Patent ID: 8249286

Claim:
An earphone assembly, comprising: a first earphone comprising: a first housing including a first speaker on a first front side of the first housing and a first groove defined in a first back side of the first housing; a first wire stem extending from the first housing; a first housing end located on the first housing opposite from the first wire stem; and a first stem end located on the first wire stem opposite from the first housing; a first wire protruding from the first wire stem; a second earphone comprising: a second housing including a second speaker on a second front side of the second housing and a second groove defined in a second back side of the second housing; a second wire stem extending from the second housing; a second housing end located on the second housing opposite from the second wire stem; and a second stem end located on the second wire stem opposite from the second housing; and a second wire protruding from the second wire stem; wherein the first groove is sized and configured to releasably engage and at least partially envelop the second wire stem and the second groove is sized and configured to releasably engage and at least partially envelop the first wire stem, wherein the first groove and the second groove are configured to simultaneously engage the second wire stem and the first wire stem, respectively, to interconnect the first earphone and the second earphone; wherein the first groove and the second groove are arranged such that when the first earphone and the second earphone are interconnected the first speaker is directed away from the second wire stem, the second speaker is directed away from the first wire stem, and the first wire and the second wire are oriented away from each other; and wherein the first earphone and the second earphone are sized and configured such that when the first earphone and the second earphone are fully interconnected, the distance between the first stem end and the second stem end is less than the distance between the first housing end and the second housing end.