Bone conduction headset

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a bone conduction headset, which is inconspicuous in appearance during wearing thereof, adapted for use in avoiding absorbing nearby people's attention to the headset thus worn, easy to wear and take off in use, and comprises: a band running around a back part of the user's head; a fastening portion formed in each of opposite end portions of the band; a bone conduction speaker provided with a knob which is engaged with the fastening portion; and, an ear engagement portion, which runs over the bone conduction speaker during wearing of the headset to reach and engage with the user's ear. An extension of either the fastening portion in the band or a casing of the bone conduction speaker may be formed into the ear engagement portion.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a bone conduction headset, and more particularly to a bone conduction headset, which is easy to wear, and inconspicuous in appearance during wearing thereof to make it hard for people around a user to find the headset thus worn by the user.

BACKGROUND ART

In a bone conduction headset of a conventional type, a speaker31is mounted on each of opposite end portions of a head band30in a manner such that the speaker31is disposed in front of each of the user's opposite ears during wearing of the headset (FIG. 8). The band30runs around a back part of the user's head to have each of opposite end portions of the band30provided with an ear engagement portion33. Mounted on a front end portion of the ear engagement portion33is the bone conduction speaker31which is adapted to be brought into contact with a front area of the user's head in front of each of the user's opposite ears during wearing of the headset (FIG. 9). There are two known types of the headset in the art, one of which types has the bone conduction speaker incorporated in an end portion of each of temples34of eyeglasses (FIG. 10), and the other has the bone conduction speaker mounted on an end portion of a clip35which is held on the ear (FIG. 11).

Any one of them is exposed extensively around the ear, and is therefore noticeable in appearance. This enables nearby people to immediately notice the presence of the headset thus worn by the user. Consequently, any one of the known types of the headset does not meet both the need of the user who is handicapped in hearing and therefore does not want for nearby people to notice the user's wearing of the headset, and the need of the guardsmen and other staff employed in an event site and the like.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

As described in the above, any one of various types of the conventional headset has the disadvantage that the headset enables the nearby people to immediately notice the user's wearing of the headset when looked in front of the user. Consequently, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bone conduction headset, which is free from such disadvantage. In other words, the object of the present invention resides in the provision of a bone conduction headset speaker, which is easy to wear and take off in use, and is further inconspicuous in appearance during the user's wearing thereof, and therefore adapted for the user who does not want for nearby people to notice the user's wearing of the headset.

In order to accomplish the above object, the bone conduction speaker of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a band running around a back part of the user's head; a fastening portion formed in each of opposite end portions of the band; a bone conduction speaker provided with a knob which is engaged with the fastening portion; and, an ear engagement portion, which runs over the bone conduction speaker during wearing of the headset to reach and engage with the user's ear.

An extension of either the fastening portion in the band or a casing of the bone conduction speaker may be formed into the ear engagement portion.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinbelow, with reference to the accompanying drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described. A bone conduction speaker of the present invention comprises: a band1running around a back part of the user's head; a fastening portion2formed in each of opposite end portions of the band1; a bone conduction speaker3provided with a knob4which is engaged with the fastening portion2; and, an ear engagement portion5, which runs over the bone conduction speaker3during wearing of the headset to reach and engage with the user's ear.

FIG. 1is a schematic view of an embodiment of the bone conduction headset of the present invention. In this embodiment, the ear engagement portion5is integrally formed in the band1. In other words, the fastening portion2is formed in each of opposite end portions of the band1to assume a circularly-curved concave shape. Then, an end portion of the fastening portion2is extended upward and formed into the ear engagement portion5, which engages with the user's ear.

Provided in an outer surface of the bone conduction speaker3, i.e., provided in the reverse side of the speaker's inner surface brought into contact with the user's head is the knob4provided with a neck portion6(seeFIG. 3). Provided in an upper portion of the fastening portion2is an entrance clearance7through which the neck portion6is inserted into the interior of the fastening portion2from above to make it possible for the fastening portion2to support the bone conduction speaker3. In general, in this state, the bone conduction speaker3is movably supported.

When the user wants to wear the headset having the above construction around the user's head, it suffices only to hang the ear engagement portion5of the headset on the user's ear in a condition in which the band1having the bone conduction speaker3mounted on the fastening portion2runs around the back part of the user's head (seeFIG. 4). In this worn state, the bone conduction speaker3hides behind the user's ear, and is therefore inconspicuous in appearance, so that it is hard for the people around the user to find the handset thus worn by the user. In general, since the bone conduction speaker3is movably supported by the fastening portion2, it is possible for the user to adjust, in position, each of the speakers3so as to have each speaker3snugly fit to the user's head.

The band1is moderate in resiliency, which, in wearing, makes it possible for the bone conduction speaker3to be brought into close contact with the user's head at an area behind the ear with a moderate contact pressure. The band1may vary in size to provide a plurality of its variations, which make it possible for each of the users varying in size to select a suitable one of the variations of the band1. It is natural to replace the band1having been used with a new one in use.

Further, when the band1is made of a shape memory alloy, it is possible for the band1to improve its resiliency in stability. In addition, this makes it also possible for the band1to improve its adaptability in use, whereby the band is improved in fittingness to the individual user's head configuration. This is also true in the following embodiments.

In another embodiment shown inFIG. 5, the ear engagement portion5is integrally formed with the bone conduction speaker3. In other words, a caring of the bone conduction speaker3is generally made of plastics through a molding process, so that an upper portion of the casing is partially formed into the ear engagement portion5which has a shape capable of hanging on the user's ear. Further, as is in the above case, the knob4is provided in the outer surface of the bone conduction speaker3. This knob4is snapped into the fastening portion2of the band1so as to support the bone conduction speaker3.

In this case, it suffices to form the fastening portion2in each of opposite end portions of the band1, as is in the above case where the fastening portion2has the circularly-curved concave shape (seeFIG. 6).

In order to wear the headset having the above construction, it suffices to hang the ear engagement portion5on the user's ear after: the knob4is snapped in the fastening portion2; and, the band1is extended around the back part of the user's head (seeFIG. 7). In this state, as is in the above construction, the bone conduction speaker3hides behind the user's ear, and is therefore inconspicuous in appearance, so that it is hard for nearby people to find the headset thus worn by the user.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present invention has a construction described in the above. Due to this, both the ear engagement portion and the bone conduction speaker may hide behind the user's ear, and the headband1is brought into close contact with the back part of the user's head. Consequently, when nearby people look at the user in his or her face, it is hard for the people to find the headset thus worn by the user. This is one of effects of the present invention.