Abstract:
A headset includes two earcups that overlie and seal around the wearer&#39;s ears. The headset includes a system for suspension of the earcups on a helmet, as well as a speaker enclosure that provides increased structural strength without taking up additional space on the board.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    This application relates to a headset that includes two earcups designed to overlie and seal around the wearers ears. This type of headset is often worn by a soldier or a fire fighter or a law enforcement officer, to enable communication with colleagues. This type of headset is sometimes worn with a protective helmet, and so must be designed to accommodate such usage. 
         [0002]    The headset of the present invention includes several inventive features. These include a system for suspension of the earcups on a helmet and a speaker enclosure, for mounting on a PC board that provides increased structural strength without taking up additional space on the board. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0003]      FIG. 1  is a pictorial illustration of a headset that is a first embodiment of the invention, including a left earcup shown mounted on a left side of a helmet and a right earcup mounted on a right side of the helmet; 
           [0004]      FIG. 2A  is a left side elevational view of the helmet and left earcup of  FIG. 1 , showing the left earcup in a first position relative to the helmet; 
           [0005]      FIG. 2B  is a view similar to  FIG. 2A , showing the left earcup in a second position relative to the helmet; 
           [0006]      FIG. 2C  is a view similar to  FIG. 2A , showing the left earcup in a third position relative to the helmet; 
           [0007]      FIG. 3A  is a top plan view of the helmet and the left and right earcups, showing the left and right earcups in a fourth position relative to the helmet; 
           [0008]      FIG. 3B  is a top plan view similar to  FIG. 3B , showing the left and right earcups in a fifth position relative to the helmet; 
           [0009]      FIG. 4A  is an illustration of a headset including straps holding two earcups together; 
           [0010]      FIG. 4B  is an illustration of a headset including a single band holding the two earcups together. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  is a top plan view of a speaker in accordance with the present invention and that is used in the earcup; 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  is a bottom plan view of the speaker of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 7A  is a view of a printed circuit board including a prior art speaker; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7B  is a view of the printed circuit board including two of the speakers of  FIG. 5  shown mounted in a first orientation relative to each other; 
           [0015]      FIG. 7C  is a view similar to  FIG. 7B  and showing two of the speakers of  FIG. 5  shown mounted in a second orientation relative to each other; 
           [0016]      FIG. 8A  is an illustration of an earcup with a battery compartment cover open and showing two AAA batteries ready for loading into the compartment; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 8B  is an illustration similar to  FIG. 8A  and showing one CR-123 battery ready for loading into the compartment. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0018]      FIG. 1  illustrates an earcup suspension assembly  10  (“assembly”) that is a first embodiment of the invention. The assembly  10  is shown supported on a helmet  12 . The helmet  12  could be of any configuration, and could be any head covering device. The particular helmet  12  that is illustrated does not have ear covering portions, thus allowing the assembly  10  to support an earcup on an ear at a location outside of the enclosure of the helmet. The drawings show the helmet  12  as viewed from the left side; the right side is a mirror image, typically. Two earcup suspension assemblies  10  are commonly used with one helmet  12 . Thus, the drawings focus on a left side earcup suspension assembly  10  that supports a left earcup  14 ; a right side earcup suspension assembly  10   a  is a mirror image and is shown only partially in  FIG. 1 , supporting a right earcup  18 . 
         [0019]    The helmet  12  is shown as supporting a left side rail  18 . The particular rail  18  that is illustrated is a standard ARC rail, but the invention is usable with other types of rails. Alternatively, an earcup suspension assembly  10  of the present invention can be supported on a different intermediate member or directly on a helmet  12 . Thus, the term “rail” as used herein is intended to refer usually to that structure to which the earcup suspension assembly  10  is connected. The term “rail connector” can mean the portion of the assembly  10  that is fixedly supported on the helmet  12 , either directly or through an intermediate piece such as a rail  18 . 
         [0020]    The assembly  10  includes a rail connector  20  that is configured for fixedly engaging the rail  20 , to support the assembly on the rail. The assembly also includes a main arm  30  that extends from the rail connector  20 . The main arm  30  includes a wireform element  32  that is slidable in and out to adjust the length of the main arm. The outer end  32  of the wireform element  32  is configured as two pins  34  that extend laterally toward each other into a disc  40  that forms part of the assembly  10 . The disc  40  pivotally supports a bracket  50  that is secured to the earcup  18  itself. As a result, the earcup  16  is supported on the main arm  30 . 
         [0021]    The main arm  30  is supported on the rail connector  20  by two joints for movement in two different degrees of freedom. A first joint  52  ( FIG. 1 ) between the main arm  30  and the rail connector  20  allows for a flipping motion, of the main arm relative to rail connector, about an axis  54 . The first joint  52  comprises structure on the main arm  30  that engages structure on the rail connector  20 . Thus, the main arm  30  can be flipped in and out relative to the rail  18  and the  12  helmet, about the axis  54 ; the drawings show several such positions. 
         [0022]    The assembly  10  includes a spring (not shown) that biases the main arm  30  about the first axis  54 , in a direction toward the ear, thus to keep earcup pressure on the user&#39;s head as needed. A release switch  58  on the main arm  30  controls the movement of the first joint  52 . One or more ribs  60  on the main arm  30  are engageable in grooves  62  on the rail connector  20 , to control the flipping motion and to set certain positions. This detent structure both limits the range of motion and avoids undesirable spinning of the earcup  14 . 
         [0023]    For example,  FIG. 1  illustrates a position in which the earcup  14  is against the ear, and  FIG. 3A  illustrates a position in which the earcup is flipped back up out of the way. 
         [0024]    A second joint  64  in the assembly allows for pivotal (swinging) movement of the main arm  30  relative to the rail connector  20  and thus relative to the rail  18  and the helmet  12 ). The second joint  64  is located between the main arm  30  and the rail connector  20 . The second joint  84  comprises structure on the main arm  30  that engages structure on the rail connector  20  that define a pivot axis  86 . The pivot axis  66  extends generally normal into the plane of the rail connector  20 . The main arm  30  is thus pivotable about the axis  66  between a plurality of different positions, for example as shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B . 
         [0025]    A third joint  70  in the assembly  10  provides for a third degree of freedom of movement. The third joint  70  is located between the main arm  30  and the disc and comprises structure on the main arm  30  engaging structure on the disc. Specifically, the two pins  34  of the wire form element  32  of the main arm are received in opposite sides of the disc  40  to provide for pivoting motion about an axis  72  that extends between the two pins. The third joint  70  thus supports the disc  40 , as well as the earcup bracket  50  and the earcup  14  itself, for pivotal (flipping) movement relative to the main arm  30  about this axis  72 . 
         [0026]    A fourth joint  74  in the assembly  10  provides for a fourth degree of freedom of movement. The fourth joint  74  is located between the disc  40  and the bracket  50  and comprises structure on the disc engaging structure on the bracket. The bracket  50  is movable on the disc  40  in a pivoting motion about an axis  76  that extends normal to the plane of the disc and thus into the earcup  14 . The fourth joint  74  thus supports the earcup bracket  50  and the earcup  14  itself for pivotal movement relative to the main arm  30  about this fourth axis  76 . 
         [0027]    As a result of the various joints and degrees of motion, the earcups  14  are movable relative to the helmet  12  in a variety of ways and to a variety of different positions, as shown in the drawings. The earcups  14  can be held snugly on the ears to maintain a tight seal against the user&#39;s head and thus provide good audio communication, even when the helmet  12  moves relative to the user&#39;s head. 
         [0028]    The electrical connection to the earcups  14  is separate, via wires not seen, perhaps under the helmet padding inside the helmet shell. The earcups may include buttons shown schematically at  78  that control the electronics and audio. 
         [0029]    In alternative embodiments, earcups are suspended not on a rail of helmet. For example,  FIG. 4A  shows two earcups suspended via an assembly, on a webbing strap system  80 .  FIG. 4B  shows two earcups suspended via an assembly, on a rigid but bendable plastic band  82 . An earcup suspension assembly of the present invention may also be used to support earcups inside a helmet such as a firefighter&#39;s helmet that covers the ears. 
         [0030]    In accordance with a feature of the invention, each earcup includes two speakers  90  ( FIGS. 5 and 6 ) mounted on a printed circuit (PC) board ( FIGS. 7A and 7B ) that is incorporated in the earcup. The two speakers  90  are, in the illustrated embodiment, identical to each other in physical configuration and size, for economy of manufacture in other embodiments, the two speakers  90  could be different, and could nave two different electronic components. Other earcups may use only one speaker. 
         [0031]    Each speaker  90  includes a plastic housing  92 . A circular central portion  94  of the housing  92  encloses the electrical components (not shown) of the speaker. The front or top face ( FIG. 5 ) of the central portion  94  has openings  96  for sound to be emitted. The back or bottom face ( FIG. 6 ) of the speaker  80  has contacts  98  adapted to electrically connect the speaker with the PC board. 
         [0032]    The speaker has two mounting portions  100 . The mounting portions  100  are located diametrically opposite each other on the outer periphery  102  of the central portion  94 . The mounting portions  100  extend or project from the circular central portion  94 . The mounting portions  100  are mirror images of each other. 
         [0033]    Each mounting portion  100  has a fastener opening  103  for receiving therethrough a fastener, typically a screw, to fasten the speaker to the PC board. The fastener openings  103  are located on a centerline  104  of the speaker  90 . 
         [0034]    Each mounting portion  100  has an outer edge surface  106  that extends from the circular outer periphery  102  of the central portion  94  as a continuation of the outer periphery of the central portion. The outer edge surface  106  includes a first segment  106   a  that extends from the outer periphery  102  in a direction parallel to the centerline  104  and just past the fastener opening  102 . A second segment  106   b  of the outer edge surface  106  of the mounting portion  100  is formed as a circular arc extending from the first segment  106   a  and around to the opposite side of the fastener opening  103 . A third segment  106   c  of the outer edge surface  106  of the mounting portion  100  extends in a straight line from the second segment  106   b  back to the central portion periphery  102 . The third segment  106   c  lies tangent to the circular outer periphery  102  of the central portion  94 . 
         [0035]    As a result of this configuration, each mounting portion  100  of the speaker  90  effectively has two sections  108  and  110 , on opposite sides of the centerline  104  of the speaker. The first section  108 , which is bounded by the first edge surface segment  106   a,  is relatively small. The second section  110 , which is bounded by the third edge surface segment  106   c,  is much larger in area and mass than the first section  108 . 
         [0036]    Because of the extra area and mass of the second section  110 , the speaker  90  has significantly greater structural strength in its mounting portions  100 , as compared to the prior art speaker  120  ( FIG. 7A ) which includes only two first sections. As a result of this increased mass and structural strength of the speaker mounting portions  100 , there is less chance that they will crack if assembled improperly, if the mounting screw is overly tightened, for example. 
         [0037]    This increase in strength does not affect usability in an environment that calls for two speakers  100  mounted side by side on a PC board, such as the earcup  14  of the present invention. Because the extra structure is present on only one side of the speaker centerline  104  rather than both, there are various possibilities for placing two speakers  100  of the present invention close together without interference. Two such two possibilities are shown in  FIGS. 7B and 7C . 
         [0038]    In accordance with another feature of the invention, each earcup  14  can accept either one of two different sizes (types) of commonly used batteries—in this case, AAA batteries or CR-123 (photocell) batteries. As a result, the earcup  14  is more likely to be usable with whatever batteries the user happens to have on hand. AAA batteries are about 45 mm long and about 10.5 mm in diameter. A CR-123 battery is about 34 mm long and about 17 mm in diameter. This feature of the invention is also usable with other types and sizes of batteries. 
         [0039]    There is an openable cover  130  ( FIG. 8A ) on the earcup  14  that forms one end of a chamber  132  in the earcup. First electrical contacts (not shown) are on the inner surface of the cover. At the end of the chamber  132  opposite the cover  130  are a set of second electrical contacts (not shown). The first and second electrical contacts are spaced apart from each other by a distance that is substantially equal to the distance between the terminals on opposite ends of a AAA battery. The chamber  132  can accept two AAA batteries  134  side by side extending the length of the case. The first and second electrical contacts are electrically connected to the electrically powered components of the earcup  14 . Thus the AAA batteries  134  can power the earcup. 
         [0040]    The compartment can alternatively accept one CR-123 (photocell) battery  136  extending in the same direction as the two AAA batteries  134  would extend. To accomplish this, another set of contacts (not shown) projects inward from the chamber end wall and from the cover  130  to accommodate the shorter battery  134 . Therefore, when this single battery  136 , which is wider but shorter than the AAA batteries  134 , is inserted into the compartment, the single battery can power the earcup  14 . Alternatively, the battery or batteries can be placed in a removable battery case that is placed in a compartment in the earcup  14 .