Earphone

Abstract

An earphone is disclosed in which the headband is pivoted to the earpieces so that the headband can be worn either over the top of the head or under the chin while the earpieces remain in position so that the cables come out the bottom and do not become kinked.

Description

This invention relates to an earphone having a spring band which can be applied alternatively over the head or under the chin.

It is generally known that earphones are not always carried with the spring band applied over the head because the band may be disturbing when a hat must be worn, e.g., during a recording of running commentary, or because the spring band would destroy the hair style, particularly of women. In such cases, the earphone may be worn with the spring band applied under the chin. The earphone can readily be worn in this manner because particularly modern earphones are so light that even a small spring pressure applied by the band prevents a falling-down of the earphone and because the earphone is sufficiently reliably held on the head regardless of the position of the spring band.

When the earphone is worn in this manner, which was not originally contemplated, with the spring band applied under the chin, the cable normally extending from the bottom of the earphone will now emerge at the top of the earphone and will be sharply bent because the cable extends normally in a downward direction. This condition will soon result in a breakage of the cable.

If the headphone is also provided with a microphone, the position of the latter relative to the mouth will no longer be correct when the earphone has been inverted. With some earphones, a good and convenient fit is not ensured on all forms of heads when the earphones are worn in the manner described. This is well understandable because the earphone was designed for being worn in only a specific attitude.

It is an object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages of the normal earphone. According to the invention, this is accomplished in that the spring band, on the one hand, and the cable connector and, if desired, an arm carrying a microphone, on the other hand, are rotatable relative to each other through an angle of at least 120.degree. in planes which are at least approximately parallel to the plane of symmetry of the two earpieces.

According to another feature of the invention an earphone transducer with an earpiece, a cable connector and, if desired, a microphone, constitute a unit, which is rotatably connected to the spring band.

In this case, the simplest arrangement will be obtained if the pivot for the unit is provided on the outside of the unit, remote from the ear, so that the pivot is visible from the outside. Alternatively, the mounting of the end of the spring band may be concealed and the corresponding pivot may be disposed inside the above-mentioned unit. The embodiment described last may not afford a freedom of movement through an angle which is as large as that possible with the embodiment in which the pivot is externally disposed. In general, however, an angle of at least 120.degree. will be obtained without difficulty. This angle is entirely sufficient for the user of the earphone according to the invention.

In the simplest case, the pivot will be arranged approximately at the geometrical center of the earpiece, provided that the same is disc shaped. In special cases it may be desirable to space the pivot from said geometrical center.

To meet all requirements, the earphone according to the invention may be designed so that the cable connector, the earphone transducer with the earpiece and, if desired, the microphone, can be rotated independently of each other relative to the spring band.

In another embodiment of the invention, the microphone may be carried by a flexible arm, which is firmly connected to the spring band.

As there are earphones in which the earpieces are discs which are oval rather than circular, it may be suitable to arrange for a rotation of only the earpieces and the cable connector relative to the spring band of the earphone.

To simplify the use, and particularly to facilitate the repeated finding of an adjustment which has once proved desirable, specific positions of the spring band may be defined by detent means, which are identified by numerals, symbols, marks or the like.

Alternatively, a scale may be provided, from which the relative position of the parts can be read.

The invention will now be described more fully with reference to the drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the rotary connection provided, according to the invention, between the spring band and other parts of the earphone in the position for applying the spring band over the head.

FIG. 2 illustrates the position which is used when the spring band is applied under the chin.

FIGS. 3 and 4 also show these two positions of an earphone in which the pivot is disposed in the interior of the earphone unit.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the arrangement wherein there is an eccentric pivot for the cable connector and an arm carrying a microphone.

FIG. 7 shows how the angle can be limited by stops in suitable positions.

FIGS. 1 and 2 actually belong together, and show the earphone according to the invention in side elevation with the spring band 1 in two positions. FIG. 1 shows the spring band 1 in the position which will be assumed if the earphone is to be worn in the usual manner. FIG. 2 indicates the angle through which the spring band 1 can be swung downwardly when the earphone according to the invention is mounted so that the spring band 1 extends under the chin. In this case, the earpiece 4, the connector 2 for the cable 7 and the microphone 6, which is secured to the arm 5, remain in the position assumed by them when the earphone is worn according to FIG. 1. This is enabled according to the invention in that each end of the spring band is rotatable about a pin 3, which is mounted on the outside of the earphone housing.

Another embodiment of the earphone according to the invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 with the spring band in two positions. The earphone shown in this embodiment differs from the one described hereinbefore in that the ends of the spring band 1 are rotatably mounted on a pin 3, which corresponds to the pin 3 of the previous example but is disposed inside the earphone housing. The latter must now have a slot to provide for the required freedom of movement for the spring band 1. The slot in the earphone housing will have only the extent which is required for the absolutely necessary range of the angular movement of the spring band 1 so that special limiting stops are not required.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the cable sleeve 2 and, if desired, the microphone 6 carried by the arm 5, are rotatable independently of the spring band 1 about an eccentric pivot 3' on a member 8 and within a certain angular range, which need not exceed 60.degree. . This small angular range .alpha. will be sufficient because the earphone can be side inverted when it is changed from the normal attitude to that in which the spring band is applied under the chin. For instance, the microphone may be disposed on the right first and subsequently on the left, and it is sufficient to swing the microphone through a relatively small angle to move it close to the mouth. The arm 5 carrying the microphone 6 may be flexible. Such arms are usual, e.g., in lighting fixtures.

It has already been mentioned that an excessive range of adjustment is not desired. In order to provide for a reasonable limitation in those cases in which the design inherently enables an excessively large range, stops may be provided to limit the movement of the spring band 1 or any other part of the earphone. FIG. 7 shows, by way of example, stops 9 which are carried by the earphone housing 8 and limit the movement of the arm 5, which carries the microphone 6, and the cable connector 2. These stops limit the pivotal movement of these parts to an angle B.

Claims

I claim:

1. An earphone comprising two earpieces, two cable connectors respectively carried by said earpieces, a spring band carrying said earpieces so that they are symmetrically disposed with respect to a plane of symmetry, and means connecting said spring band to said cable connectors for relative rotation through an angle of at least 120.degree. in planes which are at least approximately parallel to said plane of symmetry, each of said earpieces and the associated cable connector forming a unit to which said spring band is rotatably connected, said spring band being pivoted to each of said units by a pivot which is disposed inside said unit.

2. An earphone which comprises two earpieces, two cable connectors respectively carried by said earpieces, a spring band carrying said earpieces so that they are symmetrically disposed with respect to a plane of symmetry, and means connecting said spring band to said cable connectors for relative rotation through an angle of at least 120.degree. in planes which are at least approximately parallel to said plane of symmetry, each earpiece and the cable connector carried by it being connected to said spring means for independent rotation relative thereto.

3. An earphone which comprises two earpieces, two cable connectors respectively carried by said earpieces, a spring band carrying said earpieces so that they are symmetrically disposed with respect to a plane of symmetry, and means connecting said spring band to said cable connectors for relative rotation through an angle of at least 120.degree. in planes which are at least approximately parallel to said plane of symmetry, each of said cable connectors being connected to the earpiece carrying it for rotation about a point which is spaced from the center of the connected earpiece.

4. An earphone as set forth in claim 3, including an arm carrying a microphone and connected to one of said cable connectors for rotation therewith relative to said earpiece carrying said cable connector.

5. An earphone as set forth in claim 3, in which said spring band is pivoted to each of said earpieces approximately at the center thereof.