U.S. patent number 3,709,228 [Application Number 05/104,609] was granted by the patent office on 1973-01-09 for apparatus for facial stimulation.
Invention is credited to Donald E. Barker.
United States Patent |
3,709,228 |
Barker |
January 9, 1973 |
APPARATUS FOR FACIAL STIMULATION
Abstract
A device for electrically stimulating the facial nerves and
thereby the facial muscles of a user, and preferably including a
frame which rests on and is supported by the nose and ears of a
user, and has deformable arms projecting from opposite side
portions of the frame and carrying electrodes for contacting the
user's skin.
Inventors: |
Barker; Donald E. (Van Nuys,
CA) |
Family
ID: |
22301394 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/104,609 |
Filed: |
January 7, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
607/139; 351/158;
607/148 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61N
1/0456 (20130101); A61N 1/0472 (20130101); A61N
1/0452 (20130101); A61N 1/328 (20130101); A61N
1/0492 (20130101); A61N 1/0476 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61N
1/04 (20060101); A61N 1/32 (20060101); A61n
001/18 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/1,404,410,416,362,380 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Howell; Kyle L.
Claims
I claim:
1. A facial stimulator including a frame to be worn on the face of
a user and having a forward portion adapted to extend across the
front of the face and adapted to rest on and be supported by the
bridge of the nose, said frame having two ear portions positioned
to project rearwardly at opposite sides of the user's head and
adapted to rest on and be supported by the two ears respectively of
the user, a plurality of electrode structures carried by said frame
at locations to engage different portions of the user's face and
adapted to electrically stimulate facial nerves and the muscles
controlled thereby, and an electrode mounting connected to one of
said ear portions and constructed and positioned to extend
downwardly at the back of the corresponding ear and then extend
forwardly to a location at which it carries one of said electrode
structures at a position to engage the face of the user.
2. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, in which said
electrode mounting includes an arm formed of material which is
deformable to different conditions in a relation locating said one
electrode structure at any of a plurality of different positions on
the face of a user, and which material is adapted to remain by its
own stiffness in said different conditions to which it may be
deformed, and to thereby hold said one electrode structure in any
of said different positions thereof until the arm is again forcibly
deformed.
3. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, in which there are
two of said electrode mountings connected to said two ear portions
respectively and constructed and positioned to extend downwardly at
the backs of the two ears respectively and then forwardly to carry
two of said electrode structures at locations to engage opposite
sides of the face.
4. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, including hinge means
connecting forward ends of said ear portions of the frame to
opposite ends respectively of said forward portion of the frame for
relative swinging movement to retracted positions.
5. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, in which there are
two of said electrode mountings connected to said two ear portions
respectively constructed and positioned to extend downwardly at the
backs of the two ears respectively and then forwardly to carry two
of said electrode structures at locations to engage opposite sides
of the face, each of said two electrode structures carried by said
mountings being a single electrode, there being means for
energizing said single electrodes oppositely for conduction of
nerve stimulating current therebetween.
6. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, including two ear
engaging elements extending downwardly from the rear ends of said
two ear portions respectively of the frame and engageable forwardly
against the ears to hold the frame against forward movement.
7. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, including two ear
engaging elements extending downwardly from the rear ends of said
two ear portions respectively of the frame and engageable forwardly
against the ears to hold the frame against forward movement, there
being two of said electrode mountings extending downwardly from
said ear portions near said ear engaging elements but relative to
which said ear engaging elements are bendable.
8. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, including an
electrical lead from said one of the electrode structures extending
along said electrode mounting.
9. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, in which there are
two of said electrode mountings connected to said two ear portions
respectively and constructed and positioned to extend downwardly at
the backs of the two ears respectively and then forwardly to carry
two of said electrode structures at locations to engage opposite
sides of the face, each of said mountings including an arm which is
deformable to different positions to locate the carried electrode
structure differently and will remain by its own stiffness in said
positions, there being additional similarly deformable arms adapted
to remain by their own stiffness in different set positions and
carrying others of the electrode structures and connected to said
ear portions of the frame near the forward ends thereof.
10. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 9, in which said
additional arms include, at each side of the face, a first
deformable arm projecting upwardly and carrying only a single
electrode, and a second deformable arm projecting downwardly and
carrying a pair of oppositely energized electrodes, said two
electrode structures carried by said first mentioned electrode
mountings being single electrodes on each mounting.
11. Facial stimulating apparatus including a frame to be worn
adjacent the face of a user, a first deformable mounting arm
projecting from said frame, and positioned for reception at one
side of the face, a pair of electrodes carried by said mounting arm
and located to stimulate the maxillary branch of the facial nerve
at said one side of the face, a second deformable mounting arm
projecting from the frame and positioned for reception at the
opposite side of the face, a second pair of electrodes carried by
said second arm and located to stimulate the maxillary branch of
the facial nerve at said opposite side of the face, two additional
deformable mounting arms carried by the frame and positioned for
reception at opposite sides of the face, two single electrodes
carried by said additional arms respectively at locations to
stimulate corresponding nerves at said opposite sides of the face,
and means for energizing the two electrodes of each of said pairs
oppositely for flow of stimulating current between the two
electrodes of each pair, and for energizing said single electrodes
on said additional arms in a relation to cause current flow through
the face to or from each of the single electrodes without flow
directly to any other electrode carried by the same arm.
12. Facial stimulating apparatus as recited in claim 11, in which
said single electrodes are located beneath said pairs of electrodes
for stimulating the mandibular branches of the facial nerves, there
being two upper deformable mounting arms carried by the frame and
positioned for reception at opposite sides of the face, and two
additional single electrodes carried by said upper arms at
locations to stimulate the frontal branches of the facial nerves,
said energizing means being constructed to energize said first two
single electrodes oppositely for current flow therebetween, and to
energize said two additional single electrodes oppositely for
current flow therebetween.
13. A facial stimulator including a frame to be worn on the face of
a user and having a forward portion adapted to extend across the
front of the face and adapted to rest on and be supported by the
bridge of the nose, said frame having two ear portions adapted to
project rearwardly at opposite sides of the user's head and adapted
to rest on and be supported by the two ears respectively of the
user, a plurality of electrode structures carried by said frame at
locations to engage different portions of the user's face and
adapted to electrically stimulate facial nerves and the muscles
controlled thereby, and two electrode mounting arms positioned for
reception at opposite sides of the face and connected to said two
ear portions respectively and carrying two of said electrode
structures, each of said arms extending forwardly and then
downwardly and then rearwardly to a location at which the
corresponding electrode structure is carried and being deformable
to different settings to change the position of said carried
electrode structure.
14. A facial stimulator including a frame to be worn on the face of
a user and having a forward portion adapted to extend across the
front of the face and and adapted to rest on and be supported by
the bridge of the nose, said frame having two ear portions
positioned to project rearwardly at opposite sides of the user's
head and adapted to rest on and be supported by the two ears
respectively of the user, hinges connecting forward ends of said
ear portions to opposite ends of said forward portion for relative
swinging movement, bendable ear engaging elements projecting
downwardly from rear ends of said ear portions at locations for
reception at the backs of the user's ears for engagement forwardly
thereagainst, a first pair of electrode mounting arms projecting
downwardly from said ear portions at locations for reception behind
the ears and then curving forwardly to free ends thereof, two first
electrode structures carried by said free ends of said arms, a
second pair of mounting arms connected to said two ear portions of
the frame respectively and curving forwardly and then downwardly
and then rearwardly to free ends thereof, two second electrode
structures carried by said free ends of said second pair of
mounting arms, a third pair of mounting arms projecting upwardly
and forwardly from said ear portions of the frame to free ends, two
third electrode structures carried by said free ends of said third
pair of mounting arms, all of said mounting arms being deformable
to different positions and adapted to remain in said different
positions by their own stiffness, conductors extending along at
least some of said arms to said electrode structures, and means for
energizing said electrode structures.
15. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 14, in which said first
electrode structures are single electrodes on the two arms
respectively of said first pair, said second electrode structures
including a pair of spaced electrodes carried by each of said
second pair of arms respectively, said third electrodes structures
being single electrodes on the two arms respectively of said third
pair.
16. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 15, in which said
energizing means are constructed in one condition to energize
oppositely the electrodes of one pair carried by one of said second
arms, and in another condition to energize oppositely the
electrodes of the other pair carried by the other second arm, and
in a third condition to energize oppositely the two single
electrodes carried by said first pair of arms and energize
oppositely the two single electrodes carried by said third pair of
arms.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Certain features of the apparatus disclosed in the present
application have been previously shown and claimed in my prior
copending applications Ser. No. 785,906, filed Dec. 23, 1968 on
"Facial Stimulator" , now abandoned and Ser. No. 822,594, filed May
7, 1969 on "Facial Nerve Stimulator," now U.S. Pat. No.
3,620,219.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to apparatus for stimulating the
facial nerves and muscles of a user, in order to improve her facial
appearance.
In my application Ser. No. 822,594, I have disclosed a facial
stimulating unit including an electrode carrying frame which is
supported on the face of a user in sin a manner similar to a pair
of eyeglasses. That is, the frame has a forward portion extending
across the face of the wearer and adapted to rest on the bridge of
the nose, and has two side portions or ear portions which project
rearwardly at opposite sides of the face and rest on the ears. The
electrodes are preferably mounted to the latter side portions of
the frame, desirably by mounting arms which are deformable in
accordance with the teachings of my prior application Ser. No.
785,906 in a manner enabling easy adjustment of the electrodes to
any desired positions for properly contacting faces of different
contours.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to certain improvements which may be
applied to facial stimulating units of the above discussed type, or
to other similar apparatus. The improvements enable simplification
of the frame structure, more effective and convenient mounting and
adjustment of the electrodes, and an improved arrangement of the
electrodes in which some of the mounting arms carry pairs of
electrodes while other arms carry only single electrodes in a
manner attaining an optimum energization pattern and facilitating
proper setting of the electrodes.
Two of the electrode structures are desirably carried by a pair of
unique mounting structures which connect to the two ear or side
portions respectively of the frame, and which extend downwardly
behind the ears of the wearer and then forwardly to locations at
which the electrodes are carried, all in a manner avoiding
interference by those electrodes or their mounting structures with
any of the other electrodes. At a higher elevation each of the side
portions of the frame may carry two additional electrode
structures, preferably supported by arms which are secured to and
project from the side portion of the frame near its forward end.
One of these mounting arms desirably extends first forwardly and
then downwardly and then rearwardly in a manner forming a loop
which positions the carried electrode structure for proper
stimulation of the maxillary branch of the facial nerve, and allows
adjustment of the loop to accurately set the electrode structure to
fit any facial contour. The other of these arms may project
upwardly from the side portion of the frame and carry an electrode
structure for stimulating the frontal branch of the facial
nerve.
In my above mentioned prior applications, each of the various
electrode structures carried by a particular one of the mounting
arms desirably consists of two separate electrodes which are
energizable oppositely to pass current through the user's skin
between these two electrodes. The present invention contemplates a
preferred rearrangement of the electrodes in which one of the
mounting arms at each side of the frame carries a pair of
electrodes as before, while at least one and preferably two of the
arms at each side carries but a single electrode. More
particularly, it is desirable that a vertically intermediate one of
three arms at each side carry a pair of electrodes, for stimulation
of the maxillary branch of the facial nerve at that side, while the
upper and lower ones of the three arms at a particular side carry
single electrodes, which single electrodes may coact with the
correspondingly positioned single electrodes at the opposite side
for flow of stimulating current therebetween.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The above and other features and objects of the invention will be
better understood from the following detailed description of the
typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in
which:
FIG. 1 is a side view of a facial stimulating unit constructed in
accordance with the invention and shown as worn by a user;
FIG. 2 is a front view of the device of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 3 and 4 are sections taken on lines 3--3 and 4--4
respectively of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the stimulating unit; and,
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view corresponding to a portion of FIG. 1
but showing a variational form of the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1, I have shown at 10 a facial stimulating unit as it
appears when positioned on the face or head of a user. The device
includes a frame 11 having a forward portion 13 which extends
across the front of the wearer's face and rests on the bridge of
the nose, and two side or ear portions 14 which project rearwardly
from opposite sides of portion 13 at the opposite sides of the
user's head. Forward portion 13 may be formed of any appropriate
material, such as a suitable essentially rigid resinous plastic
material, and may be shaped to contain two openings 15 within which
conventional eyeglass lenses 16 are carried, so that the user, if
he normally wears glasses, can see to read, view television, or the
like during use of the equipment. A central nose piece portion 17
of the forward section 13 of the frame has a downwardly facing
contoured notch 18 shaped to conform to and engage downwardly
against the bridge of the wearer's nose, and to thereby rest on and
be supported by the nose while in use.
The opposite ends of forward section 13 of the frame are connected
by two hinges 19, having parallel vertical axes 20, to the forward
ends of the two essentially parallel elongated rearwardly extending
generally horizontal ear or side portions 14 of the frame. These
side portions may have their bodies 21 molded of an appropriate
essentially rigid resinous plastic material, and may contain
stiffening wires 22 in the manner of conventional eyeglasses. These
stiffening wires may be turned downwardly at 23 to form depending
portions 24 which are engageable forwardly against the back sides
of the two ears of the user, to hold the frame against forward
movement, and thus maintain the frame in position during operation
of the stimulating unit. The downwardly projecting wire portion 24
may be bendable to different settings, and be adapted to remain by
its own stiffness in those different settings, in order to easily
fit the unit to a particular user. When the device is not in use,
the two side portions 14 of the frame may be swung laterally toward
one another and then forwardly against the rear side of forward
portion 13 of the frame, as permitted by hinges 19, to reduce the
size of the unit in the same manner that conventional eyeglasses
are folded for carrying.
FIG. 1 shows the electrodes which are carried by the frame at the
right side of the wearer's face as including an upper electrode 26
positioned for stimulation of the frontal branch 27 of the facial
nerve, a second electrode structure 28 positioned for stimulation
of the maxillary branch 29 of the facial nerve, and a lower
electrode 30 positioned for stimulation of the mandibular branch 31
of the facial nerve. These electrodes are mounted to the frame by
three deformable mounting arms 32, 33 and 34 respectively. At the
opposite side of the face (see FIG. 2), there are three similar
electrode structures 26a, 28a and 30a, mounted by three arms 32a,
33a and 34a, all of which are positioned opposite the corresponding
elements at the right side of the face, and are shaped and
positioned essentially as mirror images thereof.
The mounting arms 32, 33, 34, 32a, 33a and 34a are constructed to
permit adjustment of the positions of the various electrode
structures relative to the frame, within sufficiently wide limits
to enable effective contacting of the electrodes with the desired
surface areas of any facial contour which may be encountered. Each
of these mounting arms has one of its ends (see for example end 35
of arm 34 in FIG. 1) attached rigidly to the corresponding side
frame member 14, desirably by rigid welding, soldering, or other
attachment of that end to the previously mentioned stiffening wire
22 of the side member. The opposite end of each arm (e.g. end 36 of
arm 34) is not directly attached to the frame, but rather is a free
end adapted for movement to any of numerous different settings
relative to the frame. The corresponding electrode structure 26,
28, 30, 26a, 28a or 30a is rigidly attached to and carried by this
outer free end of each mounting arm, as by extending that free end
into the material of a rigid resinous plastic body of the
corresponding electrode structure (body 37 of electrode structure
30 in FIG. 4), and embedding the arm within the plastic body in
permanently fixed position relative thereto.
Between its two ends, each arm is bendable to different conditions
for enabling the desired change in position of the carried
electrode structure, as between the broken line and full line
positions of FIG. 2, to appropriately contact different facial
contours. To enable such bending, the arms are constructed of a
material which is suitably deformable, but which though bendable
upon the imposition of an appropriate force, is nevertheless
sufficiently stiff and rigid to remain permanently in any condition
to which the various arms are bent, until the arms are subsequently
purposely deformed into another setting. For this purpose, the arms
may be formed of a metal wire, typically steel, preferably having
the characteristics of a malleable or ductile material, which is
desirably essentially or substantially non-resilient in character,
so that it does not return to its original condition after bending.
The electrode structures may be bent in any of numerous different
directions, that is, inwardly toward the face, outwardly away from
the face, upwardly, downwardly, or laterally, and may be twisted to
different settings about the longitudinal axes of the connected
portions of the mounting wires, all in a manner enabling optimum
positioning of each of the various electrode structures.
To describe more specifically the mounting of the arm 34 which
mounts lower electrode 30, the fixed end 35 of this arm may be
secured to the rear end of the horizontal portion of stiffening
wire 22, as seen in FIG. 4, essentially at or near the upper end of
the downturned ear engaging portion 24 of wire 22. From this point
of attachment, the mounting wire 34 may curve gradually downwardly
at 38 to extend downwardly behind the end and at a location
preferably spaced somewhat behind downturned portion 24 of the
frame wire, and may then curve gradually forwardly at 39 to the
location of attachment to the electrode 30. This curvature is such
as to properly locate the electrode for the desired stimulation of
the mandibular branch 31 of the facial nerve. The conductor element
40 of electrode 30 may take the form of a simple circular disc
which is suitably bonded or otherwise secured to the insulative
body 37 (see FIG. 4), and has a flat surface 41 for engaging the
user's face. Desirably, this electrode carried by arm 34 is a
single electrode as shown, which is connected by a single
preferably very fine flexible insulated wire 42 to one of the
conductors of a flexible current supply cable 43. Conductor 42 may
follow along the outer surface of mounting wire 39 to a location 44
of connection to cable 43, and may be continuously cemented or
otherwise secured to wire 39 between location 44 and electrode 30,
as by a flexible cement, adhesive or paint, to form in effect with
wire 39 a single unitary bendable structure. The rest of the wires
of the multistrand cable 43 may continue upwardly along mounting
wire 39 from location 44 to the upper end 35 of that mounting wire,
as indicated at 45, and be suitably adhered continuously to the
outer surface of the wire by an appropriate cement or the like as
in the case of conductor 42. This cable may then if desired extend
along the surface of plastic material 21 of side piece 14, or be
embedded within and extend through the interior of that plastic
material, to a location 46 near the forward end of side member 14
at which arms 32 and 33 are connected thereto. From that location,
a single insulated fine flexible wire 42' of the cable may extend
upwardly along and be continuously cemented or otherwise adhered to
wire 32 for connection to the single circular conductive disc 40'
of electrode 26, while two flexible insulated conductive wires 42"
may extend downwardly along and be continuously cemented to
mounting arm 33 for connection to a pair of spaced essentially
co-planar circular conductive electrode discs 40" and 40'" of
electrode structure 28. As seen best in FIG. 3, these electrode
discs 40" and 40'" are carried by a common rigid resinous plastic
insulative body 46, into which the free end of mounting wire 33
extends in fixed, embedded relation. The undersurfaces 47 of the
two electrode discs lie in a common plane 48 for engagement
simultaneously with spaced portions of a user's face.
Mounting arm 32 in extending upwardly desirably first extends at an
inclination rearwardly as seen at 49 in FIG. 1, and then curves
gradually forwardly to the location of electrode structure 26. The
downwardly extending mounting wire or arm 33 preferably first
advances at an inclination forwardly and downwardly (as shown at 50
in FIG. 1), and then curves gradually rearwardly to its point of
connection with the insulative body of electrode structure 28.
The multistrand cable 43 from the two sides of the frame extend
downwardly into a common cable 51, and may be connected through a
number of individual rheostats 52 and a timer 53 to an electrical
pulse source 54. This source 54 may be any of the numerous types of
sources heretofore utilized in nerve stimulating equipment, acting
to develop intermittent regularly timed voltage pulses, which may
be of the alternating current type, or of the direct current type.
Pulse source 54 may receive its energy from batteries carried
within the source, or may be supplied with commercial power through
a line represented at 55. The timing interval between successive
pulses may be regulated by suitable adjustment of source 54.
Timer 53 may act when set by an appropriate control element 56 to
progressively advance through a predetermined timed cycle of
operation, in a manner sequentially delivering the electrical
output of source 54 through the three rheostats 52 to different
ones of the electrode structures, preferably in the pattern set
forth hereinbelow.
To describe the manner of use of the apparatus, a user first places
the frame 12 on her face, and then forcibly bends each of the
various mounting wires 32, 33, 34, 32a, 33a and 34a to a position
in which it locates the corresponding electrode structure for
contact with the appropriate portion of the face (at the location
of the desired one of the various branches of the facial nerve).
The two discs 40" and 40'" of electrode structure 28, and the
corresponding electrode discs of the opposite structure 28a, are
located so that nerve branch 29 passes between the two discs of
each of these pairs, for conduction of current between the
electrodes 40" and 40'" and through the skin at the location of
nerve branch 29. The single electrodes of structures 26, 30, 26a
and 30a are located closely adjacent or overlying their respective
nerve branches 27 and 31. After the particular user has set the
various electrode structures for proper contact with her particular
face, it is unnecessary in subsequent uses to reset the electrode
structures, since they will remain in the set positions unless
forcibly bent to other positions by a different user.
With the apparatus thus positioned, and with pulse source 54
energized to produce the desired intermittent output pulses, timer
53 may be set to commence a cycle of operation during which it may
typically and preferably act to energize the electrodes in the
following sequence. For a first timed interval, source 54 may
supply intermittent pulses through a first of the rheostats 52 to
the two electrodes 40" and 40'" of structure 28, with these two
electrodes being connected to opposite sides of the power source to
cause current flow between these electrodes and through the skin of
the user for stimulation of the maxillary branch 29 of the facial
nerve at that side of the face. The pulses thus cause intermittent
contraction and release of the muscles controlled by this nerve
branch, to effectively exercise those muscles. After that time
interval, source 54 may act for a second timed interval to supply
pulses through a second of the reheostats 52 to the two electrodes
of structure 28a at the opposite side of the face, with opposite
sides of the power source being connected to the two electrodes of
that structure, to thus exercise the same muscles at that side of
the face. After expiration of that interval, pulses may be supplied
for a third interval through a third of the rheostats to the four
single electrodes 26, 26a, 30 and 30a, to stimulate and exercise
the muscles controlled by the frontal and mandibular branches of
the facial nerves. Preferably, the two upper electrodes 26 and 26a
are connected to opposite sides of the power source, as indicated
diagrammatically by the plus and minus signs near these electrodes
in FIG. 2, to thereby cause current flow horizontally across the
forehead between these two electrodes. Similarly, the two lower
electrodes 30 and 30a are desirably connected to opposite sides of
the power source, but reversely as compared with upper electrodes
26 and 26a, to thus pass current generally horizontally between the
two electrodes 30 and 30a but in a direction the opposite of that
produced between the upper electrodes. This fact is indicated
diagrammatically in FIG. 2 by the plus and minus signs located near
the electrodes 30 and 30a. When electrode 26 is energized in a
positive direction, the lower electrode 30 at the same side of the
face is desirably energized oppositely, and similarly at the left
side of the face, when upper electrode 26a is energized in a first
direction the lower electrode 30a is energized oppositely. This is
desirable in order to prevent the tendency for any flow of current
diagonally between electrodes 26 and 30a, or between 26a and 30,
which current it is found has an adverse effect in contracting the
master muscle of the face and tending to cause unwanted tightening
of the jaw. If the current energizing the electrodes is alternating
current, the polarities of the various electrodes will of course
change with each change in direction of the current, but the
indicated pattern of like and unlike poles will nevertheless remain
the same as discussed above regardless of current direction.
It is contemplated that, if desired, the frame 11, instead of
resting directly on the bridge of the nose and the ears of the
user, may be provided with clips enabling attachment of the frame
to a conventional eyeglass frame worn by the user, with the overall
combination of the eyeglass frame and attached electrode carrying
frame then being used in the same manner discussed above.
FIG. 6 shows fragmentarily a variational arrangement which may be
considered as identical with that of FIGS. 1 to 5 except that the
deformable mounting arm 139 for mounting lower electrode 130, which
arm 139 corresponds to arm 39 of FIG. 1, is formed as a
continuation of and is integral with the downturned ear engaging
portion 124 of stiffening wire 122 of the side frame element 114
(corresponding to element 14 of FIG. 1). Thus, a single wire may in
this variational arrangement serve both as the stiffening wire, the
element for engaging forwardly against the rear side of the ear,
and the mounting arm for the lower electrode. A similar mounting
for the corresponding lower electrode at the opposite side of the
face is of course also provided. This arrangement has the advantage
of increased simplicity, but does not allow the same relative
adjustment of the ear engaging element 24 and lower electrode
mounting arm 39 as attained in FIG. 1.
While certain specific embodiments of the present invention have
been disclosed as typical, the invention is of course not limited
to these particular forms, but rather is applicable broadly to all
such variations as fall within the scope of the appended
claims.
* * * * *