Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/243,339 filed Feb. 1, 1999 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,486. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This present invention relates to an article that is designed to enhance a person&#39;s ability hear. It is a common understanding that a person&#39;s ear is used to collect the sound waves of various noise, and transmits onto the ear for the person to hear. However, many sounds are unheard by human ears because their loudness is insufficient for our ears to detect. 
     There have been several attempts to collect sound and amplify the loudness so the person can hear beyond the normal hearing. However, the most of these attempts has been with microphones, amplifiers, speakers, and headphones in order to capture, amplify, and deliver the sound audible to human ear. Although the quality of the sound thus electronically manipulated is good, the most of these sound amplifications require additional power source and additional equipment, some of them often heavy and bulky. Moreover, the effect of electronically generated electromagnetic field close to the person&#39;s ear is still being studied, and is known to have harmful effects in prolonged exposures. 
     Moreover, a person may prefer to hear better without electronic manipulations. This is especially true when the person wants to hear certain natural sounds, such as a bird chirping or wave breaking against a rock. 
     For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a new and improved article that will enhance the sound quality for human ear naturally without electronics. 
     SUMMARY 
     This present invention relates to an article for collecting sound for ears. This invention provides improve sound quality and loudness for human ears without electronically manipulating the sound quality. 
     The present invention is comprised of a headband and one or more sound collectors. One or more sound collectors is attached to the headband so that when the headband is worn by the user, one or more sound collectors would be near the person&#39;s ear or ears. 
     As some variations to the present invention, the article for collecting sound for ears can have one or more sound collectors that is parabolic in shape such that the sound reflected off the collector surface is focused toward the ear. Moreover, as an additional variation, one or more sound collectors can have one or more parabolic impressions on the collector surface so that the sound waves would be reflected off the parabolic impressions toward the ear. 
     The sound collector can be of various shapes and sizes as illustrated herebelow. Also different shaped and sized sound collectors can be detachably attached to the headband to adjust the sound quality according to the user&#39;s need and preference. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTIONS OF FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention having one sound collector. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention having two sound collectors. 
     FIG. 3 is a side view of the present invention with a parabolic sound collector. 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the present invention worn by a user. 
     FIG. 5 is another version of the present invention with a sound collector simulating a human ear. 
     FIG. 6 another version of the present invention with a sound collector having more than one parabolic impressions. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on line  7 — 7  of FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the present invention having a sound collector having more than one parabolic impressions. 
     FIG. 9 another version of the present invention with a sound collector simulating an alien ear. 
     FIG. 10 another version of the present invention with a different headband. 
     FIG. 11 is a view of another version of the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a view of another version of the present invention. 
     FIG. 13 is a view of another version of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     This present invention relates to an article for collecting sound for ears  20 . This invention provides improve sound quality and loudness for human ears without electronically manipulating the sound. 
     Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows the present invention having a headband  25  and a first sound collector  30 . The headband  25  has a first end  35  and a second end  40 . Attached to the first end  35  of the headband  25  is the first sound collector  30  which has an upper end  45 , a lower end  50 , a middle portion  55 , an edge  60  distance from a user&#39;s ear, and a base  65  approximating the user&#39;s ear. The headband  25 , in this version, has a means to attach the headband  25  over the ears in a form of ear loops  70 , while the headband  25  itself is designed to go over the wearer&#39;s head. 
     FIG. 2 shows the present invention having the headband  25  and the first sound collector  30  and a second sound collector  75 . The second sound collector  75  is attached to the second end  40  of the headband  24 . The second sound collector  75  also has an upper end  45 , a lower end  50 , a middle portion  55 , an edge  60 , and a base 
     Although FIG. 2 illustrates a version of the present invention having the first sound collector  30  and the second sound collector  75  having about the same size and shape, the shape and size of the second sound collector  75  can have a different shape or size from the first sound collector  30 . 
     FIG.  3  and FIG. 4 show the present invention having the first sound collector  30  wherein the first sound collector  30  is about parabolic in shape from the upper end  45  to the lower end  50  thereof so that at least one of the upper end  45  and the lower end  50  of the first sound collector  30  is situated closer to the front face  80  of the user than the middle portion  55  when the headband  25  is placed over the head. The FIG. 4 shows that both the first sound collector  30  and the second sound collector  75  having the parabolic shape from the upper end  45  to the lower end  50  of both the first sound collector  30  and the second sound collector  75  are set closer to the front face  80  than the middle portion  55  of each respective sound collectors  30 ,  75 . The parabolic shape of the sound collectors  30 ,  75  allows the sound to reflect off an inner surface  85  of the sound collector  30 ,  75  and focus towards the middle portion  55  and towards the base  65  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 . 
     FIG. 3 also shows a sound wall  90  at the edge  60  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 . The sound wall  90  also reflects the sound waves toward the base  65  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 . 
     As illustrated in FIG.  3  and FIG. 4, the sound collectors  30 ,  75  should be more than about two inches in height and more than about one inch in width, and the edge  60  of each sound collector  30 ,  75  should be at least about half the sound collector&#39;s width off respective side of the user&#39;s head  95 ,  100 ; a first side of the head  95 , and a second side of the head  100 . As the surface area of the inner surface  85  of the sound collector  30 ,  75  is directly proportional to the amount of sound reflected toward the base  65  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 , it is preferable that the sound collector  30 ,  75  is more than about four inches in height and more than about three inches in width. 
     FIG. 5 illustrates the sound collector  30 ,  75  simulating a human ear. The sound collector  30 ,  75  is specially designed to simulate an auricle of a human ear, capitalizing on the intricate design of human ear; the sound collecting design that is believed to be the best suited for human. For the best performance, the size of the sound collectors  30 ,  75  should have the size of about three to four times an average human ear. 
     FIG. 6, FIG. 7, and FIG. 8 illustrate another version of the present invention with the sound collector  30 ,  75  having a plurality of parabolic impressions  105  into the inner surface  85  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 . Each parabolic impression  105  is designed to reflect the sound waves toward the middle portion  55  and the base  65  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 . FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken on line  7 - 7  of FIG. 6, and it demonstrates how the parabolic impressions  105  can be formed by having concave surface on the inner surface  85  and having convex surface on the outer surface  110  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 . 
     FIG. 9 illustrates another version of the present invention with the sound collector  30 ,  75  simulating an alien ear, and FIG. 10 shows another version of the present invention with a different headband  25 . 
     Referring to FIG. 11 showing another version of the present invention, the impressions  105  may be respectively formed semicircular toward the user&#39;s corresponding ear so that a concentrical point of the semicircular impressions  105  is toward the base  65  of the sound collectors  30 ,  75 . As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the impressions  105  may have a first impression group  110  vertically formed above or below the middle portion  55  and a second impression group  115  horizontally formed below or above the middle portion  55  of the sound collector  30 ,  75 . 
     The material used for the sound collectors  30 ,  75  can be any material that can be formed into the desired shape. The sound collectors  30 ,  75  can be made out of plastic, leather, fabric, paper, metal, rubber, nylon, foam, and even malleable substances. Moreover, the inner surface  85  of the sound collector  30 ,  75  may be smooth, rough, hairy, fibrous, ribbed, and even porous. The inventor believes that the best result can be obtained by using a lightweight material that has a generally smooth surface. 
     The advantages of this invention are numerous. The user can hear sounds beyond the ability of an average human ear without using electronic means. The amount of sound collected can be adjusted by having different size sound collectors  30 ,  75  attached to the headband  25 . The user can vary the quality of sound received between two ears by having different shaped and sized first sound collector  30  and the second sound collector  75 . Furthermore, natural sounds are left natural without electronic modifications. 
     Although the invention has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred versions thereof, other versions are possible. For example, a creative design may result in an embodiment that having telescoping, in height and/or width, sound collectors  30 ,  75 .

Technology Category: 5