Headphone

A headphone includes a pair of right and left headphone units, a resilient band formed substantially into a U shape to be mounted on a human head, and a pair of arm members. Each of the arm members is rotatably coupled via a pivot joint to an end part of the band and supporting one the headphone units. Each of the pivot joints includes a detent hinge for locking into a plurality of rotational positions an arm member relatively to the corresponding end part of the band.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention generally relates to headphones and, more specifically, to a compact foldable headphone with rotatable earphone units.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Commercially available headphones typically comprise a pair of earphones, coupled to one another by a resilient curved band for pressing the earphones against the ears of a user. The resilient band can be a headband type supported by the user's head, and a neckband type that presses down on the rear of the head of the user.

Among the commercially available headband type headphones, a few of them can be folded into a compact form when not in use. Once such headphone, disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,052 B2, to Hugo Lenhard-Backaus, issued on Feb. 6, 2007, includes a headband and two earpieces each connected to the headband so as to be pivotable about at least two pivot axes. The two pivot axes intersect one another at a point of intersection that is positioned on or near a central axis of the earpiece, respectively. Arms connect the earpieces to the headband, wherein the arms define a first one of the two pivot axes, respectively. A second one of the two pivot axes is fixedly arranged on the headband, respectively. In this way, the earpieces are rotatable about the arms and the arms are rotatable relative to the headband about the second pivot axes. U.S. Pat. No. 7,172,052 B2, is incorporated herein by reference for at least the purpose of giving context to the present invention.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,896 B2, to James T. Embach, is directed to a headphone structure and storage thereof. The headphone structure concept provided includes headphones with rotatable earphones to provide a slimmer profile for storage. Each of the earphones is rotatable between a use position, in which the earphone is sufficiently positioned for listening use by a person wearing the headband, and a stored position. The headphone may have a first width or dimension when the earphone is in the use position and a second lesser width or dimension when the earphone is in the stored position. U.S. Pat. No. 7,188,896 B2 is incorporated herein by reference for at least the purpose of giving context to the present invention.

However, none of the prior headphones is configured so that the two earphones can be rotated or swiveled to a position away from the user's ear while the headphone is worn by the user. Therefore, there exists a need for a headphone that allows a user to free up or uncover one or both ears without removing the headphone from the user's head for greater artistic freedom and flexibility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is defined by the appended claims. This description summarizes some aspects of the present embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims.

The foregoing problems are solved and a technical advance is achieved by a system, method, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention, which provides a headphone having rotatable earphones that can swivel to a position away from the user's ear while the headphone is on the user's head.

One embodiment of the present invention is directed to a headphone, which includes a pair of right and left headphone units, a resilient band formed substantially into a U shape to be mounted on a human head, and a pair of arm members. Each of the arm members is rotatably coupled via a pivot joint to an end part of the band and supporting one the headphone units. Each of the pivot joints includes a detent hinge for locking into a plurality of rotational positions an arm member relatively to the corresponding end part of the band. A first rotational position corresponds to the arm member being housed within the internal space formed by the band when the headphone in not mounted on the head. A second rotational position corresponds to the arm member being locked into a rearward facing position with respect to the head when the headphone is mounted on the head.

Other articles of manufacture, features, and advantages of the present invention will be, or will become, apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional articles of manufacture, features, and advantages included within this description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be protected by the accompanying claims.

Illustrative and exemplary embodiments of the invention are described in further detail below with reference to and in conjunction with the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is defined by the appended claims. This description summarizes some aspects of the present embodiments and should not be used to limit the claims.

In this application, the use of the disjunctive is intended to include the conjunctive. The use of definite or indefinite articles is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, a reference to “the” object or “a” and “an” object is intended to denote also one of a possible plurality of such objects.

FIGS. 1-5illustrate a plurality of views of an embodiment of a headphone102in accordance with the present invention. The headphone102includes a pair of headphone units104,104which are interconnected by a substantially U-shaped or C-shaped flexible or elastic and resilient headband assembly106. The headband assembly106has an adjustable curvature so as to be arranged along the top of the head of the user or wearer, and when mounted ranges from the wearer's head's crown to both sides of the head, as shown inFIGS. 8A - B. The headband assembly106includes a headband110and two bow-shaped arms112, to each one of which one of the headphone units104is pivotally attached. The headband assembly106includes a pair of sliding members114, each having an extension115that can slide internally and relatively to one end of the headband110. The headband110and the pair of sliding members114are coupled via a friction-based adjust mechanism, generated by external surfaces of the extensions115and corresponding internal surfaces of a channel (not shown) formed internally to the headband110. Oppositely to the headband110, one of the arms112is rotatably attached to one of the sliding members114.

The friction-based adjust mechanism, provided at both ends of the headband110, is a mechanism for adjusting the size of the headphone102so as to adapt to the size of the wearer's head. To that end, the sliding members114are formed so as to create a biasing frictional force when they are slid relatively to the headband110. Before the headphone102is fitted onto the wearer's head, each of the extensions115can be substantially hidden within the corresponding channel. In this position, the distance between each of the headphone units104and the apex of the headband110is minimal, thus corresponding to the smallest head size that can comfortably accept or wear the headband110. When the wearer puts on the headphone102by holding the earphone units104in his/her hands, he/she can adjust the headphone102by simply applying a force slightly greater than the frictional forces exerted by the sliding members114onto the channel to slide down the earphone units104towards his/her ears.

As shown inFIGS. 7 and 8A-B, in accordance with the present invention, when the headphone102is not in use, the arms112and their associated headphone units104can be rotated to be housed in the internal space formed by the headband110. Moreover, when the headphone102is in use, the arms112can be swiveled or flipped up to a position away from the wearer's ear. To accomplish these rotations of the arms112with respect to the headband110, a pivot joint116couples rotatably the arms112to the headband110. As shown inFIGS. 9-12A-B, to provide a rotational position locking feature and a desirable rotating friction of one of the arms112with respect to one of the sliding members114, the pivot joint116includes a detent hinge118and a friction hinge120, both of which are substantially centered on the axis of rotation of one of the arms112with respect to an end part of the corresponding sliding members114. Each detent hinge118releasably retains or locks the corresponding arm member112in a predetermined position relative to the headband110when the arm member112is rotated. Alternately, the pivot joint116may include a detent hinge only, a friction hinge only, or any other suitable hinge that facilitates the rotation of the arm members112relative to the headband110, and the locking of the arm members112in desirable positions relative to the headband110.

Now referring toFIG. 9, the detent hinge118comprises two opposing faces, a detent face122and a ball and spring face124, which are pressed together by force of at least one spring washer of the friction hinge120, shown inFIG. 12A and to be discussed in detail hereafter. The ball and spring face124, which is affixed to one end of the arms112, includes a crescent-shaped opening126and a circular opening128for accepting a portion of a detent ball130therethrough. The crescent-shaped opening126includes a screw boss132for accepting a screw (not shown) to attach one of the arm112to the headband110. The detent face122, which is affixed to the headband110via a couple of screws, includes an opening125for accommodating therethrough the screw boss132, and a plurality of detents134that can be engaged by the ball130. The plurality of detents134defines a set of repeatable “soft stop” positions for the detent ball130. The plurality of detents134includes an “all-the-way-down” detent134dfor locking the corresponding arm112into an in-line arrangement with the headband110, and an “all-the-way-up” detent134ufor locking the corresponding arm112in the internal space formed by the headband110. The crescent-shaped opening126includes a couple of diametrically opposite stops136and138, which correspond to the “all-the-way-down” detent134dand the “all-the-way-up” detent134u, respectively. The detent face122further includes intermediate detents134isituated between “all-the-way-down” detent134dand the “all-the-way-up” detent134u, which enables the corresponding arm122to be locked in place at intermediate positions. The detent face122further includes a hard-stop123extending radially away from the opening125, and which includes a wire hole136for enabling an electric wire139, connected to a transducer (not shown) of a corresponding earphone unit104, to pass through the crescent-shaped opening126towards the other earphone unit104via the headband110. The hard-stop123is configured to bump against the couple of diametrically opposite stops136and138when the arm112is rotated relatively to the headband110to define the “all-the-way-up” position and the “all-the-way-down” position of the arm112, respectively.

Now referring toFIG. 10, a cross-sectional view of the detent hinge118is shown. As illustrated, the detent ball130, located within a hole140, is biased against the narrow opening128by a spring144to engage as deep as possible one of the plurality of detent134when the two faces122and124are pressed against each other by the force of a spring washer assembly146, shown inFIGS. 12A-B. InFIG. 11, one end of one of the sliding members114is shown with the ball and spring face124removed. As illustrated, the sliding extension115is formed of two die-cast longitudinal pieces117separated by a groove119, through which runs the electric wire138. The two die-cast pieces117are each securely attached to the corresponding arm112by a screw121. Although, the detent face122and the ball and spring face124are affixed to one end of the headband110and to the arm112, respectively, in an alternate embodiment the two faces122and124can have their locations swapped.

Now referring toFIG. 12A, an embodiment of a friction hinge120is shown along with the spring washer assembly146, which includes a plurality of washers127,129,131and a screw133. The friction hinge120is positioned opposite the detent hinge118with respect to the carrying arm112. As shown inFIG. 12B, the friction hinge120includes a plurality of regular flat washers127, a spring washer129and a stepped washer131which accommodates screw133that engages screw boss132, thereby rotatably securing the arm112to one end of the extension114. The spring washer129is configured to provide, in conjunction with the other flat washers127, the desired friction to the pivot joint116, when pressed in place by the screw133. In accordance with the present invention, the detent hinge118is configured to be strong enough to hold the weight of a headphone unit114, even without friction, and the combination of the detent hinge118and the friction hinge120is configured to provide some protection factor for tolerance and wear.

Now referring toFIG. 13, a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an earphone unit104is shown. The earphone unit104has a casing or outer cup150which has a substantially disc-shaped outline, an inner cup152, and an ear cup154. The earphone unit104is pivotally attached to the corresponding arm112via a couple of pivot supports (not shown) positioned on an internal surface of an opening formed in the arm112. The pivot supports are diametrically positioned to allow a pivoting of the earphone unit104along an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longer side of the arm112. The inner cup152is pivotally mounted to the outer cup150along a pivot axis that is substantially orthogonal to the pivoting axis of the outer cup150, thereby enabling the inner cup152to substantially pivot about tow orthogonal axes with respect to the arm112. As shown inFIG. 13, the inner cup152includes a the transducer156for converting an electrical signal into sound, and on the sound radiating side the ear cup154is wrapped circumferentially by a cushioning doughnut-shaped ear pad158. Due to the two pivot axes and the bow shape of the arm112, when the headphone102is mounted on the wearer's head each of the earphone units104is completely self-adjustable with respect tom the wearer's ear to become substantially parallel to the ear, thereby adopting an optimum position which minimizes the travel of the sound outside the ear pad158. As such, the cushioned headphone units104provide very comfortable listening and superior passive sound isolation.

As stated above, the arm112is rotatable about the pivot joint116whose axis of rotation is substantially perpendicular to the detent face122of the end of the headband110, which faces the internal space formed by the headband110. When the headphone102is mounted on a wearer's head, the wearer can swivel each of the headphone unit114backward or rearward from an ear-covering position to positions away from the wearer's ear. These rearward positions of the headphone unit104can be predetermined by judicious locations of the intermediate detents134ion the detent face122. As the wearer's head typically falls away to the rear, the bow shape of the arm112combined with the pivotable and pad-cushioned features of the earphone unit104enables the headphone unit104to follow the contour of the wearer's head in a virtually pressure-less manner. Preferably, one of the intermediate detents134iis positioned substantially centrally between the “all-the-way-up” detent134uand the “all-the-way-down” detent134dto lock the arm112, when swivel backwards, in a substantially perpendicular orientation to the headband110.

As shown inFIGS. 1 and 2, each of the headphone units104includes a cable port108. In accordance with the present invention, by plugging a headphone cable (not shown) into the cable port108of one the headphone units104, the cable port108of the other headphone unit104automatically switches to output mode. As such, each cable port108is configured as an input/output cable port. By having dual input/output cable ports108, the headphone102can be daisy-chained with any other headphone to share audio signals inputted from either one of the two headphone units104. In practice, a second headphone wearer can plug his earphone cable into one cable port108operating in output mode to listen to the audio signal received by the cable port108operating in input mode.

Accordingly, the above discussed adjustable headphone102can be comfortably worn by the wearer for an extended listening period. This is achieved by headphone units104, connected to a flexible headband, that automatically adjust, via a couple of pivoting axes, to achieve a comfortable and substantially pressureless precise fitting to the wearer's ear. The headphone units104flip-up to the rear of the head to allow for easy monitoring of outside environment by the wearer and for greater artistic freedom and flexibility, and this flip-up of the headphone units104is supported by a duo of hinges118and120, detent and friction, which help maintain the headphone units104in any desirable rotational position relatively to the headband110. The dual input/output cable ports108enable a daisy-chaining of the headphones102. In addition, the headphone102is preferably constructed from strong yet lightweight aluminum, which help minimize vibrations, thereby minimizing unwanted audio artifacts. The plush cushioned earphone units104yield superior sound isolation with maximum comfort and minimal ear fatigue.