FOUR-CHANNEL HEADPHONE

• US 3,796,840 A
• Filed: 12/02/1971
• Issued: 03/12/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kazuho Ohta
• Original Assignee: Kazuho Ohta
• Inventors: Ohta, Kazuho
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooper, William C.
• Application Number:
  US05/204,148
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 179/1GP,156R
• US Class Current: 381/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/022 Plurality of transducers corresponding to a plurality of sound channels in each earpiece of headphones or in a single enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

A four-Channel headphone comprises a pair of left and right headphone body casings, a front channel speaker and a rear channel speaker respectively provided in each casing and electrical signal supplying means for supplying rear channel signals to the rear channel speakers with shifted phase. When the signals shifted in phase are reproduced and sounded from the rear channel speakers in the headphone body casings, the sounds produce a panoramic surrounding sound effect for a listener who uses the four-channel headphone.

Claims

1. A four-channel headphone comprising:

a. a pair of left and right headphone body casings respectively applied to the left and right ears of a listener;

b. first and second speakers disposed in said left headphone body casing so that when said headphone is applied to the ears of the listener said first speaker is to the front of the left ear of the listener and said second speaker is to the rear of the left ear of the listener;

c. third and fourth speakers disposed in said right headphone body casing so that when said headphone is applied to the ears of the listener said third speaker is to the front of the right ear of the listener and said fourth speaker is to the rear of the right ear of the listener;

d. first means for supplying to said first speaker a first channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the front and left of the listener;

e. first switch means mounted in said left head-phone body casing and being set to selectively reverse connections, said first switch means having input terminals and output terminals, said output terminals being electrically connected to said second speaker;

f. second means for supplying across said input terminals of said first switch means a second channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the rear and left of the listener;

g. third means for supplying to said third speaker a third channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the front and right of the listener;

h. second switch means mounted in said right headphone body casing and being set to selectively reverse connections, said second switch means having input terminals and output terminals, said output terminals of said second switch means being electrically connected to said fourth speaker; and

i. fourth means for supplying across said input terminals of said second switch means a fourth channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the rear and right of the listener.

2. The four-channel headphone as defined in claim 1, wherein said first switch means comprises a double pole double throw switch, the switch knob of which is exposed outside of said left headphone body casing, and wherein said second switch means comprises a double pole double throw switch, the switch knob of which is exposed outside of said right headphone body casing.

3. The four-channel headphone as defined in claim 2 which further comprises two spaced partitions provided in said left headphone body casing for separating in space said first speaker from said second speaker, said first switch means being provided between said two spaced partitions, and two spaced partitions provided in said right headphone body casing for separating in space said third speaker from said fourth speaker, said second switch means being provided between said two spaced partitions.

4. A four-channel headphone comprising:

a. a pair of left and right headphone body casings respectively applied to the left and right ears of a listener;

b. first and second speakers disposed in said left headphone body casing so that when said headphone is applied to the ears of the listener said first speaker is to the front of the left ear of the listener and said second speaker is to the rear of the left ear of the listener;

c. third and fourth speakers disposed in the right headphone body casing so that when said headphone is applied to the ears of the listener said third speaker is to the front of the right ear of the listener and said fourth speaker is to the rear of the right ear of the listener;

d. first means for supplying to said first speaker a first channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the front and left of the listener;

e. first phase-shifting means mounted in said left headphone body casing for shifting in phase a signal which is applied to said first phase-shifting means;

f. second means for supplying througH said first phase-shifting means to said second speaker a second channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the rear and left of the listener;

g. third means for supplying to said third speaker a third channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the front and right of the listener;

h. second phase-shifting means mounted in said right headphone body casing for shifting in phase a signal which is applied to said second phase-shifting means;

i. fourth means for supplying through said second phase-shifting means to said fourth speaker a fourth channel signal which corresponds to a sound emanating from the rear and right of the listener.

5. The four-channel headphone as defined in claim 4, wherein each of the first and second phase-shifting means comprises a transformer, a series combination of a variable resistor and a capacitor, which series combination is connected across the secondary winding of said transformer, said secondary winding having an intermediate tap, said second speaker and said fourth speaker being respectively connected between said intermediate tap and the connecting point of said variable resistor and said capacitor, and wherein the second and fourth means supply respectively said second channel signal and said fourth channel signal to the primary winding of said transformer.

6. The four-channel headphone as defined in claim 5 wherein the resistance adjusting knobs of the variable resistors in the first and second phase-shifting means are exposed respectively outside of the left and right headphone body casings.

7. The four-channel headphone as defined in claim 6 which further comprises two spaced partitions provided in said left headphone body casing for separating in space said first speaker from said second speaker, said first phase-shifting means being provided between said two spaced partitions, and two spaced partitions provided in said right headphone body casing for separating in space said third speaker from said fourth speaker, said second phaseshifting means being provided between said two spaced partitions.