Diaphonic acoustic transduction coupler and ear bud
원문보기
IPC분류정보
국가/구분
United States(US) Patent
등록
국제특허분류(IPC7판)
G10K-011/16
H04R-001/10
출원번호
US-0178236
(2008-07-23)
등록번호
US-8340310
(2012-12-25)
발명자
/ 주소
Ambrose, Stephen D.
Gido, Samuel P.
Mays, Jimmy W.
Weidisch, Roland
Schulein, Robert B.
출원인 / 주소
Asius Technologies, LLC
대리인 / 주소
Bishop & Diehl, Ltd.
인용정보
피인용 횟수 :
14인용 특허 :
12
초록▼
The disclosed methods and devices incorporate a novel expandable bubble portion which provides superior fidelity to a listener while minimizing listener fatigue. The expandable bubble portion may be expanded through the transmission of low frequency audio signals or the pumping of a gas to the expan
The disclosed methods and devices incorporate a novel expandable bubble portion which provides superior fidelity to a listener while minimizing listener fatigue. The expandable bubble portion may be expanded through the transmission of low frequency audio signals or the pumping of a gas to the expandable bubble portion. In addition, embodiments of the acoustic device may be adapted to consistently and comfortably fit to any ear, providing for a variable, impedance matching acoustic seal to both the tympanic membrane and the audio transducer, respectively, while isolating the sound-vibration chamber within the driven bubble. This reduces the effect of gross audio transducer vibration excursions on the tympanic membrane and transmits the audio content in a manner which allows the ear to utilize its full inherent capabilities.
대표청구항▼
1. An acoustic device comprising: an acoustic transducer having a proximal surface and a distal surface;an expandable bubble portion coupled to a diaphonic assembly and in fluid communication with the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer, said expandable bubble portion being configured to co
1. An acoustic device comprising: an acoustic transducer having a proximal surface and a distal surface;an expandable bubble portion coupled to a diaphonic assembly and in fluid communication with the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer, said expandable bubble portion being configured to completely seal the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer,wherein said expandable bubble portion: has an inflated state and a collapsed state,is filled with a fluid medium in said inflated stateis adapted to conform to an ear canal in said inflated state, andexpands to the inflated state via pressure generated by said acoustic transducer. 2. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said diaphonic assembly is disposed between said expandable bubble portion and said acoustic transducer. 3. The acoustic device of claim 2 wherein said diaphonic assembly comprises one or more substrates. 4. The acoustic device of claim 3 wherein said one or more substrates comprises one or more ingress valves and one or more egress valves. 5. The acoustic device of claim 4 wherein said ingress valves and said egress valves comprise one or more ports and at least a diaphragm membrane. 6. The acoustic device of claim 2 wherein said diaphonic assembly is disposed distal to said acoustic transducer. 7. The acoustic device of claim 2 wherein said diaphonic assembly is disposed proximal to said acoustic transducer. 8. The acoustic device of claim 1, further comprising a means for inflating said expandable bubble portion coupled to said expandable bubble portion. 9. The acoustic device of claim 8 wherein said means for inflating said expandable bubble portion comprises said acoustic transducer. 10. The acoustic device of claim 1, further comprising a pressure release valve, a pump, or combinations thereof for releasing pressure within said expandable bubble portion. 11. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said acoustic transducer comprises one of either a speaker, a diaphragm transducer, a driver, a personal listening device ear-bud, a hearing aid, or combinations thereof. 12. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion comprises a polymeric material. 13. The acoustic device of claim 12 wherein said polymeric material is an elastic polymer. 14. The acoustic device of claim 12 wherein said polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of a block copolymer, triblock copolymers, graft copolymers, silicone rubbers, natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers, plasticized polymers, vinyl polymers, or combinations thereof. 15. The acoustic device of claim 14 wherein said block copolymers have a molecular structure selected from the group consisting of AB, ABA, ABAB, ABABA, wherein A is a glassy or semicrystalline polymer, and B is a elastomer or rubber. 16. The acoustic device of claim 12 wherein said polymeric material is a graft copolymer with a rubbery backbone and a plurality of glassy side branches. 17. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion comprises an inelastic material. 18. The acoustic device of claim 10 wherein said inelastic material is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, polyethylene (PE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE), ultrahigh density polyethylene (UHDPE), polyproplylene (PP), ethylene-propylene copolymers, poly(ethylene vinylacetate) (EVA), poly(ethylene acrylic acid) (EAA), polyacrylates, polymethylacrylate, polyethylacrylate, polybutylacrylate, polyvinylchloride (PVC), polyvinylidenechloride (PVDC), polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE), polyvinylbutyral (PVB), poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA), polyvinylalchohol, polyethylenevinylalchohol (EVOH), poly(ethylene teraphathalate) (PET), polyesters, polyamides, polyureathanes, segmented polyurethanes with MDI or TDI hard segments, polyethyleneoxide, methylcellulose, ethylcellulose, hydroxyethylcellulose, carboxymethylcellulose, propylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, or combinations thereof. 19. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion is impedance matched with said acoustic transducer. 20. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion is impedance matched with one of either an ear canal, a tympanic membrane, or an auricle. 21. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion is in fluid communication with said acoustic transducer by a port or a tube. 22. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said expandable bubble portion is porous. 23. The acoustic device of claim 22 wherein said expandable bubble portion has pores having an average diameter less than about 1 micron. 24. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion surrounds said acoustic transducer, and the back of said acoustic transducer is in fluid communication with an equalizing pressure source. 25. The acoustic device of claim 24 wherein said equalizing pressure source is ambient atmospheric pressure. 26. The acoustic device of claim 1, further comprising one or more microphones attached to said acoustic device. 27. The acoustic device of claim 1, further including a portable media player, cell phone, personal digital assistant, or combinations thereof. 28. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion comprises two or more internal chambers. 29. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein the internal pressure of said expandable bubble portion is adjustable. 30. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein the porous expandable bubble portion is pleated or folded in said collapsed state. 31. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said porous expandable bubble portion is substantially spherical in said inflated state. 32. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion in said inflated state comprises a toroidal shape. 33. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said expandable bubble portion is acoustically resonant. 34. The acoustic device of claim 1 wherein said fluid medium is a gas, a liquid, or combinations thereof. 35. An acoustic device comprising: an expandable bubble portion;an acoustic transducer disposed distal to said expandable bubble portion;a diaphonic assembly coupled to said expandable bubble portion and said acoustic transducer, said diaphonic assembly comprising a distal substrate, a medial substrate, a proximal substrate, a one-way egress valve and a one-way ingress valve,wherein said distal substrate comprises an ingress port and an egress valve seat, said medial substrate comprises an egress diaphragm and an ingress diaphragm, said proximal substrate comprises an egress port and an ingress valve seat, and said egress valve opens when said transducer is displaced proximally and wherein said ingress valve closes when said transducer is displaced distally. 36. The acoustic device of claim 35 wherein said egress valve and said ingress valve comprise a valve seat, one or more ports, and one or more diaphragm membranes. 37. The acoustic device of claim 35 wherein said diaphonic assembly simultaneously transmits audio frequency vibrations while pressurizing said expandable bubble portion. 38. The acoustic device of claim 35 wherein said expandable bubble portion comprises a spheroid or prolate spheroid shape. 39. The acoustic device of claim 35, further comprising a pump coupled to said acoustic device for expanding said expandable bubble portion. 40. A method of preventing cerumen buildup in an ear canal comprising the steps of: providing an acoustic device comprising: an acoustic transducer having a proximal surface and a distal surface;an expandable bubble portion coupled to a diaphonic assembly and in fluid communication with the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer, said expandable bubble portion being configured to completely seal the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer,wherein said expandable bubble portion: has an inflated state and a collapsed state,is filled with a fluid medium in said inflated state,is adapted to conform to an ear canal in said inflated state, andexpands to the inflated state via pressure generated by said acoustic transducer;inserting the expandable bubble portion of the acoustic device into an ear canal;expanding the expandable bubble portion with a fluid medium to seal the ear canal; andallowing vapors from the ear canal to pass through the expandable bubble portion so as to dry the ear canal and prevent cerumen buildup in the ear canal. 41. A method of noise cancellation comprising the steps of: providing an acoustic device comprising: an acoustic transducer having a proximal surface and a distal surface;an expandable bubble portion coupled to a diaphonic assembly and in fluid communication with the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer, said expandable bubble portion being configured to completely seal the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer,wherein said expandable bubble portion: has an inflated state and a collapsed state,is filled with a fluid medium in said inflated state,is adapted to conform to an ear canal in said inflated state, andexpands to the inflated state via pressure generated by said acoustic transducer;inserting the expandable bubble portion of the acoustic device into an ear canal; andtransmitting vibrations, which are out of phase from ambient noise, from the acoustic transducer to the expandable bubble portion so as to cancel external noise, wherein the expandable bubble portion conducts the vibrations through the ear canal. 42. A method for conducting sound through cephalic tissue comprising the steps of: providing a headphone having an acoustic device comprising: an acoustic transducer having a proximal surface and a distal surface;an expandable bubble portion coupled to a diaphonic assembly and in fluid communication with the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer, said expandable bubble portion being configured to completely seal the proximal surface of said acoustic transducer,wherein said expandable bubble portion: has an inflated state and a collapsed state,is filled with a fluid medium in said inflated state,is adapted to conform to an ear canal in said inflated state, andexpands to the inflated state via pressure generated by said acoustic transducer;inserting the expandable bubble portion of the acoustic device into an ear canal;expanding the expandable bubble portion with a fluid medium to contact the expandable bubble portion with the ear canal; andresonating the expandable bubble portion in contact with the ear canal via the acoustic transducer so as to conduct sound through cephalic tissue. 43. A method of transmitting sound to an ear comprising the steps of: providing an acoustic device comprising: an acoustic transducer having a proximal surface and a distal surface, andan expandable bubble portion in fluid communication with the proximal surface of the acoustic transducer, wherein said expandable bubble portion has an inflated state and a collapsed state, wherein the expandable bubble portion is filled with a fluid medium and forms a seal within the ear in the inflated state;inserting the expandable bubble portion into an ear canal; andtransmitting sound through the acoustic transducer into the expandable bubble portion so as to inflate the expandable bubble portion to the inflated state, resonate the expandable bubble portion and transmit sound to the ear. 44. The method of claim 43, further comprising conducting sound from the expandable bubble portion through an ear canal wall. 45. The method of claim 43 wherein the expandable bubble portion is porous. 46. The method of claim 45, further comprising continuously refreshing air within an ear canal through the expandable bubble portion.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (12)
Ward John W. (Charlottesville VA), Automatic acoustic impedance meter.
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