In  FIG. 8 , asymmetric chemical strengthening is used to obtain a deeper compression layer or depth of layer DOL 1  along outer surface layer  806 B of earcup glass  806 , and a shallower compression layer or depth of layer DOL 2  along inner surface layer  806 A of glass  806 . The “outer” surface of earcup  806  corresponds to the exposed, externally accessible surface of earcup glass  806 , and the “inner” surface corresponds to the surface of glass earcup  806  that is enclosed and faces a user&#39;s ear when the earphone is worn by the user. Compression layer and depth of layer are used interchangeably to refer to a chemically strengthened surface layer of the glass. 
     Generally, the central tension of glass is proportional to the chemical strengthening along outer surface layer  806 B times the depth of layer DOL 1  along outer surface layer  806 B plus the chemical strengthening along inner surface region  806 A times the depth of layer DOL 2  along inner surface region  806 A. Glass shatters on smooth surfaces, such as granite, are typically a result of the glass bending. To reduce the failure rate in smooth surface impacts, a high chemical strengthening along inner surface layer  806 A of glass earcup  806  is needed. On the other hand, glass shatters on rough surfaces, such as asphalt, are typically a result of puncturing the glass. To reduce the failure rate in rough surface impacts, a high depth of layer along outer surface layer  806 B is needed. The asymmetric chemical strengthening process, described in more detail below, allows the glass to have a deep DOL (DOL 1 ) along outer surface layer  806 B where it is prone to impact, and a high chemical strengthening along inner surface layer  806 A to ensure improved bending performance. Thus, asymmetric chemical strengthening advantageously allows optimizing the depth of layer and the chemical strengthening parameters to improve the drop performance on soft surfaces such as granite and on rough surfaces such as asphalt. In some variations, the chemical strengthening process may be carried out so that the DOL along edge surface layer  806 C of earcup  806  has a similar depth as DOL 1 , and thus is more resistant to shattering when impacting a rough surface. 
     The chemical strengthening on the surface of glass is fairly linear through the compressive zone down to an inner zone where there is tension in the glass. Glass fails when it hits, for example, asphalt, and the impact penetrates through the compressive zone, reaching the central tension zone. Thus, by increasing the depth of layer along the glass surface that is prone to impact, the compressive zone is extended thus reducing the chances of an impact penetrating through the compressive zone and reaching the central tension zone. However, most glasses are limited by how much tension can be put into them. If too much tension is put into the glass, the glass becomes unsafe in that it can shatter with such force that glass shards fly in different directions. This limit on the tension balances the amount of compression that may be built into the outer and inner surface layers of the glass. The amount of compressive stress thus needs to be reduced if the tension is to be reduced. However, reduced depth of layer is undesirable in that an impact with a rough surface can more easily penetrate through the DOL. The asymmetric DOL approach addresses these competing interests by reducing the DOL along inner surface layer  806 A of the glass where the surface is not prone to impact, thus allowing a deeper DOL to be formed along outer surface layer  806 B of the glass which is prone to external impact. 
     Glass is typically chemically strengthened by submersing the glass in a molten potassium salt bath. As such, all sides of the glass are chemically strengthened in a uniform manner, and thus the same compressive stress and depth of layer is obtained along all surface layers of the glass. In order to achieve different depths of layer along different glass surfaces, an asymmetric chemical strengthening process may be used. In this process, depicted by the flow chart in  FIG. 9 , barrier layer  808  ( FIG. 8 ) is formed along the glass inner surface where a shallower depth of layer DOL 2  is desired. This step corresponds to step  902  in  FIG. 9 . Next, in step  904 , glass  806  with barrier layer  808  on its inner surface is submersed in a molten potassium salt bath for a predetermined period of time. Barrier layer  808  may comprise silica or any other material that slows the ion exchange in the glass surface layer that the barriers layer covers, and that can withstand high temperatures when the glass is submersed in the molten potassium salt bath. The ion exchange process involves replacement of sodium ions in glass surface layers with potassium ions from the bath solution. Barrier layer  808  serves to slow down the ion exchange process by slowing diffusion of potassium ions into the glass surface layer it covers. This results in formation of a shallower DOL 2  along inner surface layer  806 A covered by barrier layer  808 , and deeper DOLL along all other uncovered surface layers. The DOL thickness is directly dependent on how long the glass is submersed in the potassium salt bath. 
     In step  906 , after the glass is removed from the potassium salt bath, protective layer  814  (e.g., a soft polymer coating that can also serve as an anti-shatter layer) may be formed along the inner surface of glass  806  and optionally alongside surfaces of glass  806 . Protective layer  814  may be formed using a coating process. For example, glass  806  may be sprayed with a liquid polymer with surfaces that are not to receive the protective layer being covered with a masking layer during the spray process. For example, to form protective layer  814  as shown in  FIG. 8 , the masking layer would cover only the outer surface of glass  806 . Protective layer  814  lining the edges of glass  806  together with the deeper DOL 1  alongside surface layer  806 C serve to significantly improve the drop performance of glass  806  in case of an edge impact. In some embodiments, protective layer  814  has a thickness in the range of 100-200 μm, and DOL 1  has a thickness in the range of 150-200 μm. These two thicknesses combine along the edges of glass  806  to prevent cracks from reaching the central tension region in the event the glass is dropped on its edge on a rough surface such as asphalt. 
     The asymmetric chemical strengthening described above may be combined with any one or more of the other techniques for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup described above. For example, the asymmetric chemical strengthening can be combined with the plastic trim techniques illustrated in  FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B . In such embodiment, the deeper DOL 1  along the edges of glass  806  may not be needed, in which case barrier layer  808  may be extended along the edges of the glass during chemical strengthening so that deeper DOL is formed only along outer surface region  806 B of glass  806   
     While certain combinations of the various techniques for improving the drop performance of the glass earcup are described above, any one or more of the techniques may be combined together depending on the design goals. While the above techniques are described in the context of a glass earcup, the application of these techniques is not limited to headphone earcups. The above techniques may be applied to any type of device, such as smart phones and smart watches, with a glass component that may be shatter prone. 
     Although the invention has been described with respect to specific embodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20180810
Publication Date: 20210216
Grant Date: 20210216
Priority Date: 20170929
Inventors: SIAHAAN, EDWARD
ZAPANTIS, JASON C.
JONES, CHRISTOPHER D.
CORONA APARICIO, Edwin J.
BLOOM, DANIEL R.
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "H04R5/033", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1058", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1008", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1091", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1008", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1058", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1058", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1091", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R1/1008", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 74570218