Patent ID: 6115477
Filing Date: 2000-09-05
Classification: A23G,A63H,B60R,G05G,G10K,H04R

Abstract:
A device to communicate sound to a user by the transmission of signals through the user's mouth to the user's ear, the device comprising:a signal source configured to produce signals representative of sound;a transducer operatively associated with the signal source to produce vibrations from the signals representative of sound;a sound-transmitting element operatively associated with the transducer to which the transducer can transmit vibrations;a power supply associated with the signal source;a housing for at least the signal source, transducer and power supply; andan independent-selective-activity structure, associated with the sound-transmitting element and housing, configured for use in a predetermined and selectable activity different from denta-mandibular sound transmission;where the sound-transmitting element can transmit the vibrations to the user's mouth upon contact of the element with the mouth, so that the vibrations travel from the mouth to the user's ear where they can be perceived by the user as sound;where the sound-transmitting element is positioned adjacent the transducer so that vibrations transmitted from the signal source to the sound-transmitting element are sufficient to be perceivable by the user as sound when the sound-transmitting element is in contact with the user's mouth; andwhere the signal source, transducer and power supply are configured within the housing.