HEADPHONES WITH REMOVABLE HEADBAND PAD

• US 20150139472A1
• Filed: 11/19/2014
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hsu-Sheng Yu
• Original Assignee: Marware Incorporated
• Inventors: SOLOMON, PETER, PIEDRA, CHRISTOPHER, GALINDO, JUAN, MARTIN, EDWARD
• Granted Patent: US 9,185,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/378
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1066 Constructional aspects of the interconnection between earpiece and earpiece support earpiece support for monophonic headphones H04R1/105; earpiece support for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/10 Details of earpieces, attachments therefor, earphones or monophonic headphones covered by H04R1/10 but not provided for in any of its subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 31/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for the manufacture of transducers or diaphragms therefor manufacture of microstructural arrangements of deformable or non-deformable structures in general B81C1/00182
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49005 Acoustic transducer

Abstract

A mono-body set of headphones having a fixed length of headband between ear pads is provided. Although the distance between the ear pads is fixed, the fit of the headphones can be adjusted to the head of the user by coupling or decoupling a removable/insertable headphone pad. More particularly, a pad is provided that can be mated with, or removed from, the headband of the headphones, thus raising or lowering the lower surface of the headband relative to the crown of the user'"'"'s head, in order to change the position of the ear pads relative to the user'"'"'s ears. The mono-body headphones are, preferably, flexible and durable, permitting the headphones to be straightened, twisted or bent without breaking.

Claims

1. Headphones, comprising:

a body including;

a headband having first and second ends;

a first housing immovably fixed at the first end of said headband;

a second housing immovably fixed at the second end of said headband;

wherein a length of said headband between said first housing and said second housing is fixed;

a first ear pad affixed to said first housing; and

a second ear pad affixed to said second housing.

2. The headphones of claim 1, wherein the body is formed as a single unitary piece.

3. The headphones of claim 2, wherein said body is formed from a foam material.

4. The headphones of claim 3, wherein the foam material includes an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

5. The headphones of claim 3, wherein said body is flexible.

6. A headphones system, comprising:

headphones according to claim 1; and

a headband pad removably engageable with an inner surface of said headband.

7. The headphones system of claim 6, wherein said headband pad engages said headband in a friction fit.

8. The headphones system of claim 7, wherein a ridge of said headband is received into a recess in at least one sidewall of said headband pad when said headband pad is engaged with said headband.

9. The headphones system of claim 8, wherein said ridge of said headband is maintained in said recess by a ridge formed in said at least one sidewall of said headband pad.

10. The headphones system of claim 6, wherein the headband pad is formed from a foam material.

11. The headphones system of claim 10, wherein the foam material includes an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

12. A method of using a headphones system, comprising:

providing a headphones system according to claim 6;

engaging the headband pad with, or removing the headband pad from the inner surface of the headband to change an alignment between the ear pads and ears of a user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the headphones system includes a plurality of headband pads of different thicknesses;

and

the method further comprises the step of selecting one headband pad of the plurality of headband pads; and

engaging the selected one headband pad with an inner surface of the headband.

14. A method of making a set of headphones, comprising the steps of:

forming a single-piece headphone body including a headband and having first and second ends, a first housing immovably fixed at the first end of the headband, and a second housing immovably fixed at the second end of the headband;

fixing a first ear pad to the first housing; and

fixing a second ear pad to the second housing.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of inserting speakers in each of the first and second housings after the forming step and before the fixing steps.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of flattening the body and pulling at least one wire through an internal cavity of the body between the first and second housings prior to, or as part of, the inserting step.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the single-piece headphone body is formed by injection molding.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the single-piece headphone body is formed from a foam material.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the foam material includes an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of forming a headband pad having an inner surface complementary to a surface of the headband, for removeably engaging the headband.