Sound deflector for headset ear phones

A sound deflector for attachment to a user's headset earphones is disclosed comprising means situated intermediate the headset earphone and a user's ear canal, said means comprising a hollow cylinder adapted to be operably connected to the headset earphone speaker case and thereby confine the sound from the speaker interiorly to the cylinder, and a cone spatially located proximate the opening of the hollow cylinder and aligned between the earphone speaker and the user's ear canal, a plurality of openings interposed the hollow cylinder wall and the sides of the spatially located cone, said cone adapted to reflect sound waves from the earphone speaker directed towards the user's ear canal and the openings pass sound waves directed away from the user's ear canal and into the folds of skin of the outer ear to be reflected then into the ear canal for hearing by the user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
With the rise in popularity of the carry-around cassette tape recorders and 
portable radios with their connecting headset earphones, it has been 
discovered that ear damage is now beginning to manifest itself in the 
habitual wearers of the headset apparatus. Numerous articles have appeared 
in the medical journals, especially in those countries that have rather 
large populations utilizing these headsets, as well as in the popular news 
magazine generally directed to the public. 
The cases first appearing indicating the impairment of hearing resulting in 
reports in the journals and magazines show that it is common practice for 
the wearers of the headsets to adjust the sound at rather high levels, and 
in many cases to wear the headset for extended periods of time. 
It is believed that the damage is caused in large part by the directing of 
the sound waves straight into the ear canal by the speakers of the 
headsets. In normal hearing, very little sound enters the ear canal 
straight-on, but rather is first received by the folds of skin of the 
outer ear and thereby directed into the ear canal. The large surface of 
the outer ear, in relationship to the size of the opening of the ear 
canal, tends to concentrate the sound for better hearing and the outer 
ear's skin folds are very functional in that regard. 
However, the normal function of the folds of skin of the outer ear are 
obviated when the loud speaker of the headset is situated right at the 
entrance to the ear canal such as is the common construction of the 
headset. 
It is to the end of deflecting the sounds from a headset speaker first to 
the folds of the outer ear for eventual reflection to the ear canal that 
the subject invention is directed. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The subject invention relates to means for deflection of audio sound waves 
emerging from a headset speaker aimed directly at the ear canal into the 
folds of skin of the outer ear. 
The detachable device for deflecting sound of a headset earphone speaker 
comprises a rather short hollow cylinder adapted to be attached to the 
speaker case of the headset by means of spring action clips attached to 
the hollow cylinder sides. This hollow cylinder surrounds and encloses the 
speaker of the headset so as to control all emination of sound. Proximate 
the opposite end of the hollow cylinder is a centrally located cone in 
axial spatial alignment with the earphone speaker, the cone adapted to 
deflect the sound waves eminating axially from the speaker directly to the 
ear canal. Openings are provided between the inner periphery of the short 
hollow cylinder and the tapered sides of the cone to permit side directed 
sound not intersected by the cone to pass out of the hollow cylinder. The 
hollow cylinder with the speaker interiorly is so aligned to place the 
cone between the speaker and the user's ear canal. The side directed sound 
which escapes the openings between the hollow cylinder and the cone 
tapered sides strikes the folds of the skin of the outer ear and thus is 
reflected into the ear canal. 
An alternate embodiment of the subject device combines the short hollow 
cylinder with the speaker case interiorly and the centrally located cone 
with openings into a permanent part of the headset earphone and is not a 
detatchable device. 
It is an object of the subject invention to provide a means intercepting 
sound waves from a headset speaker directed straight into the ear canal. 
It is further an object of the subject invention to provide detatchable 
means to direct the sound waves from a headset earphone speaker into the 
folds of skin of the outer ear. 
Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part 
appear hereinafter. The invention accordingly comprises the apparatus 
possessing the construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of 
parts which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure, and the 
scope of the application which will be indicated in the claims.

In the various views, like index numbers refer to like elements. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring now to FIG. 1 a block schematic diagram is shown of the present 
state of the art, i.e., the so called "micro" headsets of the type 
utilized with the presently available ultra-compact personal cassette tape 
players and carry-around radios. Shown in FIG. 1 is a portion of a micro 
headset, and its broken out components, here one that would be used with a 
person's left ear. 
The headset for the right ear is exactly the same and is situated in a 
mirror-image configuration. Beginning from the right, the headset for the 
ear is shown comprising the frame 12 which provides for attachment of the 
speaker case having the speaker interiorly, the speaker connected with 
electrical wires 14 which run to the cassette tape player or other source 
of electrical audio signals. Electrical wire 14 continues through frame 12 
and through the arcuate portion (not shown) which surrounds the head, 
connecting with the speaker for the right side ear. The headset 16 
attached to frame 12 has been broken down into its major components 
immediately to the left com- prising the speaker case 18 which houses the 
speaker interiorly and the foam cover 20 which covers completely the 
speaker case 18 (as shown in dotted fashion). 
Referring now to FIG. 2, a cross-sectional view of a person's left ear and 
partial headset is shown having the micro headset in position, without the 
foam cover for clarity, directing the sound waves 22 interiorly to the ear 
canal 24 to impinge upon the eardrum. More specifically, frame 12 has 
attached speaker case 18 with the speaker cone 17 situated therein 
directing the sound waves 22 directly into the ear canal 24. It is 
apparent from the drawing of FIG. 2 why damage is being caused the 
eardrums resulting in hearing loss to persons who wear the micro headsets 
or, for that matter, any earphone headset which directs sound into the ear 
canal. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, a perspective view is shown of the subject 
inventive means to deflect sound from the speaker of the headset away from 
a position looking into the ear canal, and directing the sound into the 
folds of the outer ear initially so the sound can work its way into the 
ear canal by bouncing off the sides of the outer ear prior to entrance 
into the ear canal and impinging upon the eardrum. First recognized is the 
speaker case 18 which is the same speaker case 18 as shown in the prior 
art of FIGS. 1 and 2. Attached to an annular flange of the speaker case 18 
is a short hollow cylinder 30 attached by means of spring clips 32, clips 
32 attached to the outside perimeter of hollow cylinder 30. The clips have 
a notch on their interior to engage the flange of speaker case 18. The 
clip immediately forward of the notch engaging the speaker case 18 flange 
is sharpened to ride over the speaker case 18 flange, forcing the clip 
slightly outward until the notch drops over the flange. 
Immediately to the left of hollow cylinder 30 is cone 34, here shown broken 
away from hollow cylinder 30, cone 34 held substantially in the inside of 
hollow cylinder 30 by means of attachment structure 36. Cone 34 position 
relative to hollow cylinder 30 may be either completely within the hollow 
cylinder 30 or substantially completely out of hollow cylinder 30. FIGS. 4 
and 7 show two embodiments of placement of cone 34 relative to hollow 
cylinder 30. Cone 34 takes the configuration of a conical frustum, having 
two parallel circular flat surfaces connected by straight tapered sides. 
The reflecting cone is mounted such that its axis is perpendicular to the 
flat plane of the speaker and the apex of the cone is closest to the 
speaker. The attachment structure 36 as shown in FIG. 3 is, in the 
preferred embodiment, a portion of the construction of hollow cylinder 30, 
it being anticipated that hollow cylinder 30, its clips 32, cone 34, and 
attachment structures 36 will be constructed from a single piece of 
material, nominally hard plastic, hard rubber, or the like, which would be 
prepared by injection molding. This of course, is not to preclude assembly 
of the various pieces comprising the structure and bringing them all 
together with an appropriate adhesive. 
The inner diameter of hollow cylinder 30 is so sized as to be only slightly 
larger than the upright sides of the disk-like portion of the speaker case 
18, the idea being to confine the sound from the enclosed speaker totally 
to the hollow cylinder. 
Referring now to FIG. 4, a side view of the subject invention is shown 
having all the elements previously detailed in FIG. 3, namely the primary 
portion of the construction, i.e., hollow cylinder 30 with its attaching 
clips 32, centrally located cone 34 situated partly out of hollow cylinder 
30, and attachment structures 36. 
Further, FIG. 5 shows in a top view, the central placement of cone 34 
within the circular portion of hollow cylinder 30, and the attaching 
structures 36. It is noted in FIG. 4 that the placement of cone 34 
relative to hollow cylinder 30 is such that the cone is partially outside 
the entrance to hollow cylinder 30 with substantially the major portion of 
the cone length within the hollow middle portion of hollow cylinder 30. 
This may be contrasted with an alternate embodiment detailed below. 
Referring now to FIG. 6, an alternate embodiment of the centrally located 
cone within hollow cylinder 30 is shown. Here, cone 44 has non-straight 
tapering sides following a curve somewhat as a parabola, the sides still 
connecting the two flat circular surfaces on opposite ends of the cone. 
The attachment structures 46 shown in FIG. 4 now emerge from the larger 
flat circular surface of cone 44 in a direction parallel to the surface of 
cone 44 where they, in turn, attach to the inside surface of hollow 
cylinder 40 (FIG. 7) which in turn, is adapted to attach to the speaker 
case 18 flange. As seen in FIG. 7, a cross-sectional view, the flat 
circular surface of the cone 44 is now in line with the top annular edge 
of hollow cylinder 40 such that the top surface of all elements are in the 
same plane, i.e., the top surfaces of cone 44, attachment structures 46, 
and annular edge of hollow cylinder 40. 
It is noted in FIGS. 3 through FIG. 7 that various configurations are 
possible for the construction of the tapered sides of the cone, as well as 
various configurations of the spatial placement of the cone relative to 
the circular end of the hollow cylinder. In the preferred embodiment, the 
cones utilized have been solid material cones although a cone having a 
cavity interiorly would also be acceptable since it is the outside surface 
of the tapering walls which are functional in deflecting the audio sounds 
eminating from the speaker enclosed in the speaker case. 
Referring now to FIG. 8, a cross-sectional view of the preferred embodiment 
of the device in use is shown. Firstly, frame 12 has attached to it the 
usual speaker case 18 with its centrally located speaker cone 17. 
Immediately in front, and in alignment with speaker cone 17, is cone 34, 
the sides of which are so positioned to deflect sound directed at it, and 
pass only that sound not intersecting with the sides of cone 34. The sound 
which does pass the sides of cone 34 exits the hollow cylinder 30 through 
the opening between cone 34 and the inside portion of hollow cylinder 30, 
except when the opening is broken by attachment structure pieces 36 (see 
FIG. 5). As can be seen in the embodiment of FIG. 8, the sound waves 22 
coming from the speaker now strike the folds of skin of the outer ear 
requiring them to bounce back and forth before entering the ear canal 24. 
At this point, the subject device has accomplished its purpose of 
deflecting sound waves which would otherwise enter directly into the ear 
canal and damage the eardrum, deflecting such sound waves and allowing 
only those sound waves to pass not directed into the ear canal but into 
the folds of the skin of the outer ear. 
It is noted that the view shown in FIG. 8 does not have the foam cover as 
was the case in the prior art. It is realized of course that a foam cover 
similar to foam cover 20 of FIG. 1 may be utilized to cover cone 34, 
hollow cylinder 30, and speaker case 18 or any part of these without 
affecting the function and purpose of the subject device. The invention 
will operate with or without the foam cover, and may be used as desired by 
the operator. 
Referring now to FIG. 9, still another alternate embodiment of the subject 
device is shown in cross-sectional view in place proximate the ear where 
in this view the hollow cylinder containing the cone has been molded 
together with the speaker case containing the speaker. More specifically, 
attached to frame 12 is the combined speaker case-hollow cylinder 50 which 
houses the speaker interiorly (showing a portion of the speaker cone 52) 
and centrally located sound deflecting cone 54 immediately over the 
speaker with attachment structures 56 connecting cone 54 to the combined 
speaker case-hollow-cylinder 50. As is obvious, the cone 54 placement in 
front of speaker has been made permanent by such construction, no longer 
being removable by removing the hollow cylinder as shown and detailed 
above. In any event, the same purpose is accomplished, namely deflecting 
the sound waves to the folds of the outer ear. 
In all cases, it is anticipated that the area of the cone which resides 
over the ear canal will be of sufficient size as to totally cover the 
opening of the ear canal, and thus assuring that sound waves will not be 
aimed directly into the ear canal. 
While preferred and alternate embodiments of Applicant's apparatus have 
been shown and described, it is appreciated that still other embodiments 
of the invention are possible and that there is no intent to limit the 
invention by such disclosure, but rather it is intended to cover all 
modifications and alternate embodiments falling within the spirit and the 
scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.