Wax-guarded ear tips to minimize sound loss

Abstract

We provide wax-guarded ear tips that minimize sound loss. [Solution] The wax guard ear tip 100 is an ear tip that is attached to one side of an earphone and inserted into the wearer's ear canal to stably fix the position of the earphone, and includes a main body portion 110 which is a hollow cylindrical structure corresponding to the outer surface of the earphone, an ear canal contact portion 120 which protrudes radially from the outer surface of the main body portion 110 and is worn, and contacts the inner surface of the ear canal, and a wax guard 130 which is a thin film structure formed on the inner surface of the main body portion 110 and positioned between the inside of the earphone and the wearer's eardrum, and has a structure in which a plurality of polygonal through holes 131, 133 and a circular through hole 132 are formed adjacent to each other.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ear tip, and more particularly to an ear tip including a wax guard that minimizes acoustic loss.

Background Art

[0002] Recently, when many smartphone users listen to music or make calls on their smartphones, they use general earphones or Bluetooth (registered trademark) earphones with a hands-free function.

[0003] Usually, when purchasing a smartphone for the first time, bundled earphones are most often provided. However, compared to headphones, earphones may have a slightly lower volume, but due to their small size, they are easy to carry, and with the popularization of smartphones, they have become a necessity in life.

[0004] When classifying earphones by form, they can be roughly classified into open-type and kernel-type earphones. In the initial models, open-type earphones were often used, but recently, both open-type and kernel-type earphones are used at a similar rate.

[0005] The advantage of open-type earphones is that the speaker module inside the earphone housing is not completely sealed in the ear canal, direct sound is not transmitted, and part of the sound leaks, allowing for a comfortable open feeling. The advantage of kernel-type earphones is that they have an effect of blocking noise, and when wearing an ear tip that fits the width of the inner ear regardless of the individual shape of the outer ear of each person, they have good adhesion to the ear canal and strong fixing force.

[0006] While open-type and kernel-type earphones have complementary aspects, kernel-type earphones were created as an attempt to solve the problems of open-type earphones, such as poor fit, reduced bass reproduction due to sound leakage, and intrusion of external noise. Conversely, kernel-type earphones, unlike open-type earphones, have the disadvantage of providing a secure fit and noise isolation, but because they fit tightly in the ear canal, air circulation is not good, resulting in strong bass frequencies, but they may cause a feeling of foreignness, tightness, and pain in some people.

[0007] Furthermore, kernel-type earphones, like closed-back headphones, minimize external noise by creating a tight seal between the speaker and the ear. This reduces interference from ambient noise and prevents sound from leaking out of the diaphragm, making it possible to listen to music and other audio in noisy environments without disturbing those around you. However, when used for extended periods, the pressure of the eartips that tightly seal the ear results in a relatively less comfortable fit compared to open-type earphones. Additionally, the sound from the diaphragm directly affects the eardrum, meaning the eardrum can be shocked by the air pressure.

[0008] To solve these problems, as shown in Figure 1(a), a filler material 200 was inserted into the internal space of the ear tip to create a tight seal with the ear canal. However, the pressure of the filler material actually caused discomfort during wear.

[0009] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1(b), although a simple circular through-hole was formed inside the ear tip, there is a problem in that not all of the sound generated from inside the earphone can pass through, and clear and clean sound cannot be transmitted.

[0010] Therefore, there is a need for technology that can solve the problems caused by the aforementioned conventional technologies. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Korean Registered Patent Publication No. 10-1323805 (Registration Date: October 24, 2013) [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0012] The object of the present invention is to provide a wax guard ear tip that minimizes acoustic loss, including a structure that can prevent foreign matter generated from inside the ear of the earphone wearer from adhering to the inside of the earphone, guide sound generated from inside the earphone to pass smoothly through the wax guard, reduce the loss of transmitted sound and volume, and as a result transmit clear and clean sound to the wearer's eardrum. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] A wax guard ear tip for minimizing sound loss according to one aspect of the present invention to achieve this objective is an ear tip that is attached to one side of an earphone and inserted into the wearer's ear canal to stably fix the position of the earphone, and may include a main body portion having a hollow cylindrical structure corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the earphone, an ear canal contact portion that protrudes radially from the outer circumferential surface of the main body portion and is worn, and contacts the inner surface of the ear canal, and a wax guard having a thin film structure formed on the inner surface of the main body portion and positioned between the inside of the earphone and the wearer's eardrum, with a plurality of polygonal through holes and circular through holes formed adjacent to each other.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the wax guard may include a first through-hole located in the center of the wax guard and having a hexagonal cross-sectional structure, and a second through-hole located adjacent to the edge of the wax guard and having a circular cross-sectional structure.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of inner surface grooves extending in the through direction may be continuously formed on the inner surfaces of the first through hole and the second through hole, spaced apart by a certain angle.

[0016] In one embodiment of the present invention, the wax guard may include a third through-hole that is positioned adjacent to the first through-hole and the second through-hole and has a polygonal cross-sectional structure corresponding to the area formed between the first through-hole and the second through-hole.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, the wax guard is an elliptical structure having major and minor axes of different lengths in a plane, the first through-hole is located adjacent to either the major or minor axis, and the second through-hole may be located adjacent to the edge of the ellipse.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body is formed continuously along the inner circumferential surface of the main body, connected to the edge of the wax guard, and is a thin film structure having a thickness of 10 to 50% greater than the thickness of the wax guard, and may include an elastic binding portion made of a material having a predetermined size and elastic restorative force.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body portion may be configured to include a fourth through-hole, which is formed at regular intervals from the elastic binding portion and has a through-hole structure corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of an adjacent third through-hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] As described above, the wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss of the present invention provides a structure that minimizes acoustic loss, comprising a main body, an ear canal contact portion, and a wax guard of a specific structure, which prevents foreign matter generated from inside the ear of the earphone wearer from adhering to the inside of the earphone, guides sound generated from inside the earphone to pass smoothly through the wax guard, reduces the loss of transmitted sound and volume, and as a result provides a wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss that includes a structure that allows clear and clean sound to be transmitted to the wearer's eardrum.

[0021] Also, according to the wax guard ear tip that minimizes the acoustic loss of the present invention, by providing an elastic binding part and a fourth through-hole with a specific structure, the passage area of the sound that was not opened by the third through-hole can be expanded to a wider area through the fourth through-hole, and it can be induced that the wax guard can vibrate through the elastic binding part with a thin film structure thinner than the thickness of the wax guard, and it can be induced that foreign substances adsorbed on the surface of the wax guard are detached by the vibration of the wax guard, and a wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss that can maintain a clean state can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a plan view showing an ear tip according to the prior art. [Figure 2] It is a plan view showing a wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing the positions of the first through-hole, the second through-hole, and the third through-hole of the wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] It is a plan view showing a wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a cross-sectional view taken along the line A-A' of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] It is a table comparing the performance of an ear tip according to the prior art and a wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss according to this embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a graph comparing the performance of an ear tip according to the prior art and a wax guard ear tip for minimizing acoustic loss according to this embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Prior to this, terms and words used herein and in the claims should not be interpreted as being limited to their ordinary or dictionary meanings, but as meanings and concepts consistent with the technical spirit of the present invention.

[0024] Throughout this specification, when we say that one member is located "on" another member, this includes not only cases where one member is in contact with another member, but also cases where another member exists between the two members. Throughout this specification, when we say that a part "includes" a component, this means, unless otherwise stated, that it may include other components rather than excluding them.

[0025] Figure 2 shows a plan view of a wax guard ear tip that minimizes acoustic loss according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 2, the wax guard ear tip 100 that minimizes acoustic loss according to this embodiment is an ear tip that is attached to one side of an earphone and inserted into the wearer's ear canal to stably fix the position of the earphone, and comprises a main body portion 110 with a specific structure, an ear canal contact portion 120 and a wax guard 130, which prevents foreign matter generated from inside the ear of the earphone wearer from adhering to the inside of the earphone, and guides the sound generated from inside the earphone to pass smoothly through the wax guard 130, thereby reducing the loss of transmitted sound and volume, and as a result, it is possible to provide a wax guard ear tip that minimizes acoustic loss, which includes a structure that allows clear and clean sound to be transmitted to the wearer's eardrum.

[0026] The following describes in detail each component of the wax guard ear tip 100 that minimizes sound loss according to this embodiment, with reference to the drawings.

[0027] Figure 3 shows a plan view illustrating the locations of the first, second, and third through-holes in the wax guard ear tip that minimize acoustic loss as shown in Figure 2.

[0028] Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the main body 110 in this embodiment is a hollow cylinder structure corresponding to the outer surface of the earphone.

[0029] The ear canal contact portion 120 in this embodiment is worn by protruding radially from the outer surface of the main body portion 110 and has a structure that contacts the inner surface of the ear canal. The wax guard 130 in this embodiment is formed on the inner surface of the main body portion 110 and is a thin film structure placed between the inside of the earphone and the wearer's eardrum, and has a structure in which a plurality of polygonal through holes and circular through holes are formed adjacent to each other.

[0030] Specifically, the wax guard 130 may have a configuration that includes a first through-hole 131, a second through-hole 132, and a third through-hole 133 of a specific structure. The first through-hole 131 is located in the center of the wax guard 130 and has a hexagonal cross-sectional structure. The second through-hole 132 is located adjacent to the edge of the wax guard 130 and has a circular cross-sectional structure. The third through-hole 133 is located adjacent to the first through-hole 131 and the second through-hole 132 and has a polygonal cross-sectional structure corresponding to the area formed between the first through-hole 131 and the second through-hole 132.

[0031] Figure 4 shows a plan view of a wax guard ear tip that minimizes acoustic loss according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view along the line A-A' in Figure 4.

[0032] Referring to these figures, in this embodiment, a plurality of inner surface grooves G extending in the through direction can be continuously formed on the inner surfaces of the first through hole 131 and the second through hole 132, spaced apart by a certain angle.

[0033] More preferably, the wax guard 130 according to this embodiment is an elliptical structure having major and minor axes of different lengths on a plane, as shown in Figure 4. In this case, the first through hole 131 is preferably located adjacent to the major or minor axis, and the second through hole 132 is preferably located adjacent to the edge of the ellipse.

[0034] In this case, the main body portion 110 may further include an elastic binding portion 140 of a specific structure. Specifically, the elastic binding portion 140 is formed continuously along the inner circumferential surface of the main body portion 110, is connected to the edge of the wax guard 130, has a thin film structure with a thickness of 10 to 50% greater than the thickness of the wax guard 130, and is made of a material having an elastic restorative force of a predetermined size.

[0035] In some cases, fourth through-holes 134 may be formed in the elastic binding portion 140 at regular intervals. Specifically, it is preferable that the fourth through-hole 134 has a through-hole structure corresponding to the outer circumferential surface of the adjacent third through-hole 133.

[0036] Figure 6 shows a table comparing the performance of conventional ear tips and the wax-guarded ear tips that minimize acoustic loss according to this embodiment, and Figure 7 shows a graph comparing the performance of conventional ear tips and the wax-guarded ear tips that minimize acoustic loss according to this embodiment.

[0037] In Figure 7, the red graph relates to structure 1, the green graph relates to structure 2, and the blue graph relates to the structure according to the present invention.

[0038] When tuning wired and wireless earphones, the most important frequency range is 3kHz to 6kHz. In particular, due to the characteristics of the human ear canal, ensuring a volume level in the 3-4kHz range is essential to hearing sounds through earphones that are closest to natural hearing. Test results showed that product 2 was measured at a higher volume than product 1, and product 3 was measured at a higher volume than product 2. Furthermore, ensuring a volume level in the 4kHz-6kHz range allows for the transmission of clear and crisp sounds in the mid-range and high-range frequencies, such as instrument sounds. In this range as well, the Blue Graph can be said to be superior in terms of timbre and sound quality because it ensures the highest sound pressure.

[0039] As described above, the wax guard ear tip according to this embodiment, which minimizes acoustic loss, includes a main body portion 110 with a specific structure, an ear canal contact portion 120, and a wax guard 130. This prevents foreign matter generated from inside the ear of the earphone wearer from adhering to the inside of the earphone, and guides the sound generated from inside the earphone to pass smoothly through the wax guard 130, thereby reducing the loss of transmitted sound and volume. As a result, it is possible to provide a wax guard ear tip that minimizes acoustic loss, including a structure that allows clear and clean sound to be transmitted to the wearer's eardrum.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the wax guard ear tip of the present invention, by providing an elastic binding portion 140 with a specific structure and a fourth through-hole 134, the sound passage area that was not opened by the third through-hole 133 can be expanded to a wider area through the fourth through-hole 134, the wax guard 130 can be guided to vibrate via the elastic binding portion 140 which has a thin film structure thinner than the thickness of the wax guard 130, foreign matter adsorbed on the surface of the wax guard 130 can be guided to detach by the vibration of the wax guard 130, and a wax guard ear tip that minimizes sound loss and can maintain a clean state can be provided.

[0041] The detailed description of the present invention has described only specific embodiments thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific forms mentioned in the detailed description, but rather includes all variations, equivalents, and substitutes that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0042] In other words, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments and descriptions described above, and any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs can carry out various modifications without departing from the gist of the invention claimed in the claims, and such modifications are within the scope of protection of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 100: Wax-guarded ear tips to minimize sound loss 110: Main body 120: Ear canal contact area 130: Wax Guard 131: First Through Hole 132: Second Through Hole 133: Third Through Hole 134: Fourth Through Hole G: Inner surface groove 140: Elastic binding section L1:Long axis L2: Short axis F1: Focal point of an ellipse F2: Focal point of the ellipse

Claims

1. An ear tip that is attached to one side of an earphone and inserted into the wearer's ear canal to stably fix the position of the earphone, The main body 110 has a hollow cylinder structure that corresponds to the outer surface of the earphone, The ear canal contact portion 120 is attached to the outer surface of the main body portion 110, protruding radially from the outer surface and in contact with the inner surface of the ear canal, The wax guard 130 is a thin film structure formed on the inner surface of the main body 110 and positioned between the inside of the earphone and the wearer's eardrum, and has an elliptical structure with major and minor axes of different lengths on a plane, and has a structure in which a plurality of polygonal through holes and circular through holes are formed adjacent to each other. The wax guard 130 is The wax guard 130 is positioned in the central part adjacent to its long or short axis and has a first through-hole 131 having a regular hexagonal cross-sectional structure, A second through-hole 132 is positioned adjacent to the edge of the wax guard 130 and has a circular cross-sectional structure, The third through-hole 133 is positioned adjacent to the first through-hole 131 and the second through-hole 132, and has a polygonal cross-sectional structure corresponding to the area formed between the first through-hole 131 and the second through-hole 132. A wax-guarded ear tip that minimizes sound loss, characterized by the following features.

2. The main body portion 110 is formed continuously along its inner circumferential surface, connected to the edge of the wax guard 130, and has a thin film structure with a thickness of 10 to 50% greater than the thickness of the wax guard 130, and includes an elastic binding portion 140 made of a material having a predetermined size and elastic restorative force. A wax guard ear tip that minimizes acoustic loss as described in claim 1.

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