A positioning and retaining structure for an in-ear earpiece. An outer leg and an inner leg are attached to each other at an attachment end and attached to a body of the earpiece at the other end. The outer leg lies in a plane. The positioning and retaining structure have a stiffness that is greater when force is applied to the attachment end in a counterclockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg than when force is applied to the attachment end in a clockwise direction in the plane of the outer leg. The positioning and retaining structure position an earpiece associated with the earpiece in a users ear and retains the earpiece in its position.

Claims

30 · 4 independent · depth 4

30 granted claims

›1.independentAn earphone comprising:nan acoustic driver that converts applied audio signals to acoustic energy;a housing containing the acoustic driver, the housin…+7

›2.↳ 1The earphone of claim 1 wherein the acoustic driver includes a diaphragm that moves along a first axis, and the nozzle extends towards the ear canal a…d2

›3.↳ 1The earphone of claim 1 wherein the leg is a first leg, and the ear interface further comprises a second leg extending from the body portion and suppo…d2

›4.↳ 1The earphone of claim 1 wherein the leg lies in a plane when not worn by the user.d2+2

›7.↳ 1The earphone of claim 1 wherein the leg has an oblong shape in cross-section, with the dimension parallel to the contact surface of the antihelix bein…d2

›8.↳ 1The earphone of claim 1 wherein the leg has an oblong shape in cross-section, with the dimension parallel to the contact surface of the antihelix bein…d2

›9.independentAn earphone comprising:nan acoustic driver that converts applied audio signals to acoustic energy by moving a diaphragm along a first axis;a housing c…+7

›10.↳ 9The earphone of claim 9 wherein the leg extends from the body portion of the ear interface.d2+2

›13.↳ 9The earphone of claim 9 wherein the nozzle is positioned at an edge of the acoustic driver.d2

›14.↳ 9The earphone of claim 9 wherein the driver is circular, the housing conforms to the outer circumference of the driver, and the housing has an outer di…d2

›15.↳ 9The earphone of claim 9 wherein the leg is a first leg, and the ear interface further comprises a second leg extending from the body portion and suppo…d2

›16.↳ 9The earphone of claim 9 wherein the ear interface is removable from the earphone.d2

›17.independentAn earphone comprising:nan acoustic driver that converts applied audio signals to acoustic energy by moving a diaphragm along a first axis;a housing c…+6

›18.↳ 17The earphone of claim 17 wherein the driver is circular, the housing conforms to the outer circumference of the driver, and the housing has an outer d…d2

›19.↳ 17The earphone of claim 17 wherein the leg is generally curved in a plane, and has a greater stiffness in directions in the plane than in directions per…d2

›20.↳ 17The earphone of claim 17 wherein the leg is generally curved in a plane, and has a greater stiffness in directions tending to straighten the leg than …d2

›21.↳ 17The earphone of claim 17 wherein the leg has an oblong shape in cross-section, with the dimension parallel to the contact surface of the antihelix bei…d2

›22.↳ 17The earphone of claim 17 wherein the leg is a first leg, and the ear interface further comprises a second leg extending from the body portion and supp…d2

›23.↳ 17The earphone of claim 17 wherein the ear interface is removable from the earphone.d2

›24.independentAn earphone comprising:nan acoustic driver having a sound-radiating surface;a housing containing the acoustic driver; anda removable ear interface com…+6

›25.↳ 24The earphone of claim 24 wherein:nthe sound radiating surface moves along a first axis;the housing includes a front chamber acoustically coupled to th…d2

›26.↳ 24The earphone of claim 24 wherein the leg lies in a plane when not worn by the user.d2+2

›29.↳ 24The earphone of claim 24 wherein the leg has an oblong shape in cross-section, with the dimension parallel to the contact surface of the antihelix bei…d2

›30.↳ 24The earphone of claim 24 wherein the leg is a first leg, and the ear interface further comprises a second leg extending from the body portion and supp…d2

Classifications

4 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section H — Electricity

H04R25/00

USPC · US Patent Classification

381/380381/374381/370

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Pendency

0.4 y

161 days filing → grant

Office actions

after a restriction

Responses

1 RCE

Examiner

Suhan Ni

art unit 2656 · TC 2600

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Citations: 15 back · 0 forward

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Priority chain

2 priority documents

Priority

16 Aug 2010

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 2

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 61374107	16 Aug 2010
related publication	US 20140079273 A1	20 Mar 2014

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