Sound deflector for headset ear phones

• US 4,457,396 A
• Filed: 09/24/1982
• Issued: 07/03/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1982
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: David L. James
• Original Assignee: David L. James
• Inventors: James, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fuller, Benjamin R.
• Application Number:
  US06/423,015
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 181/129, 181/133, 181/136, 181/132, 128/152, 179/156 R, 179/178, 179/182 R, 179/182 A, 179/107 R
• US Class Current: 181/136
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers

Abstract

A sound deflector for attachment to a user'"'"'s headset earphones is disclosed comprising means situated intermediate the headset earphone and a user'"'"'s ear canal, said means comprising a hollow cylinder adapted to be operably connected to the headset earphone speaker case and thereby confine the sound from the speaker interiorly to the cylinder, and a cone spatially located proximate the opening of the hollow cylinder and aligned between the earphone speaker and the user'"'"'s ear canal, a plurality of openings interposed the hollow cylinder wall and the sides of the spatially located cone, said cone adapted to reflect sound waves from the earphone speaker directed towards the user'"'"'s ear canal and the openings pass sound waves directed away from the user'"'"'s ear canal and into the folds of skin of the outer ear to be reflected then into the ear canal for hearing by the user.

Claims

1. A device for deflecting sound from passage directly into a user'"'"'s ear canal, said sound deflection device for attachment to a user'"'"'s headset earphone speaker case comprising:

a hollow cylinder having a first and second end;

means to operably connect said first end of said hollow cylinder to the headset earphone speakers;

sound deflecting means located proximate said second end of said hollow cylinder; and

structural members attached between said sound deflecting means and said hollow cylinder second end, said structural members defining openings interposed said hollow cylinder second end and said sound deflecting means to permit passage of sound waves from said hollow cylinder to the folds of skin on the outer ear and then to the user'"'"'s ear canal.

2. The sound deflection device for attachment to a user'"'"'s headset earphones as defined in claim 1 wherein said means to connect said hollow cylinder to said speaker case comprises clip means attached to said hollow cylinder adapted to engage and be secured to said speaker case.

3. The sound deflection device as defined in claim 2 wherein said sound deflecting means located proximate said hollow cylinder comprises a cone spatially located proximate the center of the second end of said hollow cylinder.

4. The sound deflection device as defined in claim 3 wherein said cone spatially located at the opening of said hollow cylinder second end is configured with the axis of the cone parallel to the circular axis of said hollow cylinder, and the apex of said cone pointing interiorly to said hollow cylinder.

5. The sound deflection device as defined in claim 4 wherein said structural members joining the sides of said hollow cylinder to said cone defines elongated bars.

6. The sound deflector as defined in claim 5 wherein the base of said cone is so situated as to be in the plane formed by the second annular end of said hollow cylinder.

7. The sound deflector as defined in claim 6 wherein said cone defines a cone having two parallel circular surfaces, and straight tapered sides.

8. The cone as defined in claim 6 defining a conical fustrum having two parallel circular surfaces with inwardly curved tapered sides.

10. The sound deflection device as defined in claim 6 wherein the base of said cone is larger in diameter than is the diameter of the ear canal opening.

9. A device for deflecting sound from passage directly into a user'"'"'s ear canal, said sound deflection device comprising:

a headset frame to be worn about a user'"'"'s head;

a hollow cylinder having two ends, a first of said ends operably attached to said headset frame;

a speaker situated interiorly to said first end of said hollow cylinder;

a cone spatially located proximate said second end of said cylinder; and

structural elements attaching between said cone and said cylinder second end, said structural elements defining openings formed between said cylinder and said cone, said cone located centrally to said cylinder and so configured that its apex is pointing into said cylinder whereby sound emitting from the speaker is deflected off the sides of said cone into the folds of the ear before the sound enters the user'"'"'s ear canal.