EAR SET

• US 3,862,378 A
• Filed: 12/06/1973
• Issued: 01/21/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Norris J. Ray
• Original Assignee: Norris J. Ray
• Inventors: Norris, J. Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Cooper, William C.
• Application Number:
  US05/422,402
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 179/156R,156A,182R,17H
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• 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 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication

Abstract

An ear set with miniaturized electronic sound receiving and emitting equipment, in which the housing containing all or a portion of the electronic equipment has pivotally connected thereto a spring loaded lever to be placed behind the ear, the free end of which is by the preloaded spring continuously urged toward the housing. This lever has a bend and has its free end portion offset relative to that end portion of the lever which is pivotally connected to the housing. The angle of offset is such that the lever portion from the bend to the free end of the lever at least approximately follows the bone structure behind the ear. If desired, the lever may also contain electronic equipment which through the pivotal connection is electrically connected to the electronic equipment in the housing.

Claims

1. An ear set, which includes:

housing means for receiving and housing miniaturized electronic sound receiving and emitting equipment, curved lever means having one end portion designed as a free end portion and having its other end portion pivotally connected to said housing means, and pre-loaded spring means interposed between and fully encased by said one end portion of said lever means and the adjacent housing portion to which said lever means is pivotally connected, said spring means continuously urging said free end portion of said lever means in the direction toward said housing means.

2. An ear set, which includes:

housing means for receiving and housing miniaturized electronic sound receiving and emitting equipment, curved lever means having one end portion designed as a free end portion and having its other end portion pivotally connected to said housing means, said lever means having a bend between its pivotal connection with said housing means and its free end portion so that that surface portion of said lever means which when said ear set is in its position of use faces toward the head of the wearer and which extends from said bend to said free end portion is offset from that lever surface portion which when said ear set is in its position of use faces the head of the wearer and which extends from its pivotal connection with said housing means to said bend, said first mentioned lever surface portion being offset from said second mentioned lever surface portion in the direction toward the head of the wearer when said ear set is in its position of use, and pre-loaded spring means interposed between and fully encased by said other end portion of said lever means and the adjacent housing portion to which said lever means is pivotably connected, said spring means continuously urging said free end portion of said lever means in the direction toward said housing means.

3. An ear set according to claim 2, in which said first mentioned surface portion is offset from said second mentioned surface portion by an angle within the range of from 3* to 10*.

4. An ear set according to claim 3, in which said angle of offset is approximately 5*.

5. An ear set according to claim 1, which includes abutment means integral with said housing means and said lever means respectively for limiting the maximum pivoting movement of said lever means in either direction to thereby prevent said lever means from bouncing against said housing means.

6. An ear set according to claim 1, in which said housing means and said lever means comprise each two sections made of electrically insulating plastic material and detachably connected to each other while each two pertaining sections together define chamber means adapted to receive and house electronic sound receiving and emitting equipment, and in which said housing sections respectively include two ears spaced from each other anD provided with bores arranged in axial alignment with each other, a first set of annular contact means respectively being arranged in axially spaced relationship to each other and on those sides of said ears which face each other for connection with electronic components to be received and housed in said ear set, said annular contact means having bores therethrough axially aligned with said bores in said ears but of a greater diameter than the diameter of the bores in said ears, and in which said lever sections respectively are provided with two ears having bores therethrough corresponding in diameter to the diameter of the bores in the ears of the two sections of said housing means and being in axial alignment with each other, a second set of annular contact means respectively being arranged on those sides of said ears of said lever sections which face away from each other and respectively having axially aligned bores of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bores in said ears of said lever sections, said ears of said lever sections with the pertaining annular contact means of said second set of contact means thereon extending between and in respective electric sliding contact with the contact means of said first set of annular contact means, and bolt means extending through all of said ears and the contact means of said first and second sets of annular contact means and while holding said contact means of said first and second sets of annular contact means in electric sliding contact with each other pivotally connecting said lever means to said housing means.

7. An ear set according to claim 6, in which each of said lever sections has passage means leading from that side of said lever ears on which the contact means of said second set of annular contact means are located to the inside of said chamber means which are defined by said lever sections, and in which each of the contact means of said second set of annular contact means has an electrically conductive extension extending into said last mentioned chamber means.

8. An ear set according to claim 1, in which the outside of that housing section which when said ear set is in position of use faces the ear of the wearer of said set is provided with perforations.

9. An ear set according to claim 1, in which the outside of that housing section which when said ear set is in position of use faces the ear of the wearer of said set is provided with an ear plug having a passage therethrough extending from the interior of said housing means to the outside thereof.

10. An ear set according to claim 1, which includes an acoustic mouthpiece tube having one end connected to the interior of said housing means at a lower portion thereof.