HEADPHONES AND HEADSETS

• US 20150245124A1
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teca Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Teca Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Lee, Andrew James
• Granted Patent: US 9,521,479 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

Headphones or a headset comprise a pair of electro-acoustic transducers (1, 2), both ear-pieces and an earpiece and a microphone are carried at opposite ends of a curved headband (3) that is formed by a chain of links (500-511) that are hinged to one another and the transducers (1, 2). Each link (5) involves a shell-casing (8) that on an underside has a first pair of mutually-spaced projecting lugs (9) and has a second pair of mutually-spaced projecting lugs (10) that nest with the first pair of lugs (9) of the next-following link (5). The nested lugs (9, 10) are pierced transversely and pivot pins (11) are inserted in the piercings to establish hinges (7) between the links (5). The transducers (1, 2) are hinged to the ends of the headband (3) to enable the headphones or headset to be rolled up lengthwise of the headband (3).

Claims

1. A headset comprising a headband having first and second ends. and first and second electro-acoustic transducers carried at the first and the second ends respectively of the headband,

wherein the headband comprises a chain of links that are hinged in series one to another and to the first and the second electro-acoustic transducers at the respective first and second ends of the headband so as to enable the headset to be rolled up lengthwise of the headband into a roll with the first electro-acoustic transducer located centrally within the roll and the second electro-acoustic transducer located on the outside of the roll, and

some of the links of the chain differ from others of the links of the chain in length lengthwise of the headband in order to facilitate compactness in the rolling up of the headband onto the first electro-acoustic transducer located centrally within the roll.

2. The headset according to claim 1, wherein each link is hinged to a next-adjacent link in the chain for pivoting relative to said next-adjacent link about an axis transverse to the headband.

3. The headset according to claim 1, wherein each link of the chain of links comprises a casing that has a first pair of mutually-spaced pierced lugs that project from one end of the casing for alignment of piercings of the first pair of mutually-spaced lugs with piercing of a second pair of lugs that project from a casing of a next-adjacent link of the chain, and the first pair of mutually-spaced lugs are pivoted to the second pair of mutually-spaced lugs to hinge the first and the second pairs of mutually-spaced lugs together.

4. The headset according to claim 3, the first and the second electro-acoustic transducers are carried by individual mountings located at the first and second ends respectively of the headband, each of the mountings has a pair of mutually-spaced pierced lugs that project from the respective mounting for alignment of piercings with piercings of a pair of mutually-spaced pierced lugs of an end-link of the headband, and a pivot-pin hinge connection is established between the mutually-spaced lugs of the mounting and the mutually-spaced lugs of the end-link.

6. The headset according to claim 1, wherein end-links at the first and the second ends of the headband respectively are hinged directly to the first and the second electro-acoustic transducers respectively, and the end-links are each shorter lengthwise of the headband than others of the links of the headband.

7. The headset according to claim 1, wherein an external cable connection to the second electro-acoustic transducer is extended to the first electro-acoustic transducer via an electrical connection which extends within the headband.

8. The headset according to claim 1, wherein the second electro-acoustic transducer on the outside of the roll is a microphone.

9. The headset according to claim 8, wherein the first electro-acoustic transducer is an ear-piece.

10. The headset according to claim 1, wherein each link of a pair of links of the headband located centrally of the chain of links is shorter lengthwise of the headband than some others of the links.

5. (canceled)

11. Headphones comprising a headband having first and second ends, and first and second electro-acoustic ear-piece transducers hinged to the first and the second ends respectively of the headband,

wherein the headband comprises a chain of links that are hinged in series one to another so as to enable the headphones to be rolled up lengthwise of the headband into a roll with the first electro-acoustic ear-piece transducer located centrally within the roll and the second electro-acoustic ear-piece transducer located on the outside of the roll, and

some of the links of the chain differ in length lengthwise of the headband from others of the links in order to facilitate compactness in the rolling up of the headband onto the first electro-acoustic ear-piece transducer located centrally within the roll.

12. The headphones according to claim 11, wherein each link is hinged to a next-adjacent link in the chain for pivoting relative to said next-adjacent link about an axis transverse to the headband.

13. The headphones according to claim 11, wherein each link of the chain of links comprises a casing that has a first pair of mutually-spaced pierced lugs that project from one end of the casing for alignment of piercings of the first pair of mutually-spaced lugs with piercings of a second pair of lugs that project from a casing of a next-adjacent link of the chain, and the first pair of mutually-spaced lugs are pivoted to the second pair of mutually-spaced lugs to hinge the first and second pairs of mutually-spaced lugs together.

14. The headphones according to claim 13, wherein the first and the second electro-acoustic transducers are carried by individual mountings located at the first and second ends respectively of the headband, each of the mountings has a pair of mutually-spaced pierced lugs that project from the respective mounting for alignment of piercings with piercings of a pair of mutually-spaced pierced lugs of an end-link of the headband, and a pivot-pin hinge connection is established between the mutually-spaced lugs of the mounting and the mutually-spaced lugs of the end-link.

15. The headphones according to claim 11, wherein end-links at the first and the second ends of the headband respectively are hinged directly to the first and second electro-acoustic ear-piece transducers respectively, and the end-links are each shorter lengthwise of the headband than others of the links of the headband.

16. The headphones according to claim 11, wherein an external cable connection to the second electro-acoustic ear-piece transducer is extended to the first electro-acoustic ear-piece transducer via an electrical connection which extends within the headband.