Adjustable headset

• US 4,420,657 A
• Filed: 10/29/1981
• Issued: 12/13/1983
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ACS Wireless Incorporated (Alaska Communications Systems Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ACS Communications, Inc. (Black Box Ltd.)
• Inventors: Larkin, Wallace K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rubinson, G. Z.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Danita R.
• Application Number:
  US06/316,230
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 179/102, 179/182 R, 179/107 E, 179/156 A, 179/156 R, 179/149, 179/151, 179/107 S, 179/107 R, 179/146 R, 179/153, 179/154, 179/156 R, 179/182 A , 179/157, 174/35 R, 174/102 C, 174/103, 128/151, 2/259, 2/183, 2/209, 181/129, 181/132, 181/135, 181/136, 181/133, D24/67, 435/351, 435/89, 248/200, 248/214
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/1394 Article held by clip

Abstract

A lightweight adjustable headset is disclosed for use with telephones. The headset includes a housing having a microphone boom mounted in a manner to permit rotational and translational movement. A support member is provided for affixing the headset to the wearer. In one embodiment of the subject invention, which includes a wire headband for support, a cushion is affixed to the housing and is adapted to rest against the ear of the wearer. The cushion is configured such that it functions as a load bearing support and as a pivot point to permit the adjustment of the position of the headset relative to the user'"'"'s head. In addition, the cushion functions to reduce the likelihood of infections and for dissipating sound surges. In an alternate embodiment of the subject invention, the support member includes a clip to permit the mounting of the headset to the frame of the pair of eyeglasses. The subject clip is capable of gripping temples of various thicknesses.

Claims

1. A lightweight, adjustable headset for use with a communication device comprising:

a generally cylindrical housing with one end thereof including a sound port;

a receiver element disposed within the housing for converting electrical signals into sound waves audible to the user;

a microphone boom, with the boom being generally L-shaped, with one end of the boom being fixed to the end of the housing opposed to the sound port;

a microphone element, connected to the free end of the boom for converting sound waves into electrical signals;

wire means providing discrete connections between the communications device and the microphone and receiver elements respectively;

support means for holding said housing in a selected position relative to the head of the user, with the support means being defined by a U-shaped wire band connected to the housing and having dimensions substantially corresponding to the user'"'"'s head; and

cylindrical cushion means, with one end thereof being affixed to the end of the housing having the sound port and configured to rest against the user'"'"'s ear, said cushion means including a channel aligned with said sound port, said cushion means further including an elongated hollow plug mounted in said channel to permit sound to pass from the housing to the user'"'"'s ear, with the cushion means having a diameter greater than the diameter of the auditory canal of the user'"'"'s ear such that the sound port of the housing is spaced away from the auditory canal of the ear thereby reducing the likelihood of infection and permitting dissipation of sound surges, and wherein the diameter of the cushion means is small enough to enable the cushion means to be received within the outer perimeter of the user'"'"'s earlap whereby the cushion means functions as a load bearing support and as a pivot point to permit the adjustment of the position of the headset relative to the user'"'"'s head.

2. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 1 wherein said cushion means is formed from a compressible material.

3. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 1 wherein the cushion means is replaceably mounted to said housing such that when the headset is transferred to another user, the cushion means may be readily replaced thereby reducing the likelihood of infection.

4. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 3 wherein said cushion means includes a snap ring connectible to a flange projecting from said housing to define said replaceable mounting.

5. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing includes a circumferential groove disposed intermediate its distal ends on the exterior surface thereof, and wherein said wire band includes a circular bracket member slidably engaged within the groove of the housing, with the slidable mounting pemitting the rotational movement of the wire band relative to the housing such that the position of the headset can be adjusted thereby maximizing sound transfer and wearer comfort.

6. A lightweight adjustable headset as recited in claim 1 wherein the microphone boom is generally cylindrical in cross-section and is slidably mounted within a channel formed in said housing, said channel being cylindrical in cross-section and extending in a radial direction, with the slidable mounting of said boom permitting both a rotational and translational movement of the boom relative to the housing.

7. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 6 further including a generally cylindrical, soft plastic liner disposed within the channel surrounding the boom.

8. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 1 wherein the wire means includes a plurality of individual wires, with all the wires being encased in a plastic sheath extending from the housing to the communication device, with the wire means further including an intermediate flexible metal sheath disposed within the plastic sheath and surrounding all the wires thereby shielding the wires from radio frequency interference while simultaneously strengthening and protecting the wires.

9. An adjustable headset as recieted in claim 8 wherein the flexible metal sheath is formed from tinned copper.

10. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 2 wherein said sound boom is generally L-shaped having a circular cross section, with one end of the boom being slidably mounted within a channel formed in said housing in a manner to permit both the rotational and translational movement of the boom relative to the housing.

11. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 1 wherein said cushion means is replaceably mounted to said housing, with said cushion means including a snap ring connectable to a flange projecting from said housing to define said replaceable mounting.

12. An improved clip for use with a headset to enable the headset to be connected to eyeglass temples of various thicknesses, said clip comprising:

bracket means for connecting said clip to said headset; and

an L-shaped spring member having first and second connected arms, the first arm being connected to said bracket means and extending outwardly therefrom away from the headset, with the second arm being disposed at an acute angle relative to the first arm such that the free end thereof is biased inwardly towards the headset, and with the second arm including two outer braces and a central intermediate brace, the central intermediate brace being connected only to the free end of the second arm and disposed at an acute angle relative to the plane of the second arm such that the free end of the central brace is biased inwardly towards the headset whereby when the headset is mounted to the eyeglasses of the user, the temple is inserted between the second arm and the headset, such that a relatively thin temple is securely gripped between the central brace and the housing, while a relatively thicker temple will tend to deflect the central brace into coplanar relationship with the outer braces and be gripped between the entire second arm and the headset.

13. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 12 wherein the second arm further includes a pair of stop pins formed on the outer braces adjacent to the first arm and extending towards the headset, the stop pins acting to locate and stabilize the position of the temple relative to the clip.

14. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 12 wherein the free end of the second arm is defined by a rail member that is flared outwardly away from the headset to facilitate the mounting of clip on an eyeglass temple.

15. A lightweight adjustable headset for use with a communication device comprising:

a housing including a sound port;

a receiver element disposed within the housing for converting electrical signals into sound waves audible to the user;

a microphone element for converting sound waves into electrical signals;

an elongated sound boom connected to said housing and extending towards the mouth of the user;

wire means providing discrete connections between the communications device and the microphone and receiver elements, respectively;

support means for holding said housing in a selected position relative to the head of the user, with the support means being defined by a U-shaped wire band connected to the housing and having dimensions substantially corresponding to the user'"'"'s head; and

17. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 15 wherein the exterior surface of said housing includes a circumferential groove, and wherein said wire band includes a circular bracket member slidably engaged with the groove of the housing.

18. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 15 wherein said cushion means is larger than the diameter of the auditory canal of the user'"'"'s ear and small enough to be received within the outer perimeter of the user'"'"'s earlap.

19. An adjustable headset as recited in claim 15 wherein said microphone element is affixed to the free end of said sound boom.

16. cushion means affixed to the end of the housing having the sound port and configured to rest against the user'"'"'s ear, said cushion means including a channel aligned with said sound port, said cushion means further including an elongated hollow plug mounted in said channel for transmitting sound directly to the user'"'"'s ear.