U.S. patent number 3,862,378 [Application Number 05/422,402] was granted by the patent office on 1975-01-21 for ear set.
Invention is credited to J. Ray Norris.
United States Patent |
3,862,378 |
Norris |
January 21, 1975 |
EAR SET
Abstract
An ear set with miniaturized electronic sound receiving and
emitting equipment, in which the housing containing all or a
portion of the electronic equipment has pivotally connected thereto
a spring loaded lever to be placed behind the ear, the free end of
which is by the preloaded spring continuously urged toward the
housing. This lever has a bend and has its free end portion offset
relative to that end portion of the lever which is pivotally
connected to the housing. The angle of offset is such that the
lever portion from the bend to the free end of the lever at least
approximately follows the bone structure behind the ear. If
desired, the lever may also contain electronic equipment which
through the pivotal connection is electrically connected to the
electronic equipment in the housing.
Inventors: |
Norris; J. Ray (Dayton,
OH) |
Family
ID: |
23674724 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/422,402 |
Filed: |
December 6, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
379/430 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04M
1/05 (20130101); H04R 1/105 (20130101); H04R
1/1066 (20130101); H04R 2201/107 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04M
1/05 (20060101); H04M 1/04 (20060101); H04m
001/05 () |
Field of
Search: |
;179/156R,156A,182R,17H |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Cooper; William C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Becker; Walter
Claims
What I claim is:
1. An ear set, which includes: housing means for receiving and
housing miniaturized electronic sound receiving and emitting
equipment, curved lever means having one end portion designed as a
free end portion and having its other end portion pivotally
connected to said housing means, and pre-loaded spring means
interposed between and fully encased by said one end portion of
said lever means and the adjacent housing portion to which said
lever means is pivotally connected, said spring means continuously
urging said free end portion of said lever means in the direction
toward said housing means.
2. An ear set, which includes: housing means for receiving and
housing miniaturized electronic sound receiving and emitting
equipment, curved lever means having one end portion designed as a
free end portion and having its other end portion pivotally
connected to said housing means, said lever means having a bend
between its pivotal connection with said housing means and its free
end portion so that that surface portion of said lever means which
when said ear set is in its position of use faces toward the head
of the wearer and which extends from said bend to said free end
portion is offset from that lever surface portion which when said
ear set is in its position of use faces the head of the wearer and
which extends from its pivotal connection with said housing means
to said bend, said first mentioned lever surface portion being
offset from said second mentioned lever surface portion in the
direction toward the head of the wearer when said ear set is in its
position of use, and pre-loaded spring means interposed between and
fully encased by said other end portion of said lever means and the
adjacent housing portion to which said lever means is pivotably
connected, said spring means continuously urging said free end
portion of said lever means in the direction toward said housing
means.
3. An ear set according to claim 2, in which said first mentioned
surface portion is offset from said second mentioned surface
portion by an angle within the range of from 3.degree. to
10.degree..
4. An ear set according to claim 3, in which said angle of offset
is approximately 5.degree..
5. An ear set according to claim 1, which includes abutment means
integral with said housing means and said lever means respectively
for limiting the maximum pivoting movement of said lever means in
either direction to thereby prevent said lever means from bouncing
against said housing means.
6. An ear set according to claim 1, in which said housing means and
said lever means comprise each two sections made of electrically
insulating plastic material and detachably connected to each other
while each two pertaining sections together define chamber means
adapted to receive and house electronic sound receiving and
emitting equipment, and in which said housing sections respectively
include two ears spaced from each other and provided with bores
arranged in axial alignment with each other, a first set of annular
contact means respectively being arranged in axially spaced
relationship to each other and on those sides of said ears which
face each other for connection with electronic components to be
received and housed in said ear set, said annular contact means
having bores therethrough axially aligned with said bores in said
ears but of a greater diameter than the diameter of the bores in
said ears, and in which said lever sections respectively are
provided with two ears having bores therethrough corresponding in
diameter to the diameter of the bores in the ears of the two
sections of said housing means and being in axial alignment with
each other, a second set of annular contact means respectively
being arranged on those sides of said ears of said lever sections
which face away from each other and respectively having axially
aligned bores of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bores
in said ears of said lever sections, said ears of said lever
sections with the pertaining annular contact means of said second
set of contact means thereon extending between and in respective
electric sliding contact with the contact means of said first set
of annular contact means, and bolt means extending through all of
said ears and the contact means of said first and second sets of
annular contact means and while holding said contact means of said
first and second sets of annular contact means in electric sliding
contact with each other pivotally connecting said lever means to
said housing means.
7. An ear set according to claim 6, in which each of said lever
sections has passage means leading from that side of said lever
ears on which the contact means of said second set of annular
contact means are located to the inside of said chamber means which
are defined by said lever sections, and in which each of the
contact means of said second set of annular contact means has an
electrically conductive extension extending into said last
mentioned chamber means.
8. An ear set according to claim 1, in which the outside of that
housing section which when said ear set is in position of use faces
the ear of the wearer of said set is provided with
perforations.
9. An ear set according to claim 1, in which the outside of that
housing section which when said ear set is in position of use faces
the ear of the wearer of said set is provided with an ear plug
having a passage therethrough extending from the interior of said
housing means to the outside thereof.
10. An ear set according to claim 1, which includes an acoustic
mouthpiece tube having one end connected to the interior of said
housing means at a lower portion thereof.
Description
The present invention relates to ear sets with miniaturized
electronic sound receiving and emitting equipment. Ear sets of this
general type which are hooked over an ear have been known for some
time and substantially comprise a two part housing hook section,
the two parts of which, respectively form a single integral part
with the two parts of said housing section so that one part of the
housing section forms a single integral rigid piece with one part
of the housing, and the other part of the housing section forms a
single integral rigid piece with the other part of the hook
section. Ear sets of this design have not been adopted in practice
to any material extent primarily because they do not adapt
themselves closely and properly to the average ear variations and
ear bone, or mastoid bone configurations and, therefore, have not
the required close fit and drop off easily from the ear.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an
ear set of the above mentioned general character, which will
overcome the above outlined drawbacks and will easily and
automatically adapt itself to any ear and mastoid bone structure of
the respective wearer of the ear set so that it will be safely held
on the respective ear.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an ear set
as set forth in the preceding paragraph, which will permit
electronically to use not only the housing section, but also the
hook section and can be used even under high ambient noise
conditions, e.g., by pilots in an airplane cabin, by telephone
operators in telephone companies, etc.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear
more clearly from the following specification in connection with
the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates an ear set according to the invention with mouth
tube and ear set cord.
FIG. 2 shows on an enlarged scale, that side of an ear set
according to the invention which, when the set is mounted on the
ear, points away from the ear, the lever or ear hook portion of the
ear set being shown in two different positions in full lines and
dash lines respectively.
FIG. 3 shows the ear set of FIG. 2, but seen from the opposite side
with a portion of one section of the ear hook broken away.
FIG. 4 is an end view of the ear set according to the invention as
seen along the line IV--IV of FIG. 2.
FIG. 5 is a cross section through the double purpose joint between
the housing of the ear set and the lever thereof, said section
being taken along the line V--V of FIG. 2.
FIG. 6 illustrates the upper portion of FIG. 2, but with the upper
section of the housing of the set and the upper portion of the ear
hook portion removed.
FIG. 7 shows the upper portion of the ear hook of FIG. 3, but
without the spring.
FIG. 8 represents a portion of the ear set housing with a slight
modification over FIG. 1, inasmuch as it is provided with an ear
plug to better adapt the ear piece or ear set for use under ambient
noise conditions.
FIG. 9 is a section taken along the line IX--IX of FIG. 7.
The ear set according to the present invention is characterized
primarily in that the housing portion which houses electronic sound
receiving and emitting equipment, and the connecting lever or ear
hook which preferably also houses some electronic equipment are
pivotally interconnected while the pivotal connection includes
electrical connecting means for establishing safe reliable electric
contact between the electronic equipment in said housing and the
electronic equipment which may be provided in said lever.
Furthermore, said pivotal connection has associated therewith
spring means which continuously urge the free end of said lever to
move toward the housing.
In this way, the space between the housing and the lower end of the
lever or hook adapts itself to the ear of the wearer of the ear set
according to the invention while simultaneously at all times
clamping itself safely to the ear of the wearer. Due to the
electric connection within the pivotal arrangement it is possible
to fully make use of the space in the lever for locating the
electric equipment therein because said electric connections in
said pivotal arrangement assures a fool-proof safe electric
connection between the electronic equipment in said housing and in
said lever.
Referring now to the drawing in detail, FIG. 1 illustrates the new
ear set 1 according to the invention as worn over one ear and also
shows the mouth tube 2, and ear set cord 3 with plug 4, which may
be a two-prong plug or a one-prong plug as used, e.g., in aviation.
The mouth tube 2 leads into the interior of the ear set 1 and has
its free end provided with a microphone 5. As will be more clearly
seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the ear set according to the invention
comprises a first housing section 6 shown in FIG. 2 and a second
housing section 7 shown in FIG. 3. Both housing sections 6 and 7
are made to fit together one above or adjacent to the other so as
to define with each other a chamber or a plurality of chambers for
receiving miniaturized electronic sound receiving and emitting
components of any desired or standard type, such as are necessary,
for instance, for the receiver amplifier, speaker, etc. Inasmuch as
the electronic equipment does not form a part of this invention and
may be of any standard or desired type, there is only by way of
example mentioned that for instance the speaker may be arranged at
8 while the receiving amplifier may be arranged, e.g., at 9. The
two housing sections 6 and 7 are held together by screws 10. That
outer surface of the housing sections 6, 7 which, when the ear set
is on the ear of the wearer, faces toward the wearer, is designated
with the reference numeral 7a, and is provided with perforations 8b
to release the sound coming from the speaker in the ear set.
The ear set according to the invention furthermore comprises an ear
hook or lever 11 which is pivotally connected to the housing 6, 7
as will be described in detail further below. The lever 11 is
likewise composed of two sections, namely the sections 11a and 11b
which are held together by screws 12 and together define a chamber
adapted to receive and house an electronic component 13 of the
respective desired type. The housing 6, 7 and lever 11 are
preferably made of moldable plastic material. As will be seen, in
particular from FIG. 4, the ear hook or lever 11 has in conformity
with the present invention, a bend at 14, thereby dividing the
lever 11 into a shorter upper part with the outer surface section
14b and a longer lower part with the outer surface section 14a. The
surface section 14a is offset from the surface section 14b to form
an angle, preferably within the range of from 4.degree. to
6.degree., but this angle is not limited to this range. The main
requirement in this connection is that when the ear set according
to the invention is in its position of use, i.e., hooked over an
ear as shown in FIG. 1, the surface section 14a will at least
approximately follow the contour of and snugly engage the adjacent
mastoid bone, while the plane of the surface section 14b is
preferably located in approximately the same plane as that surface
of the ear set housing which faces and is closest to the ear of the
wearer of the ear set when the latter is in its position of use.
The bend at 14 is of great importance in connection with the
present invention, inasmuch as due to this bend, at least the lower
portion of the longer lower part of lever 11 will closely and
snugly engage the mastoid bone of the wearer of the ear set when
the latter is in its position of use. As a result thereof, the
outer housing surface 7a is urged closely against the ear of the
wearer and will be given the desired close fit on the ear.
A high satisfactory angle by which the surface section 14a is
offset from 14b would be, for instance, an angle of from 3.degree.
to 10.degree., but it is to be understood that this angle could
also be somewhat less or more. The only important point in this
connection is that the lever portion downwardly from the line where
the bend occurs must at least approximately follow the contour of
the mastoid bond or head portion behind the respective ear so that
while resting thereagainst, the lever surface section 14a will urge
the housing close to the ear of the wearer. Since the mastoid bones
on opposite sides of the head slant in opposite directions, it will
be evident that the ear set according to the invention made to be
worn over the left ear must not be worn over the right ear and vice
versa.
Referring now to the double purpose joint pivotally connecting
lever 11 to housing 6, 7, this joint is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3
and 5 to 7. As will be seen from FIG. 5, each of the two housing
sections 6 and 7 interconnected by screws 10 (FIG. 2) respectively
has an eye 6b with a bore 6c, and an eye 7b with a bore 7c. The
bores 6c and 7c are in axial alignment with each other when the
housing sections 6 and 7 are connected to each other. Each of the
eyes 6b, 7b has a circular depression 14 and 15 respectively (FIG.
5) coaxial with the bores 6c and 7c respectively. In these
depressions there are located and fit contact discs or rings 16 and
17 respectively, each having a central bore 16a and 17a
respectively of a greater diameter than the respective pertaining
bores 6c and 7c so that the metallic pin 18 passed through bores 6c
and 7c will not contact and thereby short circuit the contact disc
16 and 17, each of which has a tongue 16b and 17b respectively. The
tongues 16b and 17b are electrically connected to respective
electronic components in the housing 6, 7. Similarly, each of the
ear hook or lever sections 11a and 11b has an eye 19 and 20
respectively with a circular depression 19a and 20a on the outside
thereof. Also substantially centrally through each of these
depressions extends a bore 21, 22 respectively of substantially the
same diameter as that of the bores 16a and 17a and in alignment
therewith when the lever 11 is in proper assembled position shown
in FIGS. 2 and 3. The bores 21 and 22 are substantially coaxial
with said depressions 19a and 20a respectively. Fitted into the
depressions 19a and 20a are contact discs or rings 23 and 24
respectively, each having a central bore 23a and 24a therethrough
of a greater diameter than that of bores 21, 22 so that when pin 18
is passed through bores 21 and 22 no short circuiting of contact
discs 23 and 24 can be caused by pin 18. Each of the contact discs
23 and 24 has a tongue 23b and 24b respectively for electric
connection with the poles, e.g., of an electronic component in the
ear hook or lever 11.
As will be seen from FIGS. 6 and 7, the tongues 23b and 24b pass
from the outside of the lever eye to the inside of the lever. As
will furthermore be seen from FIG. 5, the contact discs 16, 17 are
respectively in electric contact with the respective adjacent
contact discs 23, 24 and are held in this contact by pin 18
inserted from the outside of housing section 7 and having an axial
threaded bore 18a engaged by a correspondingly threaded pin 30
screwed into pin 18 from the outside of housing section 16. The pin
system 18,30 simultaneously forms the pivot pin about which lever
11 is pivotable. As will furthermore be seen from the drawing,
especially FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7, the eyes of housing sections 6 and
7 have complementary recesses 25 and 26 in which an end portion of
a pressure srping 27 is located whereas the other end portion of
spring 27 is located in complementary recesses 28, 29 provided in
the eyes 19, 20 of the lever sections 11a and 11b. Inasmuch as
spring 27 is inserted into recesses 25, 26 and 28, 29 under
preload, it will be appreciated that the free end of lever 11 is
continuously urged to pivot about pin system 18, 30 toward housing
6,7. Thus, the pivotal connection 16, 17, 23, 24, 18, 30, and 27
has a double purpose function namely to assure proper electric
contact between the contact discs in the housing sections 6, 7 on
one hand and the contact discs in the lever sections 11a, 11b on
the other hand, and furthermore to continuously urge the lower
portion of lever 11 toward housing 6, 7 to thereby hold the ear set
in tight condition on the ear.
FIGS. 7 and 8 show a slight modification of the ear set of FIGS.
1-7. If the ear set according to the invention is to be used in
areas with considerable ambient noise, the perforations 8b are
replaced by an ear plug 31, e.g., of plastic or rubber, which has a
central conduit therethrough leading from the inside of the housing
section 7 to the outside of the ear plug.
As will be seen from the foregoing description, the ear set
according to the present invention is characterized primarily by
its snug and firm fit over the ear of the wearer, which makes
possible the employment of a rather short mouth tube thereby
increasing fidelity and gain. Furthermore, the pivotal connection
of the ear hook or ear lever simultaneously serves three purposes,
namely, for pivotal connection of the ear lever to the housing of
the set and to always assure reliable electric connection of
electronic equipment in said lever with the electronic equipment in
the housing. This last mentioned arrangement permits fully to use
the space in said lever for mounting therein electronic equipment
which in turn makes it possible to reduce the size of the housing
6, 7 and thereby the overall size of the ear set according to the
invention. The third and very important purpose of the ear lever
connection consists, of course, as mentioned previously in assuring
the snug fit of the ear set on the ear and head of the wearer.
When placing the ear set over the ear, it is most convenient to
pivot the free end of the lever 11 away from the lever until its
stepped portion 11d (FIG. 3) abuts the oppositely located stepped
portion 1d of housing 1. When the set has been put on the ear, the
set is released and the free end of lever 11 is, by spring 27,
moved back toward housing 1 where it stops at a slight distance
away from the housing 1, in conformity with the space taken up by
the ear portion between the housing and the lever of the set. When
the ear set is taken off the ear and the ear lever is released, the
lever will stop at a slight distance from the housing, namely when
step 11e (FIG. 6) abuts step 1e of housing 1. However, the steps 1e
and 11e are not absolutely necessary, but if they are lacking,
lever 11 might impact upon the housing when released and could
possibly damage the highly sensitive electric equipment in the
housing.
It may also be mentioned that the mouth tube 2 leads into housing 1
(see FIG. 1) where the housing is closest to the mouth -- in the
specific exemplary showing in the drawing near the lowermost area
of housing 1 -- whereby the length of the mouth tube is reduced to
a minimum which, in turn, yields better fidelity and gain.
It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is,
by no means, limited to the specific showing in the drawing, but
also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended
claims. As plastic material for the housing, any suitable and
standard moldable plastic material may be employed, preferably such
which is electrically insulating, as, for instance the material
known under the trade name "Cycolac" made and sold by a Division of
the Borg-Warner Corporation.
* * * * *