Patent Publication Number: US-10764672-B2

Title: Over-ear headphone with hinge-free headband

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit of the earlier filing date of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/611,931 filed on Dec. 29, 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     SUMMARY 
     An over-ear headphone system, in accordance with some embodiments, has a headband attached to at least one ear cup. The headband has one or two members that each extends from a rigid coupler. The rigid coupler is configured to physically connect to the ear cup via a gimbal to allow a form fitting headband having two orders of freedom using a single physical point of ear cup rotation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a block representation of an example headphone system in which various embodiments may be practiced. 
         FIGS. 2A and 2B  respectively display line representations of portions of an example headphone system utilized in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  respectively show portions of an example over-ear headphone system configured in accordance with assorted embodiments. 
         FIGS. 4A and 4B  respectively illustrate portions of an example over-ear headphone system arranged in accordance with various embodiments. 
         FIGS. 5A and 5B  respectively depicts portions of an example over-ear headphone system operated in accordance with some embodiments. 
         FIG. 6  conveys an example over-ear headphone configured in accordance with assorted embodiments. 
         FIG. 7  provides a flowchart of an example headphone utilization routine that can be carried out by the over-ear headphone systems of  FIGS. 1-6 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various embodiments of the present disclosure are generally directed to an over-ear headphone system with optimized headband and ear cup configurations that increase user comfort, decrease weight, reduce manufacturing cost, and improve structural reliability. 
     Conventionally, headphones become uncomfortable when the product fits poorly on a user&#39;s head. Headphone enhancements that improve user comfort, such as adding degrees of freedom along multiple axes allow better fitment to the user&#39;s head, may increase weight and cause discomfort, but also add structural complexity that tends to decrease reliability over time. The varying sizes and shapes of users of an over-ear headphone make construction of a universal-fit headband difficult. Often, a headband is configured either for fashion or comfort without concern for long-term reliability, acoustic properties of the headphone system, or fitment. Hence, there is an industry and consumer interest in an over-ear headphone that is comfortable to wear, lighter in weight, and highly reliable while providing optimal fitment that complements the acoustic capabilities of the audio reproducing means of the headphone. 
       FIG. 1  displays a block representation of an example headphone system  100  in which various embodiments may be practiced. The headphone system  100  has an ear cup  102  positioned proximal an ear  104  of the head of a user  106  with a headband  108 . The ear cup  102  can house one or more audio drivers  110 , such as, but not limited to, a dynamic, balanced armature, planar magnetic, or electrostatic arrangement, that converts electrical signals to sound waves experienced by the user  106 . 
     The headphone system  100  may be configured with a single ear cup  102 , but some embodiments present two ear cups  102  placed on opposite ends of the headband  108  to physically engage different ears  104  of the user  106 . The headphone system  100  can have control circuitry  112  placed locally, such as in an ear cup  102 , or remotely, such as an attached cable or wirelessly connected audio source. 
     In general, the arrangement of ear cup(s)  102  about a user  106  via a headband  108  has had little emphasis on practical acoustics of the ear cup  102  and driver(s)  110 . For instance, a headphone directed to fashion are made of materials that provide an aesthetic appeal without concern for comfort during use or providing proper ear cup  102  position for different head shapes. As another example, a headphone configured primarily to provide to user comfort can result in inconsistent placement of the ear cups  102  with respect to the user  106  after the headband  108  is stretched and/or compressed during normal placement, and removal, from the user&#39;s head, or simply because the headband is so rigid it makes no allowance for diverse head shapes and/or sizes. 
       FIGS. 2A and 2B  respectively convey line representations of an example headphone system  120  constructed and operated with limitations to the comfort and/or acoustic capabilities of the driver(s)  110 .  FIG. 2A  shows a front view of a user&#39;s head  122  onto which an over-ear headphone  124  is placed. The headphone  124  is configured with ear cups  126  connected to a headband  128  via hinged connections  130  that allow for respective cup  126  rotation parallel to the Y-Z plane, as displayed by arrow  132 . Such headphone  124  configuration may utilize dual hinges to provide increased rotation in the Y-Z plane about the X axis. While increasing comfort, the two-axis freedom provided by the ear cup  126  configurations add weight and complexity that result in unwanted durability and user comfort over time. 
     Such hinged connections  130  can accommodate variations in the user&#39;s head  122  shape and/or size, but impacts how the tension of the headband  128  applies pressure on the ear cups  126 . Regardless of whether the hinged connection  130  is positioned at a top position, as indicated by arrow  134 , or positioned at a medial positioned, as indicated by arrow  136 , the tension of the headband  128  is likely to place uneven pressure on the ear cup  126 , which results in discomfort and a non-uniform cup coverage about the user&#39;s ear  104 , as illustrated. 
     The side view of  FIG. 2B  conveys how the headband  128  can result in unwanted ear cup  126  rotation parallel to the X-Y plane, as indicated by arrow  138 . While the headband  128  may apply tension and/or compression in the Y-Z plane, rigidity of the headband  128  in the X-Y plane results in the ear cup  126  rotation that positions the driver(s)  110  housed in the cups  126  in non-optimal locations relative to the user&#39;s ear  104 . The resistance of the headband  128  to twisting, as indicated by arrow  140  parallel to the X-Y plane, further decreases user comfort by being susceptible to user movement, such as jumping, running, and sudden head movements. 
     It can be appreciated that the implementation of a rotational system, such as ball joints, elastic suspensions, and/or hinges, to connect the ear cups  126  to the headband  128  provides two axes of rotation that must be accommodated using a combination of hinges, bushings, bearings, and/or other structures that add bulk and complexity and are vulnerable to reliability and fitment degradation over time. In addition, greater number of headphone parts add cost and weight to the headphone. With these issues in mind, embodiments are generally directed to an over-ear headphone system that optimizes the headband itself and the manner in which the headband attaches to the ear cup(s) to provide near-universal fitment that maximizes the potential of the design of the ear cup and constituent audio driver(s). It is noted that the ear cups  126  can be any size, shape, open back, or closed back. 
       FIGS. 3A and 3B  respectively illustrate portions of an example over-ear headphone  150  arranged in accordance with assorted embodiments. The headphone  150  has a headband  152  constructed of one or more members  154  each extending out of, and between, rigid couplers  156 . The rigid couplers  156  may be constructed of any rigid, semi-rigid, or flexible material, such as metal, plastic, or ceramic, that can retain a shape without flexing in response from compression applied by the headband  152 . A rigid coupler  156  can have any shape and size conducive to supporting the headband member  154  without flexing. Each headband member  154  can be physically attached to the respective couplers  156  via a fixed connection or a rotating connection, without limitation. 
     That is, the members  154  can be configured to rotate within the couplers  156  or have a set orientation with respect to the couplers  156 , while be retained within the couplers  156  during movement of the couplers  156 , such as the rotation  158  of a coupler  156  shown in  FIG. 3B  as arrow  160 . Thus, the headband members  154  can move, or flex, relative to one another while remaining attached to the couplers  156  to generate required headband twist ( 140 ) and movement required to ensure listener comfort without displacing the ear cups attached to the rigid couplers  156 . 
     As shown, the headband members  154  can be constructed with matching shapes and sizes, which may correspond with matching material constructions. However, some embodiments configure the members  154  to be dissimilar in shape, size, and/or material so that the headband  152  collectively delivers different tension, compression, and/or rotation properties along one or more axes, such as towards one ear or the user&#39;s face compared to the other ear or posterior portion of the user&#39;s head. 
     Although not required or limiting, one or more headband members  154  can be constructed of materials, such as Nickel Titanium, spring steel, and flexible composites, that return to a set shape and set amount of applied force onto a user&#39;s head despite being flexible. The materials may have a uniform, or varying cross-sectional shape, such as round, rectangular, or multifaceted. In this way, the headband members  154  can flex to provide vertical (Y axis) and horizontal (X axis) rotation that provides the same pressure vectors and volumes onto the user&#39;s head regardless of the shape of the respective members  154 . As a result, the simple spanning of rigid couplers  156  with one or more headphone members  154  provides a comfortable fit without the weight, bulk, cost, and reliability issues of headbands designed specifically for fashion or comfort. 
     In some embodiments, the headphone members  154  can pass through a fixed, or sliding, spacer  162  that physically connects the respective members  154  while allowing the members  154  to flex, move, vibrate, compress, and apply force while the spacer  162  may, or may not, serve to locate a suspended comfort member  164 , such as a strap of synthetic or natural material that rests on the user&#39;s head and supports the weight of the headphone. The tensioner(s)  154  can be in sliding, fixed, or stepped engagement with the headphone members  154  to allow for user adjustment of the headphone fit, without interfering with the rotational behavior of the headphone members  154 . Headphone fitment, in some embodiments, is facilitated without spacers  162  and the headphone members  154  are configured to physically contact the user&#39;s head, which may include a flexible material wrapped around one or more members  154  to increase comfort. 
     It is contemplated that a comfort member  164  can span between the spacers  162 . Such as comfort member  164  may be flexible, or rigid, and configured to contact a user&#39;s head to secure the headband  162  relative to the user&#39;s ears  104 . The comfort member  164  may move independently of the headband members  154 , which allows the members  154  to rotate and move to accommodate user movement while applying consistent pressure onto the rigid couplers  156 . For instance, the comfort member  164  may be a strap of compliant material, such as leather, synthetic leather, fabric, mesh, or other pliable textile. 
       FIGS. 4A and 4B  respectively display portions of an example ergonomic over-ear headphone  180  that can be incorporated into the headphone system  100  of  FIG. 1  in conjunction with the aspects of  FIGS. 3A and 3B . In the side view of  FIG. 4A , an ear cup  182  has an asymmetrical shape in the X-Y plane that is conducive to comfortably covering the ear of user and providing an acoustic seal for one or more audio drivers housed within the ear cup  182 . The ear cup  182  has a longitudinal axis  184  that may be non-parallel with a vertical plane corresponding with the Y axis. However, the cup shape and size configurations of  FIG. 4A  are not limiting or required and other configurations can be utilized, such as circular or other shapes that cover some, or all, of a user&#39;s ear. 
     The ear cup  182  has a centerpoint  186  that may correspond with a center of pressure for the ear cup  182  alone, or in combination with the attached rigid coupler  156 . While not limiting or required, the ear cup  182  is connected to the rigid coupler  156  via a gimbal  188  that allows single axis rotation of the ear cup  182 , parallel to the vertical Y axis, relative to the rigid coupler  156 . The gimbal  188  is positioned in alignment with the centerpoint  186  and the horizontal X axis by an arm of the rigid coupler  156 . That is, the rigid coupler  156  continuously extends from a top position between the headband  152  and ear cup  182  to a lateral position  190  in-line with the ear cup centerpoint  186 . It is noted that while the gimbal  188  is shown with one point of attachment to the ear cup  182 , a two-point connection may be utilized without affecting the fitment or function of the headphone  180 . 
     The alignment of the gimbal  188  with the ear cup centerpoint  186  provides efficient and comfortable application of force to the ear cup  182 . Rotation of the ear cup  182  around the gimbal  188  connection applies continuous pressure on the ear cup  182  to hold the ear cup  182  in a default position, as shown, while allowing vertical rotation around the X axis, as indicated by arrow  192 . While not required, the gimbal  188  can be configured with one or more limit-stops, bushings, springs, and/or bearings positioned within the coupler  156  and/or ear cup  182  to restrict ear cup tilting in the X-Y plane or rotation about the Y axis. 
     In contrast, a conventional hinged connection would prevent rotation of the ear cup  182  while a ball-joint connection would degrade the application of force from the coupler  156  to the ear cup  182  and increase the width of the headphone  180  in a direction parallel to the Z axis, which would result in user discomfort and/or poor orientation of the ear cup  182  to the coupler  156 . Hence, the gimbal  188  can allow for vertical ear cup rotation  192  independent of the coupler  156  that adapts the ear cup&#39;s orientation relative to the user&#39;s head about the X axis while the headband members  154  provide gentle, consistent twisting force about the Z axis that maintains the ear cup  182  in a desired, comfortable position despite user movement. 
       FIG. 4B  illustrates how the gimbal  188  allows ear cup rotation  190  about the X axis while applying force from the coupler  156  throughout the acoustic surface  194  of the ear cup  182 . That is, the gimbal  188  configuration and alignment with the cup centerpoint  186  prevents ear cup movement and rotation, except vertical rotation  192 , so that force from the headband members  154  is distributed across the surface area of ear pad acoustic surface  194 , which results in a comfortable and effective acoustic seal with the user&#39;s head proximal the ear. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  respectively display an example over-ear headphone system  200  that employs the various embodiments of  FIGS. 3A-4B  to provide optimal fitment, comfort, and acoustic reproduction.  FIG. 5A  is a front view of how an over-ear headphone  202  can interact with a user&#39;s head  204 . One or more headband members  206  are each single-piece wires with a circular, oblong, rectangular, multifaceted, or other cross-sectional shape that extend between rigid couplers  208 . The headband members  206  each have a linear portion  210  that has an appropriate length positioned between curvilinear portions  212 . It is noted that the linear portion  210  is not required. Such headband shape, along with the material construction of the members  206 , apply a predetermined amount of force onto the rigid couplers  208  that is then translated to respective ear cups  214  via gimbal  216  connections. 
     Although not required, a comfort feature  218  extends between spacers  220  that are attached to at least one headband member  206 . The spacers  220  may restrict headband member  206  movement relative to one another, but such configuration is not required as a spacer  220  may also be used as a slider to not only control the member  206  spacing and rotation, but also to serve as a support for the comfort feature  218 . In other words, spacers  220  may be used to maintain a fixed distance between separate headband members  206 , such as 3 cm or less, or serve as fixed, or sliding, mounting posts for the comfort features  218 . 
     A spacer  220  can apply pressure onto one, or both, headband members  206 , such as with a spring, clamp, weight, or elastic material, to provide resistance to member  206  movement, collectively and individually, without preventing movement and/or rotation of the headband. The spacer  220  may be permanently affixed to the headband members  206 , in some embodiments, may slide, or incrementally step, along the members  206 , may be removable, or may be absent in other embodiments. The configuration of the headband members  206  and rigid coupler  208  provides consistent pressure onto the gimbal  216  and respective ear cups  214  that forces the acoustic surface  222  into contact with the user&#39;s head  204  proximal the user&#39;s ear. It is noted that the ear cups  212  can be arranged to completely surround a user&#39;s ear, partially surround a user&#39;s ear, and/or contact the ear itself to create an acoustic environment conducive to optimal audio driver operation. 
     As shown in the side view of  FIG. 5B , the gimbal  214  connection with the ear cup  214  allows the acoustic surface  222  to rotate relative to the rigid coupler  208  to equalize pressure on the user&#39;s head from the acoustic surface  222  shown in  FIG. 5A . That is, any pressure imbalance imparted from the headband members  206  onto the rigid coupler  208  is equalized with rotation of the ear cup  214  via the gimbal  216 . It is contemplated that the pressure and force imparted on the ear cup  214  from the rigid coupler  208  is controlled via rotation control feature of the gimbal  216 , which may comprise one or more bushings, bearings, and seals to restrict and/or limit ear cup  214  movement and rotation so that force is uniformly applied onto the user&#39;s head throughout the acoustic surface  222 . 
     The gimbal  216  may move freely or incorporate one or more rigid stops that interact with the rigid coupler  208  to limit ear cup some movement in the Y-Z and X-Y planes. Adjustment and/or removal of the gimbal  216  can be facilitated, in some embodiments, with a bushing or bearing in combination with a pressure-releasing screw that allows the ear cup  214  to be tightened, loosened, or removed from the rigid coupler  208  without full disassembly of the ear cup  214 . The flexibility of the headband members  206  can allow the ear cups  214  to be easily manipulated for storage into containers of various sizes and shapes. However, some headband and/or ear cup  214  manipulation can place unwanted stress on the gimbal  216 . In some instances, such as during travel, having the physically smallest headphone may be beneficial. Hence, various embodiments arrange the gimbal  216  to be foldable to alleviate stress during headphone  202  storage. 
       FIG. 6  conveys an example over-ear headphone  230  with the embodiments of  FIGS. 3A-5B  that employs a gimbal  232  that can be folded to reliably store the ear cups  234  between the rigid couplers  236  and headphone members  238 . By rotating the respective rigid couplers  236  about a pivot  240 , the ear cups  234  retract while facing one another. The pivot  240  can be any rotating mechanism and, in some embodiments, locks to prevent unintentional ear cup  234  movement. 
     The retracted position of the ear cups  234 , as shown, utilizes the compression force applied by the headband members  238  to maintain the retracted position during headphone  230  movement, such as during travel. It is contemplated, but not required, that the pivot  240  is spring-loaded to aid the physical transition of the ear cups  234  from the retracted position shown in  FIG. 6  to the usable position shown in  FIGS. 5A and 5B . Unlike previous headphones that employ collapsing, or otherwise hinging, headbands, the gimbal  236  connects to the headband members  238  with the pivot  240  in the middle of the gimbal  236 , which allows for the very compact folding geometry. 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart of an example audio reproduction routine  250  that can be carried out with an over-ear headphone arranged in accordance with the various embodiments of  FIGS. 3A-6 . Step  252  begins by preparing an over-ear headphone for use, which may entail removing the headphone from a storage container or package by unfolding one or more gimbal connections. It is contemplated that step  252  may involve assembling and/or adjusting portions of the over-ear headphone, such as the gimbal connection and/or headband member tensioner. 
     Preparation of the over-ear headphone advances routine  250  to step  254  where the headband members are laterally stretched, along the Z axis, to widen the separation distance between ear cups. The configuration of the headband members will allow such lateral stretching while applying increasing amounts of physical resistance as the ear cup separation grows. It is noted that step  254  can involve rotating the headband members with respect to one another, and around the Z axis, to position the ear cups in a desired orientation with respect to the user&#39;s head and ears. 
     It is noted that the headband members are configured with a default shape, position, and size where minimal, or zero, pressure will be applied on the ear cups. In yet, the headband members are constructed to allow flexibility to adapt to a user&#39;s manipulation while providing feedback in the form of physical resistance. The lateral stretching of the headband members in step  254  allows the ear cups to be moved into alignment with the user&#39;s ears in step  256  while the ear cups have a separation distance that is greater than the distance between the user&#39;s ears. 
     Next, step  258  reduces lateral stretching of the headband members, which allows the tension of the members to bring the ear cups into physical contact with the user&#39;s head. Once the user has removed external force from the ear cups, step  260  adapts the position of the ear cups and/or headband members to generate an acoustic seal between the ear cup and head in step  262 . In step  260 , the flexible configuration of the headband members can manually or automatically adapt to the shape of a user&#39;s head by rotating and/or moving relative to one another. The gimbal connection of the ear cup and rigid coupler can also automatically adapt to the shape of a user&#39;s head by vertically rotating the ear cup relative to the rigid coupler. 
     With the adaptation of the headphone members and/or ear cups in step  260  without manipulation from the user, the acoustic surface of the respective ear cups can uniformly contact the user&#39;s head with force equalized via the gimbal connection. In other words, the force applied to the rigid coupler from the headband members in step  260  can be different than the pressure applied to the ear cups and acoustic surfaces due to the gimbal connection. Such pressure translation through the gimbal results in a uniform amount of force applied along the Z axis from the acoustic surface of each ear cup to form an optimized acoustic seal that is utilized in step  264  when the audio driver(s) of the respective ear cups are activated via electrical signal to produce sound waves. 
     It is noted that the various steps of routine  250  are not required or limiting and changes can be made without deterring from the spirit of the present disclosure. For instance, steps can be changed or removed just as decisions and/or steps can be newly added. 
     Through the assorted embodiments of an over-ear headphone, multiple separate headband members allow for vertical and horizontal rotation of a headband that provides comfort while automatically adapting to the shape of a user&#39;s head. The use of a rigid coupler and gimbal to translate the force applied by the headband members to the ear cups results in consistent, controlled pressure onto an acoustic surface that produces a uniform acoustic seal throughout the acoustic surface of each ear cup. The configuration of the rigid coupler and gimbal further provide adjustment that can enhance the generation of the acoustic seal without adding weight, bulk, cost, or reliability risk to the headphone.