Abstract:
A headphone device includes a first audio output module, a second audio output module, and a head module connected between the first and second audio output modules that are located at both ends of the head module respectively. The head module stays bent when in use and stays straight when in compact storage. Thus the form factor of the headphone device in compact storage is relatively smaller.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a headphone device, especially to a headband-style headphone device whose form factor in compact storage is relatively smaller. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    The earphone devices in the marketplace may be divided into three categories according to the appearances: headband-style headphones, in-ear headphones, and ear hook headphones. 
         [0005]    Headband-style headphones are usually designed to fully encompass the ears with earpads to block outside noises and seal music in, and thus offer a relatively fabulous sound quality. They are also rigid and shatterproof yet with the drawbacks of large form factor and very limited collapsibility resulting in inconveniences of carrying them around. Hence, such headphones are the least portable and therefore much more suitable for home use. 
         [0006]    In-ear headphones are configured to be snugly inserted into the ear canals with the part of the audio output transducers. They are portable, lightweight, and fit for many portable electronic devices like Walkman and cell-phones. As a plus, they have small form factor. However, the only drawback thereof is that listeners cannot be isolated satisfactorily from outside noise or sound. 
         [0007]    Ear hook headphones attaching around the ears have size (form factor) and sound quality between the headband-style headphones and the in-ear headphones. Because the audio output transducers thereof are hung around the ears, better acoustic isolation and sound quality than the in-ear type can be provided. However, in terms of sound quality and audio performance, the headband-style headphone is the best choice. 
         [0008]    So there is a need to develop a headband-style headphone free of the above drawbacks without sacrificing the sound quality. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    In view of this, the present invention solves the above problems by providing a headband-style headphone device whose form factor is relatively smaller when in compact storage. 
         [0010]    In one embodiment, a headphone device includes a first audio output module, a second audio output module, and a head module. The first audio output module outputs an audio signal of a left channel. The second audio output module outputs an audio signal of a right channel. The head module connected between the first audio output module and the second audio output module that are located at both ends of the head module respectively. The head module stays bent when in use to allow a user listen to audio signals comfortably, and stays straight when in compact storage and can be accommodated into the first and the second audio output modules as far as possible, thus the form factor of the headphone device is reduced. 
         [0011]    In this embodiment, the head module can further include a flexible metal strip made of robust steel so that the flexible metal strip stays bent or straight normally when the headphone device is in use or in compact storage. And the flexible metal strip can be forced to deform and stays bent to fit the user&#39;s head. 
         [0012]    In another embodiment, a headphone device includes a first audio output module, a second audio output module, a head module, a wireless module, a volume control module and a cord. The wireless receiving module is electrically connected to the first audio output module for receiving and transforming a wireless signal from an electronic device into an audio signal which is to be transmitted to the second audio output module through the cord. 
         [0013]    The present invention is advantageous basically because when the headphone device is in compact storage, the head module can be straightened and part of it can be accommodated into the first and second audio output modules as far as possible. Thus the form factor of the headphone device can be reduced greatly and becomes highly portable. 
         [0014]    These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a headband-style headphone device of a first embodiment of the present invention in a service mode. 
           [0016]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of the headphone device of the first embodiment of the present invention in compact storage. 
           [0017]      FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  are structure diagrams of an audio output module of the headphone device of the first embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0018]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of the headphone device of a second embodiment of the present invention in a service mode. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5  is a diagram of the headphone device of the second embodiment of the present invention in compact storage. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a headband-style headphone device  10  of a first embodiment of the present invention in a service mode. The headband-style headphone device  10  includes a head module  100 , a first audio output module  110 , a second audio output module  120 , a cord  130 , an earphone plug  140 , an audio input module  150 , and a volume control module  160 . 
         [0021]    The head module  100  includes a flexible metal strip  101  which can be made of but not limited to robust stainless steel. One of ordinary skill in the art can select any deformable metal as material of the flexible metal strip  101  and determine the form factor thereof by manipulating thickness and length for example according to practical requirements. 
         [0022]    The flexible metal strip  101  can stay straight or deform to stay bent normally, and the overall shape of the head module  100  is dependent thereon. 
         [0023]    Furthermore, the flexible metal strip  101  has a plurality of first projections  103  on one end and a plurality of second projections  104  on the other end. One of the first projections  103  and one of the second projections  104  respectively correspond and are buckled to a first concave  111  disposed in the first audio output module  110  and a second concave  121  disposed in the second audio output module  120 . Thus the relative position of the head module  100 , the first audio output module  110  and the second audio output module  120  can be fixed either in use (service mode) or in compact storage (storage mode). 
         [0024]    When the headphone device  10  is put to use, the flexible metal strip  101  is forced to deform and stay bent to fit the user&#39;s head, so that the user may feel comfortable with the headphone device  10 . 
         [0025]    Besides, the headphone device  10  further includes an audio input module  150  and a volume control module  160 . The audio input module  150  can be connected to the first audio output module  110  or the cord  130 . The audio input module  150  transforms sound wave (acoustic signal) of the user into an electronic signal and transmits it to an electric device, such as a hands-free phone or a SKYPE phone, through the cord  130  and the earphone plug  140 . The headphone device  10  including the audio input module  150  brings about convenience for the user in interactive applications. 
         [0026]    The volume control module  160  allows the user to control the volume of the headphone device  10  directly rather than through the complicated interface of the electronic device. The designs of the audio input module  150  and the volume control module  160  are well-known to one of ordinary skill in the art and will not give a tautological description herein. 
         [0027]      FIG. 2  is a diagram of the headphone device  10  of the first embodiment of the present invention in compact storage. The head module  100  further includes a head cushion module  102  surrounding middle of the flexible metal strip  101 . The head cushion module  102  has a lining made of soft and recoverable material such as foam, a wrap made of a sheet of soft material such as plastics or artificial fiber, and a bottom made of material which is allowed to be fastened and unfastened repeatedly such as Velcro hook and loop tapes (not shown). The material of the bottom functions to wrap a part of the cord  130 , the earphone plug  140 , the audio input module  150  and the volume control module  160  into the head cushion module  102  when the flexible metal strip  101  stays straight (in compact storage). 
         [0028]      FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C  are structure diagrams of an audio output module of the headphone device of the first embodiment of the present invention particularly showing how the second projections  104  correspond and are buckled to the second concave  121 . It is appreciated that since the connection between first audio output module  110  and the head module  100  is the same as that between the second audio output module  120  and the head module  100 , only the second audio output module  120  is described for illustration in the following paragraphs. 
         [0029]    In  FIG. 3A  to  FIG. 3C , one end of the flexible metal strip  101  has the plurality of the second projections  104  in which a projection  1041  is closest to the head cushion module  102 , projections  1042  and  1043  are the second and third closest ones respectively, and the like, and what is closest to the end of the flexible metal strip  101  is a projection  104   n  where n is an integer larger than one. 
         [0030]    Next, how the headphone device  10  is turned into a compact storage form is depicted by referring to  FIG. 3A . As a first step, force is applied to deform the flexible metal strip  101  such that the head module  100  stays straight. Then, the relative position of the first audio output module  110 , the second audio output module  120  and the flexible metal strip  101  is adjusted by buckling the projection  1041  which is closest to the head cushion module  102  to the second concave  121 . Thus the flexible metal strip  101  can be accommodated into the second audio output modules  120  as far as possible, and the form factor of the headphone device  10  is reduced. 
         [0031]    How the headphone device  10  is turned into a service mode is depicted by referring to  FIG. 3B . As a first step, force is applied to the flexible metal strip  101  such that the head module  100  stays bent. Then, one of the projection  104   i  is selected to be buckled to the second concave  121  according to the head size and the customary practice for example, where i is an integer ranging from 1 to n, so that the head module  100  is exposed from the first and second audio output modules  110  and  120  in a length suitable for the listener. 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 3C , a protective projection  104   s  is provided next to the projection  104   n.  When the projection  104   n  closest to the end of the flexible metal strip  101  is buckled to the second concave  121  and the user want to further lengthen the head module  100  by exposing more part of the head module  100  from the first and second audio output modules  110  and  120 , the protective projection  104   s  will serve to impede from increase of the length of the head module  100  that is exposed from the first and second audio output modules  110  and  120 , thereby preventing the flexible metal strip  101  from coming off the second audio output module  120  and breaking down the headphone device  10 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  shows a headphone device  20  of a second embodiment of the present invention in a service mode. The headphone device  20  transmits signals wirelessly and includes a head module  200 , a first audio output module  210 , a second audio output module  220 , a cord, a connecting module  240 , an audio input module  250 , a volume control module  260  and a wireless module  270 . 
         [0034]    In more detail, the head module  200  has a head cushion module  202  and a flexible metal strip  201  having a plurality of first projections  203  and a plurality of second projections  204 . One of the first projections  203  and one of the second projections  204  respectively correspond and are buckled to a first concave  221  disposed in the first audio output module  210  and a second concave  231  disposed in the second audio output module  220 , so that the head module  200  is exposed from the first and second audio output modules  210  and  220  in an adjustable length. 
         [0035]    The difference between the first and second embodiments is that the headphone device  20  receives from an electronic device electronic signals through the wireless module  270 . The electronic signals are then transformed into wireless radio-frequency ones to be transmitted to the first and second audio output modules  210  and  220 . Besides, signal processing modules (not shown) are incorporated in the first and second audio output modules  210  and  220  for transforming the wireless radio-frequency signals into audible sound waves. 
         [0036]    Alternatively, the signal processing module is incorporated only in the first audio output module  210 , and the sound waves are transmitted therefrom to the second audio output module  220  through the cord which is connected to the first and second audio output modules  210  and  220  respectively. 
         [0037]    It is noted that the audio input module  250  and the volume control module  260  in this embodiment function in the same way as the audio input module  150  and the volume control module  160  in the first embodiment respectively and will not be described further here. Also, in this embodiment, the connecting module  240  which can be accommodated into the second audio output module  220  is employed to connect the audio input module  250  and the volume control module  260  to the headphone device  20 . 
         [0038]    When the headphone device  20  is in a service mode, the connecting module  240  can be extended from the second audio output module  220  in a flexible way to make the audio input module  250  approximate to the listener&#39;s mouth as a voice receiver. Furthermore, the volume control module  260  is disposed under the audio input module  250  to allow an easy control of the volume of the first and second audio output modules  210  and  220 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 5  shows the headphone device  20  of the second embodiment of the present invention in compact storage. The connecting module  240  can be accommodated into the second audio output module  220  in a straight form. The projections  2031  and  2041  which are closest to the head cushion module  202  can be buckled to the first concave  211  and the second concave  221  respectively. Thus the flexible metal strip  201  can be accommodated into the first and second audio output modules  210  and  220  as far as possible, and the form factor of the headphone device  20  is reduced. 
         [0040]    It is noted that the embodiments are used as an exemplary interpretation of a headphone device without any intention to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may modify the appearance and the function of the headphone device according to the user&#39;s requirements. 
         [0041]    The present invention is advantageous because, on one hand, the flexible metal strip can be forced to stay straight and the head module becomes compact on the whole; on the other hand, part of the head module can be accommodated into the first and second audio output modules as far as possible and the form factor of the headphone device is thus reduced. In short, the headphone device of the present invention is collapsible and the form factor is adjustable to meet the user&#39;s requirements. 
         [0042]    The aforementioned descriptions represent merely the preferred embodiment of the present invention, without any intention to limit the scope of the present invention thereto. Various equivalent changes, alterations, or modifications based on the claims of the present invention are all consequently viewed as being embraced by the scope of the present invention.