U.S. patent number 3,789,164 [Application Number 05/231,560] was granted by the patent office on 1974-01-29 for earphone assembly.
Invention is credited to Robert Ryder.
United States Patent |
3,789,164 |
Ryder |
January 29, 1974 |
EARPHONE ASSEMBLY
Abstract
An earphone assembly is provided of the pneumatic type such as
are presently used on aircraft, and which is constructed to improve
the reproduction quality of the instrument by providing high
frequency transducers directly at the ear pieces for producing high
frequency sound signals which would otherwise be attenuated in the
flexible plastic tubes coupling the ear pieces to the main
electrical/acoustical transducer.
Inventors: |
Ryder; Robert (Los Angeles,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
26744566 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/231,560 |
Filed: |
March 3, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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64484 |
Aug 17, 1970 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
381/382 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
1/05 (20130101); H04R 1/1075 (20130101); H04R
1/345 (20130101); H04R 5/0335 (20130101); H04R
1/1016 (20130101); H04R 1/26 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
1/05 (20060101); H04M 1/04 (20060101); H04R
1/10 (20060101); H04m 001/05 (); H04r 005/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;179/1GP,156,182,1VE,1PC |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Cooper; William C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Jessup & Beecher
Parent Case Text
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application
Ser. No. 64,484 filed for Robert Ryder on Aug. 17, 1970, and
entitled "EARPHONE ASSEMBLY," now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An earphone assembly including:
a first ear piece defining a first acoustic chamber and a second
ear piece defining a second acoustic chamber;
a first electrical/acoustical transducer for producing sound
signals in response to audio electrical signals applied
thereto;
a first tubular member intercoupling said first transducer to said
first acoustic chamber for carrying the sound signals from said
first transducer to said first ear piece;
a second electrical/acoustical transducer for producing sound
signals in response to audio electrical signals applied
thereto;
a second tubular member intercoupling said second transducer to
said second acoustic chamber for carrying the sound signals from
said second transducer to said second ear piece; and
a bleed valve member intercoupling said first and second tubular
members and adjustable to produce an intermixing between the sound
signals in said first and second tubular members.
2. An earphone assembly including: a first ear piece defining a
first acoustic chamber and a second ear piece defining a second
acoustic chamber; a first electrical/acoustical transducer for
producing sound signals in response to audio electrical signals
derived from a first signal source and applied thereto; a first
tubular member intercoupling said first transducer to said first
acoustic chamber for carrying relatively low frequency sound
signals from said first transducer to said first ear piece; a
second electrical/acoustical transducer for producing sound signals
in response to audio electrical signals derived from a second
signal source and applied thereto; a second tubular member
intercoupling said second transducer to said second acoustic
chamber for carrying relatively low frequency sound signals from
said second transducer to said second ear piece; a first high
frequency electrical/acoustical transducer mounted on said first
ear piece for introducing relatively high frequency sound signal
into said first acoustic chamber along a predetermined axis in
response to applied audio electrical signals; a second high
frequency electrical/acoustical transducer mounted on said second
ear piece for introducing relatively high frequency sound signals
into said second acoustic chamber along a predetermined axis in
response to applied audio electrical signals; circuit means for
introducing the audio electrical signals from said first signal
source to said first high frequency transducer; and circuit means
for introducing the audio electrical signals from said second
signal source to said second high frequency transducer.
3. The assembly defined in claim 2, and which includes a third high
frequency electrical/acoustical transducer mounted on said first
ear piece for introducing relatively high frequency sound signals
into said first acoustic chamber in response to audio electrical
signals applied thereto; circuit means connecting said third high
frequency transducer to a third signal source for introducing audio
signals from said third signal source to said third high frequency
transducer; a fourth high frequency electrical/acoustical
transducer mounted on said second ear piece for introducing
relatively high frequency sound signals into said second acoustic
chamber in response to audio electrical signals applied thereto;
and circuitry connecting said fourth high frequency transducer to a
fourth signal source for introducing the audio electrical signals
from said fourth signal source to said fourth high frequency
transducer.
4. The assembly defined in claim 3, in which said first and third
high frequency transducers introduce sound signals into said first
acoustic chamber along respective axes displaced angularly from one
another, and in which said second and fourth high frequency
transducers introduce sound signals into said second acoustic
chamber along respective axes angularly displaced from one
another.
5. The assembly defined in claim 2, and which includes resilient
elongated means interconnecting said ear pieces to position said
ear pieces in the ears of the listener.
6. The assembly defined in claim 5, and which includes mechanically
adjustable means interposed in said resilient means for adjusting
the distance between said ear pieces to different head sizes.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the sound reproducing systems used in present day aircraft, it
is usual to install an electro/acoustical transducer at each seat.
Earphones are provided for the individual passengers, and these are
plugged into sockets in the corresponding transducers. The
earphones comprise simply a pair of acoustical ear pieces, and
flexible plastic tubes extending from the ear pieces to a tubular
plug assembly which may be plugged directly into the aforesaid
transducer. In this way the sound signals produced by the
transducer are carried through the plastic tubes to the ear pieces,
and into the ears of the passenger wearing the earphone
assembly.
It has been found, however, that the higher frequency sounds are
attenuated in the aforesaid flexible plastic tubes, and the quality
of the sound reproduction by the prior art systems of the aforesaid
type is somewhat impaired. This situation is corrected by the
system of the present invention, in which small high frequency
electro/acoustical transducers are mounted directly adjacent the
ear pieces and are electrically connected to the electrical audio
signal source, so that the higher frequency sounds are not lost and
high fidelity reproduction may be achieved.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a representation of an earphone assembly constructed in
accordance with one embodiment of the invention and which plugs,
for example, into an electro/acoustical transducer mounted in the
arm of an aircraft seat;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of an appropriate plug used by the
assembly of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the plug of FIG. 2, taken along the line
3--3 of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a somewhat schematic representation of a section of one
of the ear piece units of FIG. 1, and taken essentially along the
line 4--4 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a schematic functional diagram of the system of FIG.
1;
FIG. 6 is a representation of an earphone assembly constructed in
accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the electro/acoustical system
associated with the earphone assembly of FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENTS
As shown in the drawings, a first electro/acoustical transducer 10
is mounted, for example, in the arm of an aircraft seat 12, and the
transducer 10 includes a socket which receives, for example, a dual
plug assembly 14. The dual plug assembly 14, as shown in FIGS. 2
and 3, for example, includes a first pair of tubular plugs 16 and
18 which extends into appropriate sockets in the transducer 10, so
as to introduce the corresponding sound signals into a pair of
flexible plastic tubes 20 and 22, the plastic tubes extending to a
pair of acoustical ear pieces 24 and 26.
The system illustrated in the drawings, as is usual with most
systems used in present day installations, is a stereo type of
system so that two tubes 20 and 22 and two separate plugs 16 and
18, are provided for carrying the stereo sound signals to the ear
pieces 24 and 26.
As mentioned above, it has been found that the higher frequency
sound signals are attenuated in the tubes 20 and 22. For that
reason, the present invention provides for small high frequency
electro-acoustical transducers 30 and 32 to be mounted directly on
the respective ear pieces 24 and 26. Electric wires, such as the
wires 34, which carry electric current to the transducers 30 and 32
are connected to the transducers, and these wires may be imbedded
in the walls of the tubes 20 and 22 to extend along the tubes to
the plug 14. The plug 14 also includes, for example, an electric
plug 36 to which the wires are connected. For the usual stereo
system, three wires are used, and they are connected to the
transducers 30 and 32 so that stereo signals may be produced by the
high frequency transduers.
The transducers 30 and 32 may be of any appropriate type and, as
shown in FIG. 4, for example, the ear piece 24 may include a
housing defining an acoustical chamber 24a, the tube 22 being
coupled to the interior of the acoustical chamber, so that the
sound signals may be passed into the chamber and through the
section 24b which is designated to fit into the ear of the wearer.
The high frequency transducer 30, for example, is mounted adjacent
the acoustical chamber 24a, and it includes a conventional crystal
transducer 38 energized through wires 34. In this way, the
transducer 3o produces high frequency sound signals which pass into
the acoustical chamber 24a, and which are combined with the sound
signals from the tube 22, in order to compensate for any
attenuation of the high frequency sound signals in the tube 22. It
will be understood, of course, that the ear piece 26 and transducer
32 are similarly constructed.
For satisfactory high fidelity reception, it is important that the
ear pieces 24 and 26 be maintained in alignment with the ear canals
of the listener, which means that the ear pieces should be held
substantially on a horizontal axis regardless of the head width of
the listener. An adjustment is provided in the earphone assembly of
FIG. 1, so that this criteria may be met for various head
sizes.
In the illustrated embodiment, the ear pieces 24 and 26 are
supported by a pair of elongated resilient members 40 and 42 each
of which, for example, may comprise a resilient wire composed, for
example, of steel, and surrounded by an appropriate tubular member
which may, for example, be composed of polyvinylchloride. The free
ends of the members 40 and 42 are mounted, for example, on a rack
and pinion assembly 44, or its equivalent.
An adjustment knob 44a is provided, and it may be turned to move
the rack 44b in and out of the assembly, so as to adjust the
distance between the ear pieces 24 and 26, and to adjust the ear
pieces to different head sizes. As mentioned above, the rack and
pinion assembly 44 may be replaced by any equivalent adjustment,
such as a lead screw, or the like.
It will be appreciated from a consideration of FIGS. 2 and 3, for
example, that the plug 14 has a right angle bend formed in its body
portion. This is advantageous in that it provides a polarizing
control for the plugs 16 and 18, and assures that the plugs will be
plugged into the proper sockets in the transducer 10, so that the
proper sounds will be carried to the proper ears for the correct
stereo sound effect. The electric plug 36 may be part of the same
plug as the plugs 16 and 18, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that all
the plugs may be inserted as a unit into the corresponding sockets
in the transducer 10. The ear pieces 24 and 26 need not necessarily
be of such configuration that they penetrate the ear cavity or
canal. They may assume, for example, the form of ear muffs in which
the sound channels enter from diverse angles.
In the system of FIG. 5, the stereo electrical input is amplified
in separate amplifiers 50 and 52. The amplifiers are connected
through corresponding volume controls 54 and 56 to the low
frequency transducers designated 10a and 10b in FIG. 5. The volume
controls 54 and 56 may be mechanically intercoupled so that a
single control may be used to adjust the volume of the two stereo
signals. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the tubes 20 and 22 intercouple
the transducers 10a and 10b to the respective ear pieces 24 and 26,
whereas wires 34 extend to the respective high frequency
transducers 30 and 32.
The response of the transducers 10a and 10b may be substantially
uniform throughout the entire audio range, and the response of the
high frequency transducers 30 and 32 may be such that they
compensate for the resulting attenuation of the higher frequency
sound signals in the tubes 20 and 22. It is also appropriate to
design the transducers 10a and 10b to respond only to the low
frequency part of the audio signal range, so that only the lower
frequency sound signals are produced by the transducers 10a and
10b, since these are the signals which may be appropriately carried
by the tubes 20 and 22. Then, the high frequency transducers 30 and
32 are controlled so that all the higher frequency sound signals
are produced only by the latter transducer.
Since the transducers 30 and 32 are only required to produce the
higher frequency sound signals, these transducers may be small and
light, and also they may be inexpensive. Therefore, the high
frequency transducers may be conveniently mounted directly on the
ear pieces without adding materially to the cost or weight of the
earphone assembly. The resulting assembly, including the adjustment
means described above, may be comfortably supported in the ears of
the listener, and it provides for an ideal high fidelity sound
reproducing system.
In the assembly of FIG. 6 the ear pieces 24 and 26 are mounted on
the ends of respective plastic elongated support brackets 50 and
52, each of which has a generally arcuate shape, the support
brackets being hinged by a suitable hinge member 54. The hinge
member 54 holds the brackets 50 and 52 in a relatively tight
frictional engagement, so that they may be opened or closed to suit
various head sizes of the users, and to cause the assembly to be
firmly held on the head of the user.
The assembly of FIG. 6, in addition to the high frequency
transducers 30 and 32, also includes a second pair of high
frequency transducers 31 and 33 which are also mounted on the
respective ear pieces 24 and 26, as shown. As shown in FIG. 6, the
transducer 31 is coupled into the acoustical chamber of the ear
piece 24 at an angle with respect to the transducer 30. Likewise,
the transducer 33 is coupled into the acoustical chamber of the ear
piece 26 at an angle with respect to the transducer 32. This
angular relationship between the transducers 30 and 31 and between
the transducers 32 and 33, changes the character of the high
frequency sound signals entering the respective acoustical
chambers, since those from the transducers 31 and 33 effectively
have to "bend around a corner" when entering the acoustical
chamber. This relationship simulates the reflection of sound from
the walls, for example, of an auditorium, so that a person using
the assembly of FIG. 6 actually has the sensation of listening to a
concert in full high fidelity range, and seated, for example, in an
auditorium.
The assembly of FIG. 6 is intended to be used in conjunction with a
four-channel stereo sound system. For that reason, a first tube 56
(tube "A") is coupled to the ear piece 24, and a second tube 58
(tube "B") is coupled to the ear piece 26. The tubes 56 and 58
correspond to the flexible plastic tubes 20 and 22 of the
embodiment of FIG. 1. In the case of the assembly of FIG. 6, the
tube 56 carries the low frequency sound signals from two of the
stereo sources to the ear piece 24, whereas the tube 58 carries the
low frequency sound signals from the remaining two stereo sources
to the ear piece 26.
The high frequency sound components from one of the stereo sources
are produced, as before, by the transducer 30, whereas the high
frequency sound signals from the second stereo source are produced,
as before, by the transducer 32. The transducer 31 reproduces the
high frequency sound signals from the third stereo source, whereas
the transducer 33 reproduces the high frequency sound signals from
the remaining stereo source.
The transducer 30 is activated by wires 60, and the transducer 32
is activated by wires 62. The wires 60 and 62 are carried, for
example, in a flexible plastic tube 64 (tube "C"). The transducer
31 is activated by wires 66, whereas the transducer 33 is activated
by wires 68. The wires 66 and 68 are carried, for example, in a
flexible plastic tube 70 (tube "D").
A portion of a four-channel stereo system for operation in
conjunction with the assembly of FIG. 6 is shown schematically in
FIG. 7. As shown in FIG. 7, the stereo electrical input signals
from the first and second stereo sources are applied to a block
100, whereas the electrical signals from the third and fourth
stereo sources are applied to a block 102. The blocks 100 and 102
contain appropriate low frequency transducers, such as described
above, so that the low frequency sound signals corresponding to the
various stereo sources may be obtained. The low frequency sound
signals from the first stereo source are carried in a tube 104,
whereas the low frequency stereo signals from the second stereo
source are carried in a tube 106.
The tubes 104 and 106 are plugged into the low frequency
transducers by means of a plug 109. The low frequency sound signals
from the third stereo source are carried by a tube 108 which, as
shown, is coupled into the tube 104, whereas the low frequency
sound signals from the fourth stereo source are carried by a tube
110 which, as shown, is coupled into the tube 106. The combined
tubes 104 and 108 are coupled through a bleed valve 120 and through
a tube 122 into a socket 124, whereas the combined tubes 106 and
110 are coupled through the bleed valve 120 to a tube 126 which,
likewise, is coupled into the socket 124.
Therefore, the tube 122 carries the low frequency sound signals
from the first and third stereo sources, whereas the tube 126
carries the low frequency sound signals from the second and fourth
stereo sources. The tubes 56 and 58 are plugged into the socket 124
by means, for example, of a plug 130. When so coupled, the tube 56
carries the low frequency sound signals from the first and third
stereo sources to the ear piece 24, whereas the tube 58 carries the
low frequency sound signals from the second and fourth sources to
the ear piece 26.
The electrical inputs from the first and second stereo sources are
also carried, by way of a plug 132 to the wires 60 and 62
respectively. The wires 60 carry the electric signals from the
first source to the high frequency transducer 30, whereas the wires
62 carry the electric signals from the second source to the high
frequency transducer 32. Likewise, the electrical signals from the
third and fourth stereo sources are carried by way of a plug 134 to
the wires 66 and 68. In this way, the wires 66 carry the electric
signals from the third stereo source to the high frequency
transducer 31, whereas the wires 68 carry the electric signals from
the fourth source to the high frequency transducer 33.
The bleed valve 120 has a control 120a which may be turned to cause
an intermixing of the low frequency sound signals in the tubes, so
that various blending effects may be achieved, if so desired. With
the system described above, a desired blending of all the low
frequency sounds may be achieved by setting the control 120a of the
bleed valve 120. Also, an "auditorium" effect is achieved with
respect to the high frequency sounds from the third and fourth
sources, by virtue of the positioning of the respective high
frequency transducers 31 and 33 with respect to the respective
acoustic chambers 24a and 26a.
It is apparent that although particular embodiments of the
invention have been shown and described, modifications may be made.
It is intended in the following claims to cover all modifications
that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *