Headset for electronic stethoscope

• US 5,561,275 A
• Filed: 04/28/1994
• Issued: 10/01/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Andromed Inc.
• Original Assignee: Delstar Services Informatiques (1993), Inc.
• Inventors: Savage, Gary, Swift, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Khanh
• Application Number:
  US08/234,254
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: 181/129, 181/131, 181/135, 181/137, 381/67, 2/209, 128/715
• US Class Current: 181/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/04 Electric stethoscopes microphones, acoustic transducers therefor H04R
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1075 Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/345 for loudspeakers

Abstract

The headset comprises left and right elongate ear pieces having respective first ends to receive ear tips and respective, interconnected second ends. Each ear piece includes a one-piece elongate body made of flexible and resilient material and curved outwardly to skirt round the user'"'"'s head when the ear tips are applied to a user'"'"'s ears. The elongate body is formed with a first length of smaller cross section and therefore of greater flexibility proximate the second end of the corresponding ear piece and with a second length of lower flexibility situated between that first length and the corresponding ear tip. Bending of the elongate bodies when the ear pieces are spread apart is therefore concentrated in the first lengths and pressure applied to the user'"'"'s ears by the ear tips is mainly produced by the bent first lengths and transmitted to the ear tips through the second lengths of lower flexibility. The elongate ear pieces have respective second end sections assembled laterally adjacent to each other, and a threaded sleeve is mounted on these laterally adjacent second end sections and is rotated and displaced longitudinally to adjust the level of pressure applied to the user'"'"'s ears by the ear tips.

Claims

1. An ear piece for headset for applying an ear tip to a user'"'"'s ears comprising a bendable elongate body made of flexible and resilient plastic material, said elongate body being curved to skirt round the user'"'"'s head when the ear tip is applied to the user'"'"'s ear, and said elongate body comprising:

proximate end to be connected to the headset;

a distal end structured to receive the ear tip;

a weakened first portion proximate said proximate end; and

a second portion situated between said distal end and the weakened first portions;

wherein the weakened first portion has a first flexibility and the second portion has a second flexibility lower than said first flexibility whereby bending of the elongate body for applying the ear tip to the user'"'"'s ear is concentrated in said weakened first portion.

2. An ear piece for headset as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one electric wire, wherein said elongate body comprises at least one longitudinal channel in which said at least one electric wire extends from said proximate end to said distal end of the elongate body.

3. An ear piece for headset as defined in claim 1, wherein the weakened first portion comprises transversal outer grooves to facilitate bending of the weakened first portion.

4. A headset for applying ear tips to a user'"'"'s ear, comprising left and right elongate ear pieces each having a distal end structured to receive one of the ear tips and having respective, interconnected proximate ends, each of said ear pieces comprising a bendable elongate body made of flexible and resilient plastic material and curved outwardly to skirt round the user'"'"'s head when the ear tips are applied to the user'"'"'s ears, wherein each elongate body formed with a first length of smaller cross section and therefore comprises:

a weakened first portion proximate said proximate end of the corresponding ear piece; and

a second portion situated between said first portion and said distal end of the corresponding ear piece;

wherein said first portion has a first flexibility and said second portion has a second flexibility lower than said first flexibility whereby bending of the elongate bodies when the ear pieces are spread apart to apply the ear tips to the user'"'"'s ears is concentrated in said weakened first portions and whereby pressure applied to the user'"'"'s ears by the ear tips is mainly produced by the bent first portions and transmitted from said first portions to the ear tips through said second portions.

5. A headset as recited in claim 4, wherein each ear piece comprises at least one electric wire, and wherein the elongate body of each ear piece comprises at east one longitudinal channel in which said at least one electric wire of said ear piece extends from the distal end to the proximate end of said ear piece.

6. A headset as recited in claim 4, further comprising a sleeve member in which the weakened first portions of the elongate bodies of the left and right ear pieces are mounted laterally adjacent to each other, the sleeve member comprising means for displacing said sleeve member longitudinally on the laterally adjacent weakened first portions to thereby adjust the level of pressure applied to the user'"'"'s ears by the ear tips when the ear pieces are spread apart to apply the ear tips to the user'"'"'s ears.

7. The headset of claim 6, wherein said sleeve member comprises a sleeve internally threaded over at least a portion of its length, and wherein said headset comprises a generally cylindrical externally threaded sleeve-receiving member axial with said laterally adjacent weakened first portions and on which the sleeve is screwed whereby rotation of said sleeve causes longitudinal displacement of said sleeve on the laterally adjacent weakened first portions to thereby adjust the level of pressure applied to the user'"'"'s ears by the ear tips.

8. The headset of claim 6, wherein each ear piece comprises at least one electric wire, and wherein the elongate body of each ear piece comprises at least one longitudinal channel in which said at least one electric wire of said ear piece extends from the distal end to the proximate end of said ear piece.

9. A headset as recited in claim 4, wherein the weakened first portion of each elongate body comprises transversal outer grooves to facilitate bending of said weakened first portion.