EAR MUFF ASSEMBLY

• US 3,787,899 A
• Filed: 07/11/1972
• Issued: 01/29/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alois Albin Krawagna
• Original Assignee: Alois Albin Krawagna
• Inventors: Krawagna, Alois Albin
• Primary Examiner(s): Franklin, Jordan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nerbun, Peter
• Application Number:
  US05/270,605
• Time in Patent Office: 567 Days
• Field of Search: 2/209,6 179/156R,182R,156,182 181/33R,20
• US Class Current: 2/209
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• 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 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

An ear muff assembly for use with a headband including an ear cup, a circumferentially extending first bearing, the ear cup being mounted in the first bearing for rotation about a first axis, a yoke, the circumferentially extending bearing being mounted in the yoke for rotation about a second axis which extends laterally of the first axis, the yoke being mountable on the headband.

Claims

1. An ear muff assembly comprising a. a U-shaped head band having a pair of oppositely disposed ends, a transverse ridge projecting inwardly of said U-shaped configuration at each end of said head band, a longitudinal ridge projecting outwardly of said U-shaped configuration at each end of said head band and extending longitudinally thereof, b. a pair of Y-shaped yoke members each having a leg portion releasably connected at one end to an end of said head band and a pair of arm portions projecting outwardly from the other end of said leg portion, said one end of each leg portion being formed with a U-shaped channel adapted to receive an end of said head band in a close fitting sliding relationship, a pair of flanges projecting inwardly of the U-shaped section of said leg portion and extending longitudinally of said leg portion from said one end of said leg portion, said flanges being spaced from the base of the U-shaped channel a distance which is less than the combined thickness of the head band and the transverse ridge at the end of the band whereby the ends of said head band are releasably locked In said U-shaped channels, said arm portions having transversely extending axially aligned passages formed adjacent the outer ends thereof, said arms being formed to locate said axially aligned passages inwardly of the arc of curvature of said head band, c. a pair of ear cup members, each having a central axis, an outer surface and an inner surface, said cup members opening inwardly from said head band and being disposed inwardly of said yoke members to be located directly between said yoke members and the head of the wearer in use, a circumferentially extending recessed bearing channel formed in a unitary portion of the outer surface of each of said cup members concentric with respect to said central axis, d. a bearing collar having a circumferentially extending body portion adapted to fit within said recessed bearing channel of each ear cup in a close fitting sliding relationship whereby said ear cup may be rotated with respect to said bearing collar about said central axis, each of said bearing collars having a pair of diametrically opposed bearing shafts projecting radially from diametrically opposite sides of said body portion, said shafts being mounted for rotation within said transversely extending axially aligned passages of said arms of said yoke member to permit rotation of said ear cups about the axis of said transversely extending passages, e. said bearing collar being radially split in a plane which extends through said body portion and at least one of said bearing shafts whereby said body portion may be opened to permit location of said collar in said recessed grooves, at least one of said transversely extending passages of said yoke retaining the two portions of a split shaft therein to lock said body portion of said bearing collar within said bearing channel of said ear cup, and f. said head band and yoke members being rotatable about said central axis of said cup members by rotation of said bearing collar members with respect to said cup members through an angle of at least 120* whereby the head band may be moved from a position overlying the head of the wearer to a position underlying the head of the wearer as required in use.

2. An ear muff assembly comprising a. a generally U-shaped head band, b. a pair of Y-shaped yoke members, each having a leg portion connected at one end of said head band and a pair of arms projecting outwardly from the other end of said leg portion, said arms having transversely extending aligned passages formed therein adjacent the outer ends thereof, c. a pair of ear cup members opening inwardly of said head band and mounted inwardly of said yoke members to be disposed directly between said yoke members and said head band whereby the clamping force of said head band is transmitted directly to said ear cups, said ear cups having a circumferentially extending recessed bearing channel formed in a unitary portion of the outer surface thereof, d. a bearing collar having a circumferentially extending body portion adapted to fit within said recessed bearing channel of each ear cup in a close fitting sliding relationship whereby said ear cup may be rotated with respect so said bearing collar about said central axis, each of said bearing collars having a pair of diametrically opposed bearing shafts projecting radially from diametrically opposite sides of said body portion, said shafts being mounted for rotation within said transversely extending axially aligned passages of said arms of said yoke member to permit rotation of said ear cups about the axis of said transversely extending passages, e. said bearing collar being radially split in a plane which extends through said body portion and at least one of said bearing shafts whereby said body portion may be opened to permit location of said collar in said recessed grooves, at least one of said transversely extending passages of said yoke retaining the two portions of a split shaft therein to lock said body portion of said bearing colLar within said bearing channel of said ear cup.

3. An ear muff assembly as claimed in claim 2 wherein said arms of said yoke member extend inwardly of the arc of curvature of said head band to dispose said collar member radially inwardly of said arc of curvature of said head band, whereby said head band may be spaced outwardly.