WO2023016645A1

WO2023016645A1 - An eartip for a headphone

Info

Publication number: WO2023016645A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/072449
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markus Vaalgamaa; Laura Laaksonen; Tommi Raussi; Markus KULTANEN; Miikka HÄJÄNEN
Original assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Current assignee: Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-08-12
Filing date: 2021-08-12
Publication date: 2023-02-16
Anticipated expiration: 2024-02-12
Also published as: CN117546482A; EP4352970A1

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an eartip for a headphone or a headset device. The eartip comprises a flexible body designed to be at least partially insertable into an ear canal of a user. The flexible body surrounds a sound channel configured to direct sound to an outlet end of the sound channel, and towards the ear canal of the user. Further, the flexible body is formed by at least an inner material layer and an outer material layer. The flexible body also comprises one or more stiffening ridges in the outer layer, wherein the one or more stiffening ridges are arranged at a distal end of the flexible body, the distal end being opposite to the outlet end of the sound channel.

Description

AN EARTIP FOR A HEADPHONE

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to an eartip for a headphone or a headset device. The disclosure further relates to the headset device or headphone comprising the eartip.

BACKGROUND

Earphones, which are configured to be plugged into an ear of a user, and True Wireless Stereo (TWS) headsets usually comprise a headset body and a soft eartip, which is typically made of silicone (see the exemplary earphones shown in Fig. 1). The eartip can particularly be configured to enter an ear canal of the used, and should thereby seal well for providing the best sound experience, and should be comfortable to wear.

Comfortability and flexibility (for sealing) of the eartip can be achieved by choosing a soft material, for example, having small material thickness, and moreover choosing a narrow body for the eartip. However, these features might lead to a non-optimal behavior of the eartip, e.g., they may promote buckling or wrapping of the eartip when it has entered the ear canal of the user, in particular, since angles and shapes of ear canals of different users vary. Buckling causes air leakage and, hence, leads to a poorer audio quality. Especially severe problems arise with low frequency reproduction and Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) performance.

Buckling and air leakage may be reduced by increasing the material thickness, or selecting a harder material (for example, silicone with bigger shore value), or making a wider eartip body. However, all these options decrease the eartip comfortability and flexibility of the eartip inside the ear canal of the user. Moreover, the stiffness is increased unnecessarily in places.

Thus, there is a need for an improved eartip for a headphone or a headset device.

SUMMARY

In view of the above, the present disclosure aims to provide such an improved eartip for a headphone or headset devices. The present disclosure has thereby the objective to provide to make the eartip more comfortable while enabling the eartip also to provide a good sealing of the ear canal. These and other objectives are achieved by the embodiments provided in the enclosed independent claims. Advantageous implementations of the embodiments are further defined in the dependent claims.

According to a first aspect, the disclosure relates to an eartip for a headphone or a headset device, the eartip comprising: a flexible body designed to be at least partially insertable into an ear canal of a user, wherein the flexible body surrounds a sound channel configured to direct sound to an outlet end of the sound channel and towards the ear canal of the user, wherein the flexible body is formed by at least an inner material layer and an outer material layer, wherein the flexible body comprises one or more stiffening ridges in the outer layer; and wherein the one or more stiffening ridges are arranged at a distal end of the flexible body, the distal end being opposite to the outlet end of the sound channel.

The ridges are advantageous for the eartip of the first aspect, in that buckling can be prevented, while the flexibility and comfort of the eartip is not decreases. In particular, the ridges being situated at a lower part of eartip (at the distal end), they will likely do not touch the ear of the user. Thus, point contact pressure of the eartip is not increased.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the outer layer of the flexible body has a frustum shape.

This provides the advantage that the flexible body has a shape, which is suitable for the ear canal of the user, wherein buckling can be reduced when the eartip is inserted into the ear canal.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the outer layer of the flexible body has a half spherical shape.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the one or more stiffening ridges are perpendicular to a length of the flexible body from the distal end to the outlet end. This provides the advantage that the stiffening ridges reduce buckling, when the eartip is inserted into the ear canal of the user.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the one or more stiffening ridges are in an inner side of the outer layer of the flexible body.

This provides the advantage that the bucking is reduced, when the eartip is inserted into the ear canal of the user.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, each of the one or more stiffening ridges comprises a uniform ring structure around the flexible body.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, each of the one or more ridges comprises a non- uniform structure around the flexible body.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the flexible body comprises a silicone material.

This provides the advantage that a soft material like silicone is used, which increases the comfortability of the eartip when inserted into the ear of the user.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the silicone material of the outer layer of the flexible body has shore values in a range of A25 to A60.

This provides the advantage that a particular soft material is used, which increases the comfortability of the eartip inside the ear of the user.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, each material layer of the flexible body has a thickness in a range of 0.4 to 0.6 mm.

This range of thickness provides the advantage that the comfortability of the eartip inside the ear of the user is increased.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the flexible body has a varying stiffness along a length of the flexible body. This provides that advantage that the buckling and air leakage are reduced when the eartip is inserted into the ear canal of the user. This also results in a better audio quality.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the eartip comprises two stiffening ridges.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, a thickness and/or a profile of the one or more stiffening ridges varies along a length of the flexible body.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, a stiffness of the flexible body is larger at the distal end of the flexible body.

In an implementation form of the first aspect, the one or more stiffening ridges are arranged such that they do not touch the ear of the user when the flexible body is inserted into the ear canal of the user.

This has the advantage that the comfortability of the eartip inside the ear of the user is increased.

According to a second aspect, the disclosure relates to a headset device comprising an eartip according to the first aspect or any one of the implementation forms thereof.

The headset of the second aspect enjoys all advantages of the eartip of the first aspect and its implementation forms.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above described aspects and implementation forms of this disclosure will be explained in the following description of specific embodiments in relation to the enclosed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of an earphone configured to be inserted into an ear of a user;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an earphone comprising an eartip according to an embodiment; FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of an earphone comprising an eartip according to an embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic representation of ridges for an eartip according to an embodiment; and

FIG. 5 shows schematic representation of an earphone comprising an eartip according to an embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of an eartip 201 according to an embodiment of this disclosure. The eartip 201 is suitable for an earphone or headset device according to embodiments of this disclosure. That is, the earphone or headset device may comprise at least one such eartip 201.

The eartip 201 comprises a flexible body 202, which is designed to be at least partially insertable into an ear canal of a user of the earphone. It may thus be made of a flexible material, like silicone. The flexible body 202 surrounds a sound channel 203, which is configured to direct sound to an outlet end of the sound channel 203 and towards the ear canal of the user (when the user wears the earphone). The sound may, for instance, be created in a headset body or earphone body, to which the eartip 201 may be connected when respectively used for a headset device or earphone.

The flexible body 202 is formed by at least an inner material layer and an outer material layer. The flexible body 202 may be hollow in between those material layers, or may be filled with another flexible material. Further, the flexible body 202 comprises one or more stiffening ridges 204, which are arranged in the outer layer of the flexible body 202. The one or more stiffening ridges 204 are moreover arranged at a distal end of the flexible body 202, wherein the distal end is opposite to the outlet end of the sound channel.

The stiffening ridges 204 may add stiffness locally to the flexible body 202, and may thus help to prevent buckling effectively, when the eartip 201 is inserted into the user’s ear canal. The stiffening ridges 204 can particularly be added in places, where they are particularly effective to prevent the buckling by adding stiffness, but where they do not reduce the comfort of wear for the user. For example, the stiffening ridges 204 may be added to the lower part of the eartip 201, which typically does not touch the user’s ear when the eartip 201 is inserted into the user’s ear canal. That is, the one or more stiffening ridges 204 can be arranged such that they do not touch the ear of the user when the eartip 201 (the flexible body 202 thereof) is inserted into the ear canal of the user. In an example, horizontal stiffening ridges 204 are added in the outer layer of the eartip 201 (see e.g. FIG. 5). That means, the one or more stiffening ridges 204 can be perpendicular to a length of the flexible body 202 from the distal end to the outlet end.

Any additional stiffening ridge 204, which is placed in the outer layer of the flexible body 202, may further reduce the buckling. Advantageously, each stiffening ridge 204 adds stiffness locally to the flexible body 202 of the eartip 201, and helps individually to prevent buckling. However, two or more stiffening ridges 204 may form a stiffening structure that together effectively addresses buckling.

The stiffening ridges 204 ridges, i.e. each of the one or more of them, can be uniform all around the eartip, or can be non-uniform. For instance, Fig. 3 illustrates examples of stiffening ridges 204, which can be used in the eartip 201 provided to the flexible body. According to an example, each stiffening ridge 204 may have a non-uniform structure 301 (right-side example). According to another example, particularly, each stiffening ridge 204 may have a non-uniform ring structure 300 (left-side example).

Furthermore, the eartip 201 can have a varying stiffness along the height of the eartip 201, i.e., along the direction along which the eartip 201 is inserted into the user’s ear canal. This varying stiffness may be, for one, provided by the one or more stiffening ridges 204, which provide locally a higher stiffness. However, also the material of the flexible body 202, or any other structural feature of the flexible body 202 like its shape, may provide a varying stiffness along the height of the eartip 201.

The one or more stiffening ridges 204 can be made of a soft material, like the flexible body 202 of eartip 201 (for example silicone), but may have less flexibility than the flexible body 202 itself. However, the stiffening ridges 204 may also be made from another material than the material of the flexible body 202. In an example, a lower part of the flexible body 202 of the eartip 201 may be provide with a stiffer material, for example, a material having a higher shore value, than an upper part of the flexible body 202. This may be done in addition to the stiffening ridges 204, or may implement the stiffening ridges. Notably, the stiffening ridges 204 do not need to increase the thickness of the flexible body 202 locally, i.e., they do not need to protrude from the rest of the flexible body 202. The stiffening ridges 204 may be implemented by local areas of stiffer material. The stiffening ridges 204 may thus even be invisible to the user.

For example, a silicone material of the outer layer of the flexible body 202 may have shore values in a range of A25 to A60. The stiffening ridges 204 could be made of a silicone material having a different shore value. Moreover, each material layer of the flexible body 202 may have a thickness in a range of 0.4 to 0.6 mm. A stiffening ridge 204 may have a thickness of about 0.4 mm or larger. The thickness of the stiffening ridge 204 may thereby add to the thickness of the flexible body 202. In this way, a thicker portion of the same material may be created on the flexible body 202. An example dimension for the eartip 204 and the stiffening ridge 204 material thickness is shown in FIG. 4.

As shown further in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, respectively, a uniform ring stiffener structure comprising the one or more stiffening ridges 201 may be placed in the lower part (i.e. distal end) of the outer eartip (i.e. outer layer of the flexible body 202). The profile, width and height of the individual stiffening ridges 204 can thereby be varied. In an example, a combination of two or more stiffening ridges 204, e.g., a stiffening structure comprising multiple stiffening ridges 204, can be added to the eartip 201, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 5, the outer layer of the flexible body 202 can have a frustum shape. In yet another example, the outer layer of the flexible body 202 can have a half spherical shape. The shape of the flexible body 202 of the eartip 201 may add to the flexibility distribution of the eartip 201, and may optimize it in terms of ease of inserting the eartip 201 into the ear canal of the user, and/or in terms of comfortability when the eartip 201 is inserted into the ear canal of the user.

The present disclosure has been described in conjunction with various embodiments as examples as well as implementations. However, other variations can be understood and effected by those persons skilled in the art and practicing the claimed matter, from the studies of the drawings, this disclosure and the independent claims. In the claims as well as in the description the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single element or other unit may fulfill the functions of several entities or items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in the mutual different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used in an advantageous implementation.

Claims

1. An eartip (201) for a headphone or a headset device, the eartip (201) comprising: a flexible body (202) designed to be at least partially insertable into an ear canal of a user; wherein the flexible body (202) surrounds a sound channel (203) configured to direct sound to an outlet end of the sound channel (203) and towards the ear canal of the user; wherein the flexible body (202) is formed by at least an inner material layer and an outer material layer; wherein the flexible body (202) comprises one or more stiffening ridges (204) in the outer layer; and wherein the one or more stiffening ridges (204) are arranged at a distal end of the flexible body (202), the distal end being opposite to the outlet end of the sound channel (203).

2. The eartip (201) of claim 1, wherein the outer layer of the flexible body (202) has a frustum shape.

3. The eartip (201) of claim 1, wherein the outer layer of the flexible body (202) has a half spherical shape.

4. The eartip (201) of any one of the claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more stiffening ridges (204) are perpendicular to a length of the flexible body (202) from the distal end to the outlet end.

5. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more stiffening ridges (204) are in an inner side of the outer layer of the flexible body (202).

6. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein each of the one or more stiffening ridges (294) comprises a uniform ring structure (300) around the flexible body (202).

7. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the one or more ridges (204) comprises a non-uniform structure (301) around the flexible body (202).

9

8. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible body (202) comprises a silicone material.

9. The eartip (201) of claim 8, wherein the silicone material of the outer layer of the flexible body (202) has shore values in a range of A25 to A60.

10. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein each material layer of the flexible body (202) has a thickness in a range of 0.4 to 0.6 mm.

11. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the flexible body (202) has a varying stiffness along a length of the flexible body (202).

12. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the eartip (201) comprises two stiffening ridges (204).

13. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein a thickness and/or a profile of the one or more stiffening ridges (204) varies along a length of the flexible body (202).

14. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein a stiffness of the flexible body (202) is larger at the distal end of the flexible body (202).

15. The eartip (201) of anyone of the preceding claims, wherein the one or more stiffening ridges (204) are arranged such that they do not touch the ear of the user when the flexible body (202) is inserted into the ear canal of the user.

16. A headset device comprising an eartip (201) according to any one of the preceding claims 1 to 15.