Earphone support device

Abstract

An earphone support device 10 having an annular cushion comprising an annular body 2 with a discontinuity forming a slot 8 and a central space 4, and an ear contact surface 6. The earphone support dev

Description

Field The present invention concerns an earphone support device for supporting an earphone adjacent an ear of a user. More particularly, but not exclusively, this invention concerns an earphone support device which provides improved comfort when a user wishes to use their earphone when lying down. Background Earphones are widely used personal audio devices offering convenience for activities such as music listening, communication, and entertainment. However, conventional earphones present several disadvantages when used in a lying down position, particularly during rest or sleep. These include physical discomfort due to pressure against an user’s ear or ear canal, risk of ear damage from prolonged use or high sound levels, and increased likelihood of dislodgement or tangling—especially with wired models. Wireless variants may also face connectivity or battery limitations. The present invention seeks to mitigate the above-mentioned problems. Alternatively or additionally, the present invention seeks to provide an improved earphone support device for supporting an earphone adjacent an ear of an user. Summary of the Invention The present invention provides, according to a first aspect, an earphone support device for supporting an earphone adjacent an ear of a user, the earphone comprising a speaker body, and the earphone support device comprising: an annular cushion comprising: an annular body having a discontinuity forming a slot and a central space within the annular body, the annular body comprising an ear contact surface configured to contact the ear of the user during use; a support structure located within the central space configured to receive and retain the earphone such that the speaker body faces outwards from the central space and the earphone is spaced from the ear contact surface of the annular cushion thereby providing a cushioning region between the speaker body and the user’s ear, in use; wherein the slot is configured to provide access to the earphone when the ear contact surface abuts the user’s ear. The present disclosure may provide an earphone support device with improved comfort when used in a lying down position. The annular cushion is configured to allow sound to be easily transmitted from the speaker body to the user’s ear while a user is in the lying down position. The earphone may comprise a stalk extending from the speaker body. The support structure may be configured to retain the earphone such that the stalk extends through the slot. The earphone may comprise a cable which connects the stalk and a device. The cable may extend through the slot. The earphone may be wireless. The earphone may comprise Bluetooth ™ to connect to a device such as a smart phone or tablet. The slot may be configured to receive the earphone. The earphone may enter the central space of the annular body via the slot. The support structure within the central space may comprise bristles to retain the earphone. The bristles may extend axially through the central space of the annular cushion. The bristles may be spaced from the ear contact surface of the annular cushion. The use of bristles within the central space may provide a flexible, nondamaging retention mechanism for securely holding the earphone. The bristles may conform to the shape and surface of the earphone, distributing contact forces evenly to minimise pressure points or abrasion. The slot may comprise bristles to assist with retaining the earphone in the central space, and mitigate the earphone unnecessarily withdrawing from the central space via the slot. The bristles may comprise thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material. The annular cushion may have an outermost diameter of between 5cm and 10cm. The annular cushion may have an outermost diameter of no more than 10cm. For example, the annular cushion may have an outermost diameter of 5.5cm, 6.0cm, 6.5cm, 7.0cm, 7.5cm, 8.0cm, 8.5cm, 9.0, or 9.5cm. The diameter of the annular cushion should be sufficiently large to provide a user with a cushioned surface in use, but also sufficiently compact to be portable and lightweight. The slot may extend radially inwards through the annular body to the central space. The slot may extend at least 10% around the circumference of the annular body. The slot may extend 15%, 20%, 25%, or 30% around the circumference of the annular body. The slot may extend at most 35% around the circumference of the annular body. The earphone support device may comprise a fastening means for fastening the cushioning device to a head band. The fastening means may be a clip, button, hook-and-loop fastener e.g. Velcro ®, or a magnet. The fastening means allows the earphone support device to be attached to a head band, such as an eye mask when the user is sleeping. Alternatively, the head band may be any other head band that extends over and / or around a user’s head that would be known to the skilled person. The annular body may comprise a gyroid infill. Gyroid infill is a threedimensional, periodic surface structure. The gyroid infill may comprise a continuous, curved shape that makes it strong and flexible. Gyroid infill reduces material usage without compromising on the structural integrity, providing an earphone support device that is lightweight and comfortable. Additionally or alternatively, the annular body may comprise foam. The annular body may be formed from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) such as TPU95. An external surface of the annular body may be formed from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). The resilient nature of TPU may allow for repeated insertion and removal of the earphone within the central space without significant wear, which may enhance durability and product lifespan. The annular body and bristles may be formed by additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing may enable efficient manufacturing of the support device and lower costs. Description of the Drawings Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying schematic drawings of which: Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the earphone support device according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows a plan view of the earphone support device; Figure 3 shows a transparent perspective view of the earphone support device from an ear contact surface side; Figure 4 shows a transparent perspective view of the earphone support device from an external outer surface side; and Figure 5 shows a cross section of the earphone support device. Detailed Description Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the earphone support device 10 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The earphone is not shown in the figures to help identify the features of the support device itself. The earphone support device 10 has an annular body 2 having a round toroidal shape with a central space 4. The annular body 2 has a discontinuity forming a slot 8 extending radially inwards towards the centre of the annular body 2. The annular body 2 has an ear contact surface 6 which is configured to abut a user’s ear in use. Within the central space 4 of the annular body, there are bristles 5 extending axially outwards from the central space. The bristles 5 are spaced from the ear contact surface 6 of the annular body 2 such that they do not come into contact with a user’s ear in use. The annular body 2 has an external outer surface 7 which, in use, faces away from the user’s ear. Attached to the external outer surface 7 is an external cover 12 which provides a substantially flat surface covering the central space 5. Figure 2 shows a plan view of the earphone support device 10. The annular body 2 has an outer diameter XI of approximately 7.6cm. The central space 4 of the annular body has a diameter X2 of approximately 3.5cm. The external cover 12 has a diameter X3 of approximately 5.5cm. The slot 8 extends radially inwards through the annular body 2 to the central space 4 and, in the present example, extends 15% around the circumference of the annular body 2. In the present example, the slot 8 forms a gap with a maximum width Al of approximately 3.5cm and a minimum width A2 near the central space of approximately 2.5cm. The slot 8 is configured to allow access to the earphone such that the user can slide the earphone through the slot 8 and into the central space 4. Also, a stalk and / or wire connected to a speaker head of an earphone can extend through the slot 8 during use. Figure 3 shows a transparent perspective view of the earphone support device 10 from the ear contact surface side 6. The bristles 5 are shown extending axially outwards from the central space 4. Bristles 5 are also found within the slot 8 which assist with retaining the earphone in the centre space 4 of the annular body 2. Figure 4 shows a transparent perspective view of the earphone support device from the external outer surface side 7. The external cover 12 has a fastening means 14 which is in a form of a clip configured to slide on to a head band. The head band may be an eye mask. The clip 14 fastens the earphone support device 10 to a head band to help keep the support device near the user’s ear, for example when the user is sleeping. In the present example, the clip has a solid surface 15 and an arm 13 which offsets the solid surface from the external cover 12 forming a space 11 therebetween (better shown in Figure 5). Figure 5 shows a cross section of the earphone support device 10, showing the toroidal shape of the annular body 2. As shown in more detail here, the external outer surface 7 curves inwards towards the central space 4 forming a collar 16 which is attached to the external cover 12. Figure 5 shows the height of the bristles 5 in more detail. As mentioned above, the bristles 5 extend axially outwards from the central space 4 and are spaced from the ear contact surface 6 of the annular body 2 such that the bristles 5 are spaced away from a user’s ear in use. Figure 5 also shows the space 11 formed between the external cover 12 and the solid surface 15 of the clip 14 for attaching the earphone support device to a head band. The external surfaces 6, 7 of the annular body 2, the bristles, the external cover 12 and the clip 14 are formed from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), for example TPU95. The internal structure of the annular body 2 is formed from gyroid infill which provides a lightweight and flexible earphone support device 10 to cushion a user’s ear / head in use. The earphone support device is manufactured by additive manufacturing. Whilst the present invention has been described and illustrated with reference to particular embodiments, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the invention lends itself to many different variations not specifically illustrated herein. By way of example only, certain possible variations will now be described. The annular body 2 may have a rectangular toroidal shape. The annular body 2 may be formed of other alternative shapes known to the skilled person. The annular body 2 may comprise foam which is lightweight and provides comfort to the user in use. In other examples, the fastening means 14 may be a hook and loop fastener, for example Velcro ®, or magnets, or buttons. Where in the foregoing description, integers or elements are mentioned which have known, obvious or foreseeable equivalents, then such equivalents are herein incorporated as if individually set forth. Reference should be made to the claims for determining the true scope of the present invention, which should be construed so as to encompass any such equivalents. It will also be appreciated by the reader that integers or features of the invention that are described as preferable, advantageous, convenient or the like are optional and do not limit the scope of the independent 5 claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that such optional integers or features, whilst of possible benefit in some embodiments of the invention, may not be desirable, and may therefore be absent, in other embodiments.

Claims

1. An earphone support device for supporting an earphone adjacent an ear of a user, the earphone comprising a speaker body, and the earphone support device comprising:- an annular cushion comprising: an annular body having a discontinuity forming a slot and a central space within the annular body, the annular body comprising an ear contact surface configured to contact the ear of the user during use;- a support structure located within the central space configured to receive and retain the earphone such that the speaker body faces outwards from the central space and the earphone is spaced from the ear contact surface of the annular cushion thereby providing a cushioning region between the speaker body and the user’s ear, in use;- wherein the slot is configured to provide access to the earphone when the outer contact surface abuts the user’s ear.

2. An earphone support device according to claim 1 wherein the earphone comprises a stalk extending from the speaker body, and wherein the support structure is configured to retain the earphone such that the stalk extends through the slot.

3. An earphone support device according to any preceding claim wherein the support structure within the central space comprises bristles to retain the earphone.

4. An earphone support device according to any preceding claim wherein the annular cushion has an outermost diameter of between 5cm and 10cm.

5. An earphone support device according to any preceding claim wherein the slot extends radially inwards through the annular body to the central space, and wherein the slot extends at least 10% around the circumference of the annular body.

6. An earphone support device according to any preceding claim further comprising a fastening means for fastening the cushioning device to a head band.

7. An earphone support device according to any preceding claim wherein the annular body comprises a gyroid infill8. An earphone support device according to any preceding claim wherein the annular body is formed from thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) such as TPU95.

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