Patent ID: 6434250
Filing Date: 2002-08-13
Classification: H04R

Abstract:
An earphone for use on one side of a listener's head in conjunction with a corresponding earphone on the opposite side of the listener's head to provide stereophonic sound to the listener's ears, said earphone comprising:a speaker and a frame supporting said speaker; and a mounting assembly including a mounting piece coupled to said frame for locating said speaker in a position spaced away from the external auditory canal of the listener's ear and at a selected angle of incidence relative thereto such that sound waves from said speaker diffract into the listener's auditory canal; said mounting assembly including a toggle spring extending between said mounting piece and said speaker frame for supporting said speaker and frame therefrom, said toggle spring having an over-center configuration such that when the speaker frame is moved past the over-center position, said speaker and frame are held in one of two toggle positions; wherein said toggle spring comprises metal spring material cut in a generally U-shaped configuration having two side pieces joined to a base, the ends of the side pieces which are remote from the base being fastened to the speaker frame in said over-center configuration; whereby the sound stage afforded by a stereophonic pair of said earphones is expanded beyond that of a pair of stereophonic earphones mounted flat against a listener's ears.