Abstract:
A headset includes two sound output units and a connector connecting the two sound output units. Each of the two sound output units includes a limiting part arranged thereon. The connector is made of an elastic material and capable of being flexibly mounted to each of the limiting parts so as to improve the convenience of using the headset by making it easy to wear, adjust and collect.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a hearing device and a method for collecting the same and, more particularly, to a headset that is convenient to wear, adjust and collect. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Nowadays, various kinds of hearing devices have been widely used. One kind of hearing devices is for outputting music/voice from a music/voice player to the ears of a user. This kind of hearing devices generally includes an ear plug type, an in ear type a headset type, and so on. Another kind of hearing devices is functioned as a stethoscope. Each kind of the above hearing devices has two sound output units and a connector connecting the two sound output units. 
         [0005]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , Taiwan patent 471234 discloses a headset  1 .  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the headset  1 .  FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the headset  1  when the headset  1  is worn by the user. The headset  1  includes two sound output units  10  and a connector  11 . The two sound output units  10  are two speakers, and the connector  11  is a headband. The two speakers are connected by the headband. When the user wears the headset  1 , the two speakers are respectively attached to two ears of the user, and the headband is in touch with the back of the user&#39;s head. 
         [0006]    Because the headband of the headset  1  is positioned over the back of the user&#39;s head and does not affect the hair style of the user, the headset  1  is popular among people who care about fashions. The headband of the headset  1  is mainly made of synthetic resin alone or mixed with metal, so that the headband is rigid. Hence, an adjusting device is disposed on the headband so that the length of the headband can be adjusted based on the size of the head of the user. However, the structure of the adjusting device is complicated and, accordingly, the cost to design and manufacture the adjusting device is relatively high. Particularly, in order to match the shape of the head well, a fine adjusting device with a more complicated structure is needed. Furthermore, because the headband is made of rigid materials, a folding or expanding structure is needed to collect the headband, which further complicates the structure of the headset. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY 
       [0007]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a headset, which is convenient to wear, adjust and easy to collect. 
         [0008]    A headset according to the present invention includes two sound output units and a connector connecting the two sound output units. Each of the two sound output units includes a limiting part arranged thereon. The connector is made of an elastic material and capable of being flexibly mounted to each of the limiting parts. 
         [0009]    A method for collecting the above-mentioned headset includes the following steps: twisting the connector to form at least one circular part; bending the circular part towards the two sound output units; and mounting the circular part onto the two sound output units. 
         [0010]    In the above headset, the connector is made of a material that is flexible and capable of elastically restoring to a predetermined status. When the headset is worn around the head of the user, the connector can be tightly attached to the back of the user&#39;s head. Furthermore, in order to collect the connector, the connector is first twisted, bent, and then directly mounted to the limiting parts. In this position, the connector is collected. In use, when the connector is pulled out and disengaged from the limiting part, the connector restores to the predetermined status so that the user can wear the headset. This way, it is convenient for the user to collect and expand the headset. According to the present invention, the adjusting, folding, or expanding structures of the conventional headset are eliminated, which not only reduces the cost to design and manufacture the headset but also improves the convenience of using the headset by making it easy to wear, adjust and collect. 
         [0011]    Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]    These and other features and advantages of the various embodiments disclosed herein will be better understood with respect to the following description and drawings, in which like numbers refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a typical headset according to the prior art; 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the headset depicted in  FIG. 1 , when the headset is worn by the user; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an headset according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the headset depicted in  FIG. 3 , when the headset is worn by the user; 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the headset depicted in  FIG. 3 , when a connector of the headset is collected in a first status; 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the headset depicted in  FIG. 3 , when the connector of the headset is collected in a second status; 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of the headset depicted in  FIG. 3 , when the connector of the headset is collected in a third status; 
           [0020]      FIG. 8A  is a perspective view of the headset depicted in  FIG. 3  when the collecting of the connector is done; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8B  is another perspective view of the headset depicted in  FIG. 8A  viewed from another direction; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a partially perspective view of a headset according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a perspective view of a headset according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , a headset  2  according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is provided. The headset  2  includes two sound output units  20  and a connector  24 . Each sound output unit  20  includes a controller  21 , a sound output part  22 , and a limiting part  23 . Two opposite ends of the connector  24  are connected with the two controllers  21  of the two sound output units  20  respectively. The limiting part  23  is formed between the controller  21  and the sound output part  22 . 
         [0025]    The limiting part  23  is a bridging part between the controller  21  and the sound output part  22 . The controller  21 , the sound output part  22  and the limiting part  23  can be integrally formed. Also, the controller  21 , the sound output part  22  and the limiting part  23  can be combined together by three separate components through bolting, welding, or gluing engagement. It should be noted that the diameter of the limiting part  23  is less than that of the sound output part  22  so that the limiting part  23  and the sound output part  22  cooperatively form a mushroom shape. 
         [0026]    The sound output part  22  has a speaker disposed therein. The speaker at least includes a diaphragm, a voice coil, a magnet, and a circuit board. The controller  21  includes a control circuit unit arranged therein and electrically connected to the circuit board of the speaker. The control circuit unit performs the functions, such as playing a song, adjusting the volume, and choosing a song, by pressing or touching a button group  211 , which is arranged on the controller  21 . In addition, the control circuit unit inside the controller can also have a wireless transmission module. The wireless transmission module is configured for receiving wireless control signals from outside, for example, the control signals transmitted under the specification of the Bluetooth system. 
         [0027]    The connector  24  can be made of shape memory alloy covered by plastic, or elastic plastic. The connector  24  can be formed in a shape of a headband or a taenia. The elastic plastic can be, for example, synthetic rubber or a polyurethane material. The connector  24  in this embodiment is flexible and capable of elastically restoring to a predetermined status when a force within a certain range is applied thereupon. No matter what shape the connector  24  is bent into, the connector  24  is capable of elastically restoring to a predetermined shape of the design. In the present embodiment, the predetermined shape of the connector  24  is an inverted U-shape. 
         [0028]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , when the headset  2  of  FIG. 3  is worn around the head of the user, the two sound output units  20  are respectively attached to the left ear and the right ear of the user. The sound output parts  22  are inserted into the ear canal of the user, and the connector  24  is over the back of the user&#39;s head. The headset  2  of the present invention can be directly worn around the head when in the natural status. Because of the property of the elastic material used in the connector  24 , the user can adjust the headset  2  to the most suitable position based on the size of the head thereof. 
         [0029]    The method for twisting and collecting the connector  24  is shown in  FIGS. 5 to 8A . Referring to  FIG. 5 , the connector  24  is first turned 180 degrees relative to its central axis A, thus forming a circular part S in the middle thereof. Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the circular part S is then bent towards the two sound output units  20 . Finally, referring to  FIGS. 8A and 8B , the circular part S is mounted to the limiting parts  23  of the two sound output units  20 . When the circular part S is pulled beyond the limiting part  23  and then released, the circular part S reaches to such a position that the circular part S is tightly mounted to the limiting part  23  because the connector  24  is made of the elastic material. The limiting parts  23  restrict the vertical position of the connector  24 , and at the same time, the sound output parts  22  prevent the connector  24  from sliding from the limiting parts  23  in the horizontal direction. In this way, the connector  24  is firmly mounted to the two sound output units  20 . As a result, the headset  2  now only occupies half of the initial volume that the headset  2  takes in the initial status. When the user disengages the connector  24  from the limiting parts  23 , the connector  24  restores to the initial status shown in  FIG. 3  due to the elastic restoring property of the connector  24 . 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 9 , a headset according to another preferred embodiment is shown. The headset according to the present embodiment is mainly different from the headset according to the above-mentioned embodiment in that the controller  21  of the sound output unit  20  has a recess  212  defined therein at the bottom thereof. The recess  212  is functioned as the limiting part. In order to collect the connector  24 , the circular part S is first pulled down beyond the recess  212  and then released. After the circular part S is released, the connector  24  reaches such a position that the circular part S of the connector  24  is hooked in the recess  212  because of the elastic restoring property of the connector  24 . The advantages of the present embodiment are almost the same as that of the above-mentioned embodiment. The advantages are not reiterated here. 
         [0031]    Alternatively, the connector  24  may include a magnetoconductive element (e.g., a metal plate) disposed therein. The circular part S formed by twisting can be bent and then mounted to the two sound output units  20  through magnetic attraction force because the sound output part  22  has a magnetic device (e.g., a magnet). In this case, the magnet inside the sound output part  22  functions as the limiting part. Also alternatively, the connector  24  can have a magnet disposed thereon, and correspondingly, each of the two sound output units  20  can have a magnetoconductive element (e.g., a metal plate) disposed therein. In that case the circular part S can also be mounted to the two sound output units  20  through magnetic attraction force similarly. 
         [0032]    It should be noted that in the headsets of all the above-mentioned embodiments, the sound output units  20  can be an in ear type, an ear plug type, or an ear attached type. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , the sound output units  20  are the ear canal type. In the headset of  FIG. 3 , when the sound output parts  22  are designed to be small size and long so that the sound output parts  22  can insert the ear canal, the sound output units  20  are the in ear type. In the headset of  FIG. 9 , when the sound output part  22  is directly disposed in the controller  21 , the sound output units  20  are the ear attached type. 
         [0033]    Referring to  FIG. 10 , a headset according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The main difference between the present embodiment and the previous embodiment is that a pick-up  25  is connected with the connector  24 . The pick-up  25  is configured for receiving the sound from outside. The sound is then transmitted to the sound output unit  20  through the connector  24 . One example of the present embodiment is a stethoscope. When the pick-up  25  contacts the human body, the user can hear the sound generated by the vibration of the viscera using the sound output unit  20 . In the present embodiment, the connector  24  is flexible, so that the user can collect the connector  24  quickly and conveniently. 
         [0034]    In the above embodiments, the connector is made of a material that is flexible and capable of elastically restoring to a predetermined status. When the headset is worn around the head of the user, the position of the headset can be fixed by inserting the sound output parts in the ear canal of the user, and the connector can be tightly attached to the back of the user&#39;s head. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to manually adjust the length of the connector using complicated structure compared with the conventional headset. Furthermore, in order to collect the connector, the connector is first twisted, bent, and then pulled beyond the limiting parts. Subsequently, the connector restore to such a position that the connector is mounted to or hooked to the limiting parts. In this position, the connector is collected. Also, the connector can be directly drawn towards the sound output units and then attracted by the sound output units through the magnetic force therebetween. The connector is collected this way. In use, when the connector is pulled out and disengaged from the limiting part, the connector restores to the predetermined status so that the user can wear the headset. Compared with the traditional headset, it is very simple and convenient for the user to collect the connector and release the connector. In addition, the headset of the present invention has a simpler mechanical structure than the conventional headset by eliminating the folding or expanding structure. 
         [0035]    The above description is given by way of example, and not limitation. Given the above disclosure, one skilled in the art could devise variations that are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein, including configurations ways of the recessed portions and materials and/or designs of the attaching structures. Further, the various features of the embodiments disclosed herein can be used alone, or in varying combinations with each other and are not intended to be limited to the specific combination described herein. Thus, the scope of the claims is not to be limited by the illustrated embodiments.