U.S. patent number 3,919,501 [Application Number 05/471,896] was granted by the patent office on 1975-11-11 for headphone construction.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AKG Akustische u. Kino Gerate G.m.b.H.. Invention is credited to Karl Cech, Karl Reinthaler.
United States Patent |
3,919,501 |
Cech , et al. |
November 11, 1975 |
Headphone construction
Abstract
A headphone comprises an earphone for each ear, a first inner
headband forming a flat large diameter curve extending between the
earphones and adapted to engage against the top of the wearer's
head during use, and a second headband of a smaller diameter curve
than the first headband, extending between each side of the
wearer's head and connected adjacent each end to the first
headband. An elastic suspension extends between the connection of
the first and second bands to the respective earphones, and the
elastic suspension acts upwardly preferably by an amount equal to
the weight of each earphone.
Inventors: |
Cech; Karl (Modling,
OE), Reinthaler; Karl (Vienna, OE) |
Assignee: |
AKG Akustische u. Kino Gerate
G.m.b.H. (Vienna, OE)
|
Family
ID: |
3568553 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/471,896 |
Filed: |
May 21, 1974 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/379;
381/377 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R
1/1066 (20130101); H04R 5/0335 (20130101); H04R
1/1008 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H04R
1/10 (20060101); H04M 001/05 () |
Field of
Search: |
;179/156R |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Cooper; William C.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: McGlew and Tuttle
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A headphone construction comprising two earpieces, at least one
head band interconnecting said two earpieces and adapted to rest
during use by its middle portion against the top of the user's
head, the connection of said two earpieces to said headband
including a resilient suspension holding the earpieces adjacent the
ends of said band, said resilient suspension comprising a resilient
member having a spring force slightly stronger than the effective
gravitational force on said earpieces.
2. A headphone comprising an earphone for each ear, a first outer
curved headband having a first radius of curvature and extending
between said earphones, a second inner curved head band forming a
flat curve having a second radius of curvature smaller than said
first radius of curvature and connected to each end of said first
headband, and an elastic suspension connected to the ends of said
second inner headband and to each earphone and providing an
upwardly acting resilient suspension of said earphones.
3. A headphone according to claim 2, wherein said second inner
headband is adapted to rest against the head of the wearer and said
first outer headband is resilient and each end is biased inwardly
toward the connection thereto of said second inner headband.
4. A headphone according to claim 2, wherein said second inner
headband rests against the head of the wearer and said first outer
headband extends outwardly from the head of the wearer and is not
in contact therewith, said resilient suspension comprising
resilient elements extending from the ends of said second inner
headband to the respective earpieces.
5. A headphone according to claim 4, wherein each of said
headpieces includes a coupling, said inner and outer headbands
being connected together adjacent each of their respective ends and
said elastic suspension comprising a band extending from the
connection of said first and second headbands to said coupling.
6. A headphone according to claim 2, wherein said second inner
headband comprises a flexible extensible band.
7. A headphone according to claim 2, wherein said first outer
headband is resilient and applies force inwardly in a direction
substantially normal to the resilient suspension of said
earpieces.
8. A headphone according to claim 2, wherein said first outer
headband comprises a pair of spaced apart wires, said second inner
band being in contact with a person's head and being made of a thin
flexible sheet possessing only a small elastic force.
9. A headphone according to claim 2, including a coupling member
connected to each of said earpieces, said resilient suspension
being connected between said coupling member and said first outer
headband, said first outer headband comprising two spaced apart
wire members, a connecting pin connected between said wire members
and holding said suspension, a block piece spaced from said
connecting member and connected between said two wires and having a
pin member, said second inner band having a slot therein in which
said pin is engaged to permit relative movement of said inner band
relative to said outer band.
10. A headphone according to claim 9, wherein said wire members
comprise two steel wires coated with a synthetic material.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to the construction of headsets
or headphones and, in particular, to a new and useful headphone,
including an inner headband engageable with the head which is
elastically connected at each end to a respective earphone, and an
outer headband providing a resilient inner force on the headphones
which extends outwardly from the inner headband and is connected at
each end thereto.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention relates particularly to a headphone which
comprises two ear pieces and at least one resilient headband which
interconnects the ear pieces and is adapted to rest on the top of
the user's head during use of the headphone. Such headphones are
well known in the communication engineering and entertainment
electronics fields. Since these sets are principally used by
different persons, it is necessary to provide adjustment mechanisms
permitting the adaption of the headset to the individual shape of
the user's head. The construction of such headsets must, therefore,
take into account the fact that the spacing from the top of a
person's head to each ear may be substantially different from one
person to the next.
In order to compensate for the differences of the individuals who
use the headphones, numerous constructions have been provided. The
most simple and most largely used construction is one in which the
ear pieces are mounted for displacement on the resilient handband.
The drawback of this construction and similar constructions is that
when different persons used the headphone, a new adjustment is
necessary in each case. In order to ensure the fit of the headpiece
and to preserve the adjustment, a sufficient friction is provided
between the headband and the ear pieces to be shifted thereon. In
consequence, when such conventional headphones are put on, the
friction must be overcome by using a certain force and only a
repeated shifting of the ear pieces on the band on both sides
results in a proper fit. Projecting portions are sometimes provided
on the headband which are intended to facilitate the displacement
of the ear piece.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention provides a new headphone construction which may be
adjusted simply without requiring force. The inventive construction
has been evolved from the observation that when a headphone is put
on, the hands grip the earpieces and pull them apart while the
headband itself is held over the head and the assembly is moved
downwardly until the headband comes into contact with the top of
the head. Thereafter, the earpieces are shifted on the headband
back and forth until they cover the ears in a proper manner. With
the invention, adjustments necessary to place the ear pieces in the
proper location can be carried out by persons who are not
necessarily skillful and it can lead to a proper fit of the
headphone. With the inventive headphone, it is only necessary to
perform the first part of the movements of applying the headphones
to the head, that is, to hold the earphones over the head until the
headband engages the top of the head. Thereafter, it is a simple
matter to then position each earpiece directly in the proper
location in respect to the associated ear. Further manipulation is
not necessary because the headphone is substantially
self-adjustable.
The invention provides a headpiece which includes a headband which
forms an inner headband which rests against the head of a wearer
during use and which is connected to each earpiece through a
resilient support. The resilient support is dimensioned so that
during its entire range of adjustment, its resilience is
approximately equal to or preferably slightly stronger than the
gravitational force acting on the earpiece, including the
connecting cables.
In the preferred form, the headpiece of the invention includes an
inner headband which rests against the head and an outer headband
which is connected at each end to the inner headband. The inner
headband which contacts the user's head is resilient only in
respect to the portion which connects it to the individual
earpieces in respect to movements in directions toward and away
from the ears. The outer headband is provided with resilience so
that it exerts an inwardly directed force to the associated ends of
the inner headband or to a location spaced from the earpieces at
the inner headband. The resilience extends substantially
perpendicular to the planes in which the elastic forces of the
suspension for each earpiece act. The headband which surrounds the
user's head without contacting it and which is located exteriorally
of an inner headband is usually made of steel wires, a spring steel
strip or a resilient synthetic material. The headband resting on
the head is made of a thin flexible material preferably a strip of
synthetic material.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an
improved headphone construction which includes at least one
headband which interconnects two earpieces and rests during use in
the middle portion of the top of the user's head and which also
includes an elastic connection between the ends of the headband and
each earpiece providing an elastic suspension upwardly and
downwardly in respect to the ears.
A further object of the invention is to provide a headphone set
which includes an inner headband adapted to rest against the
wearer's head and having resilient means at each end supporting an
earpiece therefrom and including an exterior or outer headband
extending over the inner headband and connected at each end to said
inner headband and exerting an inward biasing force thereon in a
direction toward each ear.
A further object of the invention is to provide a headphone which
is simple in design, rugged in construction, and economical to
manufacture.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention
are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and
forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of
the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects
attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying
drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated
preferred embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the Drawings:
FIG. 1 is a schematic front elevational view of a headset
constructed in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 3a is a partial side elevational view of the headband of a
type shown in FIG. 2;
FIG. 3b is a side elevational view of the headband shown in FIG.
3a; and
FIG. 3c is a rear elevational view of the headphone shown in FIG.
3a.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention embodied
therein, comprises a headphone set or headphone, generally
designated 20, which includes earpieces 4 and 5 which are
interconnected by a headband 6 which is adapted to rest against the
top middle portion of a person's head 1. The earpieces 4 and 5 are
pressed against the person's ears 2 and 3 due to the resilience P
of the headband 6 which is shown as being resolved into two force
components P.sub.3 and P.sub.4. The weights of the earpieces are
designated by the letters G.sub.1 and G.sub.2. The weights are
opposed by the elastic forces P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 which are
produced by two spring members 7 and 8 which are carried in a
resilient suspension which includes holders or guides 9 and 10,
respectively. Ear pieces 4 and 5 are suspended from the cylindrical
portions 9 and 10 and the weights of these earpieces are overcome
by the resilient biasing of the springs 7 and 8. Guides 9 and 10
also transmit resilient forces P.sub.3 and P.sub.4 to the
individual earphones 4 and 5, respectively.
The resulting force R which acts on each of the earpieces
determines the frictional resistance .rho.R on the contact surfaces
of the earpieces applying against the external ears of the user,
where .rho. is the coefficient of friction. The spring force of the
headband 6 and the return forces of springs 7 and 8 may easily be
dimensioned so they counterbalance the weights G.sub.1 and G.sub.2
of the earpieces.
Consequently, the inventive headphone can be put on in a single
smooth motion because the only thing to watch is that the earpieces
cover the ears. The springs 7 and 8 bias the earpieces upwardly
into the most retracted position when the earphone is put on, and
it is then sufficient to pull the earpieces down to the ears in a
simple and easy motion without any great force. After releasing the
earpieces, they remain in their proper position on the user's
ears.
In the embodiment of the invention shown diagrammatically in FIG.
2, the headphone includes two headbands including an outer headband
formed of two steel wires 16 and 17 which also may be used as
electrical leads, if desired. The construction assures the function
of the headband shown in FIG. 1, that is, to produce the force
components P.sub.3 and P.sub.4 which are needed for pressing the
earpieces against the user's head.
An inner or second headband 12 possesses substantially no
resilience and it is connected to the earpieces 4 and 5 by means of
an elastic suspension in the form of elastic members 13, such as
helical springs, flat coil springs or bands. During use, the inner
second band rests against the top of the user's head, as shown in
FIG. 2.
FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c show constructional details of the embodiment
which is schematically indicated in FIG. 2. The construction
includes a coupling piece 15 which may be a joint which is fixed to
the housing 14 of the earpiece. Resilient wires 16 and 17 of the
outer headband are anchored by their end portions with a block
piece 18 which is spaced away from coupling piece 15 and retains
the two wires 16 and 17 at a spaced location from a holding member
21 which is spaced upwardly from coupling piece 15. The inner
headband 12 is made of a thin flexible sheet of a material, such as
a synthetic material, and it is provided with a longitudinal slot
11 which is engaged over a projecting pin portion 19 of the block
18 which may slide in the groove 11. The ends of the inner band 12
continue beyond the block 18 and engage the member 21. An elastic
suspension in the form of an elastic element, generally designated
24, extends between the ends of the inner band 12 and the
respective earpieces 14. The elastic band 24 suspends the ear
pieces 4 and 5 in a manner such that they are retracted upwardly by
the resilient force of the band and may be extended downwardly from
their retracted position during the application to a wearer's
ears.
In order to put the inventive headphone on a person's head, the
headphone is held over the head and moved downwardly. During this
downward movement of the earpieces, first the thin flexible band 12
will apply against the top of the user's head. In this position,
however, the earpieces are still located above the ear opening.
While continuing the downward movement until the earpieces cover
the ears, the rubber band 24 is stretched and produces a return
force approximately corresponding to the weight of the earpieces.
The variable return force corresponding to the respective distance
between the top of the user's head in the ear opening becomes
substantially ineffective due to the friction between the earpiece
pad and the ear so that even after wearing the headset for hours,
the inventive headphone does not produce any disagreeable pressure
sensations on the ear, particularly when it is made of a
lightweight construction.
While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and
described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles
of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be
embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.
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