Hand-held microphone apparatus with resilient stabilizing ring

• US 5,144,677 A
• Filed: 10/31/1990
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Pioneer Electronics (USA) Incorporated (Pioneer Corporation)
• Inventors: Asakura, Michihito, Hasegawa, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cumming, William D.
• Application Number:
  US07/607,393
• Time in Patent Office: 671 Days
• Field of Search: 381/91, 381/95, 381/150, 381/153, 381/155, 381/158, 381/168, 381/169, 381/170
• US Class Current: 381/359
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/086 Protective screens, e.g. all weather or wind screens

Abstract

A microphone apparatus consists of a microphone body which incorporates a built-in microphone chip; a microphone cover formed of a net material and secured to the front end of the microphone body to enclose and protect the microphone chip inside; and a resilient ring whose outer circumference is shaped into a polygon. The resilient ring may be fitted directly over the net microphone cover; or it may be installed in a coupling ring that connects separated base and end portions of the microphone cover together. The polygonal outer surface of the resilient ring on the microphone cover prevents the microphone apparatus from rolling and fall when placed on a table because one of the flat sides of the polygon which is in contact with the table surface stabilizes the apparatus. Thanks to its resiliency, the polygonal resilient ring can be removed from the microphone cover so that any change that might occur when the ring blocks the sound wave can be prevented.

Claims

1. A hand-held microphone apparatus comprising:

a microphone body (1) having a generally cylindrical housing;

a microphone chip (2), fixedly secured to a proximal or speaking end of said microphone body, said microphone chip functioning as a sound pressure-current converting means;

a microphone cover (4) formed from a net or screen material having a plurality of interstices, and defining a truncated sphere enclosing and protectively surrounding said microphone chip, said cover having a maximum diameter portion greater than a maximum diameter of said housing; and

a resilient, easily removable, stabilizing ring (7) fitted over said microphone cover at said maximum diameter portion thereof and mounted normal to an axis of said microphone body, said resilient ring having an outer circumference in the shape of a regular polygon so as to prevent the microphone from rolling when placed on flat surfaces and including projections (7a) circumferentially spaced on an inner circumference thereof, said projections fitting into said interstices to securely and fixedly attach said ring to said cover.

2. A hand-held microphone apparatus comprising:

a microphone body (1) having a generally cylindrical housing;

a microphone chip (2), fixedly secured to a proximal or speaking end of said microphone body, said microphone chip functioning as a sound pressure-current converting means;

a microphone cover (4) formed from a net or screen material having a plurality of interstices, and defining a truncated sphere enclosing and protectively surrounding said microphone chip, said cover having a maximum diameter portion greater than a maximum diameter of said housing; and

a resilient, easily removable, stabilizing ring (7) fitted over said microphone cover at said maximum diameter portion thereof and mounted normal to an axis of said microphone body, said resilient ring having an outer circumference in the shape of a regular polygon so as to prevent the microphone from rolling when placed on flat surfaces, said microphone cover being formed from a base cover (4b) and an end cover (4a) coupled together by a coupling ring (6), an outer circumference of said coupling ring defining a groove for accommodating said resilient ring.