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US4965838A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Ear piece transducer

Assignee: Sony Corp
•
Filing: 1989-06-30
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Granted: 1990-10-23
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Expires: 2009-06-30
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Abstract

Abstract An ear piece transducer having a housing incorporating therein an electroacoustic transducer element, the housing being inserted into a concave portion of an auricle, and a ring member having resiliency sufficient to enable it to be attached to the outer peripheral portion of the housing, the ring member being formed so as to be thickest in one radial direction.

Inventors

  • 👤 Yoshiyuki Kamon
  • 👤 Makoto Yamagishi

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 10:28
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04R; H04R1/00; H04R1/10; H04R1/1016

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim 87 words
An ear piece transducer comprising: (a) a housing incorporating therein an electroacoustic transducer element, said housing being formed such that it is inserted into a concave portion of an auricle; and (b) an annular ring member attached to the outer peripheral portion of said housing, said annular ring member being formed of varying annular width thickness such that it is widest in one radial direction from the center of said housing, whereby at least a portion of said annular ring member is made of a resilient material.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 87 words
An ear piece transducer comprising: (a) a housing incorporating therein an electroacoustic transducer element, said housing being formed such that it is inserted into a concave portion of an auricle; and (b) an annular ring member attached to the outer peripheral portion of said housing, said annular ring member being formed of varying annular width thickness such that it is widest in one radial direction from the center of said housing, whereby at least a portion of said annular ring member is made of a resilient material.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 51 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 1, in which said annular ring member is attached to said housing so that when said electroacoustic transducer is inserted into said concave portion of the auricle, the widest portion of said annular ring member is positioned toward the antitragus side of said auricle.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 1, in which said annular ring member is formed such that when said electroacoustic transducer is inserted into said concave portion of the auricle, a diaphragm of said electroacoustic transducer element is located directly facing the auditory canal opening.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 39 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 1, in which said annular ring member is formed of a base ring portion and a resilient ring portion made of a material more resilient than that forming said base ring portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 50 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 4, in which said base ring portion is provided with a plurality of leg portions each having a protrusion engageable with a flange portion of said housing and said resilient ring portion is made hollow except for portions corresponding to said leg portions.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 38 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 4, in which said base ring portion is provided with an edge portion which is engaged with a sound emanating surface side of said electroacoustic transducer element incorporated within said housing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 19 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 6, in which said resilient ring portion is made of urethane resin.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 33 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 4, in which said annular ring member is formed of said base ring portion and said resilient ring portion by means of a resin molding process.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 147 words
An ear piece transducer for use in a human auricle having tragus and antitragus side, comprising: (a) a housing incorporating therein an electroacoustic transducer element, said housing being formed such that it is inserted into a concave portion of an auricle and having a back surface shaped so that upon such insertion at least two points of said back surface are supported by said tragus and antitragus sides of said auricle respectively; (b) a protecting plate mounted on said housing on the side of said housing which faces said concave portion of said auricle; and (c) an annular ring member attached to the outer peripheral portion of said housing being formed of varying annular width thickness such that it is widest in one radial direction from the center of said housing, whereby at least a portion of said annular ring member is made of a resilient material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 147 words
An ear piece transducer for use in a human auricle having tragus and antitragus side, comprising: (a) a housing incorporating therein an electroacoustic transducer element, said housing being formed such that it is inserted into a concave portion of an auricle and having a back surface shaped so that upon such insertion at least two points of said back surface are supported by said tragus and antitragus sides of said auricle respectively; (b) a protecting plate mounted on said housing on the side of said housing which faces said concave portion of said auricle; and (c) an annular ring member attached to the outer peripheral portion of said housing being formed of varying annular width thickness such that it is widest in one radial direction from the center of said housing, whereby at least a portion of said annular ring member is made of a resilient material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 51 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 9, in which said annular ring member is attached to said housing so that when said electro-acoustic transducer is inserted into said concave portion of the auricle, the widest portion of said annular ring member is positioned toward the antitragus side of said auricle.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 46 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 9, in which said annular ring member is formed such that when said electroacoustic transducer is inserted into said concave portion of the auricle, a diaphragm of said electroacoustic transducer element is located directly facing the auditory canal opening.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 39 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 9, in which said annular ring member is formed of a base ring portion and a resilient ring portion made of a material more resilient than that forming said base ring portion.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 50 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 12, in which said base ring portion is provided with a plurality of leg portions each having a protrusion engageable with a flange portion of said housing and said resilient ring portion is made hollow except for portions corresponding to said leg portions.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 38 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 12, in which said base ring portion is provided with an edge portion which is engaged with a sound emanating surface side of said electroacoustic transducer element incorporated within said housing.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 19 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 14, in which said resilient ring portion is made of urethane resin.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 33 words
An ear piece transducer according to claim 12, in which said annular ring member is formed of said base ring portion and said resilient ring portion by means of a resin molding process.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2078385A Cited
US2430229A Cited
GB1179692A Cited
GB1543333A Cited
US4736435A Cited
US4585089A Cited
US4668842A Cited
US4537187A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-10-22 1994-04-23 1994-10-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-10-22 1998-04-23 1998-10-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-10-22 2002-04-23 2002-10-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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