TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to the field of earphones.

BACKGROUND

Conventional earphones are attached to the ear by pressing them into the ear, and relying on friction.

However, this is not reliable.

WO2018199966 discloses movable lips of an earphone.

US2012155689 dislcloses adjustable shape earphones.

However, the mechanism and use must be improved.

There is a long felt need to provide a solution to the above-mentioned and other problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY

An earphone, including:

- movable lips; and

- an electro-mechanical mechanism, for moving the lips.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments, features, and aspects of the invention are described herein in conjunction with the following drawings: Fig. 1 depicts an earphone according to one embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 depicts the earphone of Fig. 1, at the first step, being upon insertion into an ear of a user.

Fig. 3 depicts the earphone of Fig. 1, at the second step, being upon expanding the lips.

Fig. 4 depicts the lips expanding body of Fig. 2 alone.

The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention will be understood from the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention, which are meant to be descriptive and not limiting. For the sake of brevity, some well-known features are not described in detail.

The reference numbers have been used to point out elements in the embodiments described and illustrated herein, in order to facilitate the understanding of the invention. They are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Also, the foregoing embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated in conjunction with systems and methods thereof, which are meant to be merely illustrative, and not limiting. Fig. 1 depicts an earphone according to one embodiment of the invention.

An earphone 10 according to one embodiment of the invention, includes lips 36, being expandable 52A in relation to packaging 50, as a function of transmission 54.

A smartphone 56 including an application 12 may produce transmission 54, for expanding (52A) lips 36.

The expansion level 26 may be adjustable.

Fig. 2 depicts the earphone of Fig. 1, at the first step, being upon insertion into an ear of a user.

Lips 36 extend from springy arms 74, tending normally to shrink 76.

In contrast to prior art earphones, at the turned-off state, thus at the shrunk state of springy arms 74, lips 36 may be narrower than ear canal surface 34, thus lips 36 yet do not attach ear canal surface 34.

Fig. 3 depicts the earphone of Fig. 1, at the second step, being upon expanding the lips.

Transmission 54 controls lips 36 to expand (52A) through an electro-mechanical mechanism 79 , thus attaches lips 36 to ear canal surface 34.

According to one embodiment of electro-mechanical mechanism 79, horizontal sliding 66A of a lips expanding body 32, is which expands (52A) lips 36. Electro-mechanical mechanism 79 further includes a stationary electro-magnet 30, applying force on a magnetic plate 30 fixed to lips expanding body 32, may control sliding 66A of lips expanding body 32.

Thus, transmission receiver 28, upon receiving transmission 54, controls (84A) electro-magnet 30 to horizontally slide 66A lips expanding body 32, for attaching lips 36 to ear canal surface 34.

Fig. 4 depicts the lips expanding body of Fig. 2 alone.

According to one embodiment, lips expanding body 32 includes a narrow zone 68A and a wide zone 68B.

Referring again to Fig. 2, springy arms 74, which may be peripheral, include a protrusion 78. At the state of Fig. 2 narrow zone 68A of lips expanding body 32 is disposed against protrusion 78 of springy arm 74, and is pressed thereby, thus narrow zone 6A does not expand springy arm 74.

Referring again to Fig. 3, at the state of Fig. 3 wide zone 68B of lips expanding body 32 is disposed against protrusion 78 of springy arm 74, and is pressed thereby, thus wide zone 68B expands springy arm 74.

Transmission receiver 28, upon receiving transmission 54, further controls (84B1) a coil 40 to operate a membrane 38, for sounding vocal signals of transmission 54 to ear canal surface 34.

Transmission receiver 28, upon receiving transmission 54, further controls (84B2) electro-magnet 30 to horizontally vibrate 66B lips expanding body 32, for vibrating (52B) lips 36 on ear canal surface 34, while already being attached, thereby mechanically transferring vocal signals of transmission 54 to ear canal surface 34.

Thus, in one aspect, the invention is directed to an earphone (10), including:

- lips (36) being movable (52A) in relation to an ear canal surface (34) of a user;

- an electro-mechanical mechanism (79), for operating the moving (52A) of the lips (36); and

- a transmission receiver (28), for controlling the electromechanical mechanism (79) upon receiving transmission (54), thereby the transmission (54) controls the moving (52A) of the lips (36) in relation to the ear canal surface (34).

The transmission (54) may constitute short-range transmission, for being transmitted from a smartphone (56) of the user, thereby the user’s smartphone (56) controls the lips moving (52A).

The lips moving (52A) may apply expanding the lips (36) onto the ear canal surface (34) for attaching the earphone (10) to an ear (29), and for allowing shrinking (76) the lips (36) for removing the earphone (10) from the ear (29). The lips moving (52A) may apply vibrating the lips (36) onto the ear canal surface (34) for mechanically transferring vocal signals of the transmission (54) to the ear canal surface (34).

The electro-mechanical mechanism (79) for operating the moving (52A) of the lips (36) may include: a body (32) including a narrow zone (68A) and a wide zone (68B), the body for sliding within the lips (36), thereby presence of the wide zone (68B) expands the lips (36) and presence of the narrow zone (68A) shrinks the lips (36).

The earphone (10) according to claim 1, wherein the electro-mechanical mechanism (79) for operating the moving (52 A) of the lips (36) includes:

- an electro-magnet (30) for moving (52A) the lips (36).

In the figures and/or description herein, the following reference numerals (Reference Signs List) have been mentioned: numeral 10 denotes the earphone according to one embodiment of the invention;

12: application running on smartphone 56;

14: on-off button of application 12;

20: level button of application 12;

28: short range transmission receiver;

29: user’s ear; 30: electro-magnet;

32: lips expanding body, including narrow zone 68A and wide zone 68B, for sliding within lips 36;

34: ear canal surface;

36: lip of earphone 10;

38: membrane for producing sound;

40: coil;

50: packaging;

52A: expansion and shrinking of lips 36;

52B: vibration of lip 36;

54: transmission from smartphone 56;

66A: sliding of lips expanding body 32;

66A: vibration of lips expanding body 32;

68A: narrow zone;

68B: wide zone;

74: springy arm;

76: springy shrinking of lips 36;

78: protrusion extending internally from springy arm 74;

79: electro-mechanical mechanism for moving lips 36;

84A: control of receiver 28 on electro-magnet 30 to attach lips 36 to ear canal surface 34, and to cease the attaching;

84B1: control of receiver 28 on coil 40 to operate membrane 38, for producing sound;

84B2: control of receiver 28 on electro-magnet 30 to vibrate lips 36 on ear canal surface 34, for mechanically transferring vocal signals; The foregoing description and illustrations of the embodiments of the invention have been presented for the purpose of illustration, and are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the above description in any form.

Any term that has been defined above and used in the claims, should be interpreted according to this definition.

The reference numbers in the claims are not a part of the claims, but rather used for facilitating the reading thereof. These reference numbers should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any form.