Headset With Turnable Ear Hook With Two Off Positions

• US 20120243704A1
• Filed: 10/16/2009
• Published: 09/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Netcom A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Sorensen, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,143,853 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/109 Arrangements to adapt hands free headphones for use on both ears

Abstract

A headset (1) comprising a switch (15; 19) and an actuating member (13), which is turnable in relation to the housing (2) about a first axis (A1). An ear hook (3; 32) is attached to the actuating member (13). The ear hook (3; 32) can be arranged in a right ear mode for wearing the headset (1) at the right ear and a left ear mode for wearing the headset at the left ear. The switch (15; 19) switches the headset electronics from an active state to a passive state, when the ear hook (3) is turned about the first axis (A1) in a first direction (P1) from an active position to a first passive position. The switch (15; 19) switches the headset electronics from the active state to the passive state when the ear hook (3) is turned about the first axis (A1) in the second direction (P2) from the active position to a second passive position.

Claims

1. A headset comprising a housing with headset electronics and an ear hook for attaching the headset to a users ear, wherein

the headset comprises a switch,

an actuating member, which is turnable in relation to the housing about a first axis,

the ear hook is attached to the actuating member,

the ear hook can be arranged in a right ear mode for wearing the headset at the right ear and a left ear mode for wearing the headset at the left ear, and wherein

the switch switches the headset electronics from an active state to a passive state, when the actuating member is turned about the first axis in a first direction from an active position to a first passive position and from the passive state to the active state, when turned in a second opposite direction from the first passive position to the active position, wherein

the switch switches the headset electronics from the active state to the passive state when the actuating member is turned about the first axis in the second direction from the active position to a second passive position and from the second passive state to the active state when turned in the first direction from the second passive position to the active position,

wherein the housing comprises an inner side facing the user'"'"'s ear during use and an outer side facing away from the user'"'"'s ear during use, and the headset further comprises a speaker tower extending from the inner side along the first axis, and wherein the actuating member constitutes a turnable part of the speaker tower.

5. A headset according to claim 1, wherein the ear hook is detachably attached to the actuating member.

6. A headset according to claim 5, wherein the actuating member comprises a through going mounting hole to which the ear hook can be inserted from one end for right ear mode and the other end for left ear mode.

7. A headset according to claim 1, wherein the ear hook comprises an ear engaging part and a headset engaging part, which are interconnected by an ear hook hinge, such that the ear engaging part can rotate about a third axis in relation to the headset engaging part.

8. A headset according to claim 7, wherein the first axis and the third axis are essentially perpendicular.

9. A headset according to claim 1, wherein the turning angle between the active position and any of the first and second passive positions is between 45 and 135 degrees, preferably between 60 and 120 degrees, more preferably between 75 and 115 degrees, even more preferably between 80 and 100 degrees, most preferably between 85 and 85 degrees, e.g. essentially 90 degrees.

10. A headset according to claim 1, wherein the headset comprises a detent mechanism for releasably holding the actuating member in the active position, the first passive position and the second passive position.

11. A headset according to claim 10, wherein the headset electronics are in the passive state, when the actuating member is in the first and second passive positions and in active state, when the actuating member is in the active position and any intermediate position between the active position and the first and second passive positions.

12. A headset according to claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a proximity switch, which is fixed in relation to the housing and where the actuating member comprises a first sensor target, which is sensed by the proximity sensor, when the actuating member is in the first passive position, and a second sensor target, which is sensed by the proximity sensor, when the actuating member is in the second passive position.

13. A headset according to claim 12, wherein the proximity switch is a Hall Effect switch.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

4. A headset according to claim 3, wherein the turnable part of the speaker tower is a distal part of the speaker tower.