Abstract:
A modular personal audio set and related system of use is disclosed. The modular personal audio set has a connector for detachably securing different mating-fittings for engaging jacks of different audio products is disclosed. Preferably, the personal audio set is a headset and the connector is positioned along a wire that extends from the mating fitting to the audio driver of the personal audio set. More preferably, the connector also has a microphone and microphone activation button thereon.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/517,223, filed on Oct. 31, 2004. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a modular personal audio set that includes a connector for detachably securing different shaped personal audio product matting fittings thereto.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Personal audio-sets, commonly known as headphones, earphones, headsets, and the like, are gaining in popularity. The typical personal audio-set includes a frame containing an audio driver that is usually positioned over or in a wearer&#39;s ear. In cases where the audio-set is a headset, a microphone is also typically positioned near the wearer&#39;s mouth.  
         [0004]     Personal audio-sets are often sold as after-market items for use with audio products that consumers have purchased separately. These audio products usually include a jack or connector that allow for connection of such personal audio-sets. Usually, different manufacturers of a type of audio product have different shaped and/or configured jacks. Accordingly, a purchaser of a personal audio-set usually must purchase an audio-set having the correctly sized and shaped mating fitting to engage the particular jack of their particular audio product.  
         [0005]     For example, headsets for use with cellular phones and the like are gaining in popularity. In addition to selecting a headset with the desired style and functions, a purchaser must also limit his or her selection to only those makes and models that have a mating fitting that operably engages the jack of their cellular phone. Since there are a large number of cellular phone models and manufacturers, many of which have different sized and shaped jacks, many stores limit their inventories to only one or two headsets with a particularly shaped and configured mating fitting. Accordingly, a customer&#39;s range of available headset choices is often unduly limited.  
         [0006]     Moreover, should a customer ever replace their cellular phone with a newer model, and their new cellular phone have a different shaped and/or configured jack than their older phone, a customer must purchase an entirely new headset since their older headset will no longer connect to the new cellular phone. Similarly, a headset customer may not be able to use their headset with other headset-compatible audio products, such as their wired or wireless home telephones, because the headset&#39;s mating fitting is incompatible with the other headset-compatible audio products.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     Accordingly, despite the available improvements offered by personal audio-set sets, there remains a need for a lightweight, cost-effective, and stylish personal audio-set that can be connected to a large number of different sized and shaped audio jacks. In addition to other benefits that will become apparent in the following disclosure, the present invention fulfills these needs.  
         [0008]     The present invention is a modular personal audio set that includes a connector for detachably securing different mating-fittings for engaging the jack of different audio products. Preferably, the personal audio set is a headset and the connector is positioned along a wire that extends from the mating fitting to the audio driver of the personal audio set. More preferably, the connector also has a microphone and microphone activation button thereon. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]      FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a modular personal audio set in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention showing a first possible audio-component connection module connected to an exemplar audio product.  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is an isometric view of a second possible audio-component connection module having an alternative mating fitting thereon.  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is an isometric view of a third possible audio-component connection module having an alternative mating fitting thereon.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is an isometric view of a fourth possible audio-component connection module having an alternative mating fitting thereon.  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a front view of a plurality of personal audio-set modules in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 6  is a front view of a plurality of audio-component connection modules in accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 7  is a fragmentary, schematic diagram of the engaging structures of a possible connector for detachably securing the audio-set module to the audio-component connection module showing a possible disengaged position.  
         [0016]      FIG. 8  is a fragmentary, schematic diagram of the engaging structures of  FIG. 7  showing a possible engaged position.  
         [0017]      FIG. 9  is an exemplar schematic electrical diagram of the connector of  FIG. 7 .  
         [0018]      FIG. 10A  is an enlarged, right, top, isometric view of a portion of a connector in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention showing a possible connection with a mating connector in hidden lines.  
         [0019]      FIG. 10B  is an enlarged, left, bottom, isometric view of the portion of the connector of  FIG. 10A .  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a front elevation view of the portion of the connector of  FIG. 10A . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0021]     A modular personal audio set  10 , such as a headphone, earphone, or headset  10 ′, that includes a personal audio-set module  12  detachably secured at a connector ( 14 ,  FIG. 1 ) ( 14 ′,  FIGS. 10A, 10B ) to one of a plurality of audio-product connection modules  16  is shown in  FIGS. 1-11 .  
         [0022]     Preferably, the personal audio-set module  12  has a frame  13  for operably engaging a wearer&#39;s ear, and at least one audio driver operably secured to the frame so as to align the audio driver  15  with the wearer&#39;s ear canal when the personal audio-set is worn by a user.  
         [0023]     More preferably, the personal audio-set  10  is a headset  10 ′ and the audio product  18  is a cellular phone  18 ′ or the like as shown in  FIG. 1 . The general operation, connection, and use of personal audio-sets  10  and audio products  18  are well understood. Usually, the audio product  18  has a jack  20  or the like thereon that allows an after market personal audio set  10 , such as a headset  10 ′ or the like, to be detachably secured thereto usually through an audio-product mating fitting  22  connected to a wire or cable  24  running from the frame  13  to the audio product  18 . Such connection and structures for allowing the personal audio set  10  to operate and communicate with the audio product  18  are well understood.  
         [0024]     The present invention includes a connector  14 , preferably positioned along the cable  24  extending between the frame  11  and the audio-product mating fitting  22 . The connector  14  preferably has a first portion  14   a  and a second portion  14   b  that detachably secure together and electrically engage each other thereby forming a continuous and secure electrical connection from the audio product  18  to the personal audio-set  10 . Accordingly, the audio-set  10  and portion  24   a  of the cable  24  leading to the first portion  14   a  define the audio set module  12 , and the audio-product mating fitting  22  and portion  24   b  of the cable  24  leading to the second portion  14   b  of the connector  14  define the audio-product connection module  16 .  
         [0025]     Preferably and as best shown in  FIGS. 1-4  and  6 , a plurality of audio-product connection modules  16   a - 16   h  are produced. Each module  16   a - h  includes the second portion  14   b  of the connector  14  at one end of the cable portion  24   b  and at the opposite distal end of the cable portion  24   b  a different mating fitting  22   a - h  for operably engaging the connection jack  20  of a particular make and/or model of an audio product  18 , such as a cellular phone  18 ′ or the like.  
         [0026]     An exemplar fragmentary, schematic diagram of the engaging structures of a possible connector  14  in a detached configuration  30  is shown in  FIG. 7 . The same connector  14  in an engaged position  32  is shown in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0027]     More preferably, the connector  14  is formed of a compact frame  34  and positioned along the cable  24  to align with a user&#39;s mouth when the audio set  10  is being worn, and the frame  34  also includes the microphone  36  and an activation switch  38  secured thereto. An exemplar electrical circuit diagram showing a possible connection between the first and second portions  14   a ,  14   b  is shown in  FIG. 9 . Such electrical structures for enabling the microphone and switch to operably engage the personal audio device are known.  
         [0028]     Even more preferably, the microphone  36  is secured to the first portion  14   a  of the connector  14  and the activation switch  38  is secured to the second portion  14   b  of the connector  14  as best shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0029]     As best shown in  FIGS. 5 &amp; 6 , the modular construction of the personal audio-set  10  allows a customer to first select a desired personal audio-set module  12  having the desired styling and features. Then, a user selects an audio-product connection module  16   a - h  having the correct mating fitting  22  to operably engage the jack  20  on the customer&#39;s audio product  18 . The customer connects together the mating first and second portions  14   a ,  14   b  of the connector  14  to complete and use the personal audio set  10 .  
         [0030]     Such modular construction allows manufacturers and retailers of personal audio sets to reduce inventory and or “skew” numbers, while still increasing the choices of available products for consumers. Moreover, should a customer ever replace their audio product  18  with a one having a different sized or configured jack  20 , the customer need only replace the audio-product connection module  16  with one having the correctly sized and configured mating-fitting  22  without the need to replace the entire personal audio set  10 .  
         [0031]     Referring to  FIGS. 10A &amp; 10B , an alternative connector embodiment is disclosed. In this embodiment, the first and second portions  14   a ,  14   b , respectively, of the connector  14 ′ are detachably secured together by a pair of spaced apart elongate flanges  70  extending from one of the first and second portions (first portion  14   a  is shown in  FIGS. 10A &amp; 10B ). The flanges  70  include hook portions  72  at their distal ends  74  that operably engage mating recesses (not shown) in the other of the first and second portions (second portion  14   b  is shown in  FIGS. 10A &amp; 10   b ). Preferably, a key structure  78 , such as a recess  80  in one of the first and second portions ( 14   a  is shown in  FIGS. 10   a  &amp;  10   b ) and a mating protrusion  82  in the other of the first and second portion ( 14   b  is shown in hidden lines in  FIGS. 10   a  &amp;  10   b ) is provided to ensure proper connection of the two portions  14   a ,  14   b  together. The key structure  78  also serves as a visual reference to a user during the connection process.  
         [0032]     Having described and illustrated the principles of our invention with reference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be apparent that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles may be put, it should be recognized that the detailed embodiment is illustrative only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of our invention. Accordingly, we claim as our invention all such modifications as may come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto.