Flexible earhook

• US 6,914,997 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 07/05/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GN Netcom/Unex Inc.
• Original Assignee: GN Netcom/Unex Inc.
• Inventors: Heinz, Roy, MacDonald, James T., Depiano, John, Freni, Joseph L. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US10/013,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20020041697A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,338 Days
• Field of Search: 381/327, 381/330, 381/370, 381/374, 381/379, 381/381, 381/395, 379/426, 379/430, 379/431
• US Class Current: 381/381
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• 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

Abstract

A flexible earhook for positioning an earphone adjacent a wearer'"'"'s ear, the earhook including a mounting element capable of being provided with the earphone. The mounting element may be substantially annular. The earhook further includes a hook element comprising a material capable of being contoured and thereafter maintaining its shape. The hook element may comprise a wire. The hook element and the mounting element may be connected such that the flexible earhook can be used on either ear.

Claims

1. A flexible earhook for positioning an earphone adjacent a wearer'"'"'s ear, the flexible earhook comprising:

a mounting element capable of being provided with the earphone; and

a hook element connected to the mounting element, the hook element comprising a generally horizontal first end, a first curved substantially inflexible proximal portion which extends from said mounting element and which curves and rises generally upwardly from the mounting element and at a distal portion curves downwardly to a second tail portion, said tail portion being substantially flexible wherein the tail portion is designed and configured to conform to a contoured shape desired by the wearer and thereafter maintaining its contoured configuration.

2. The flexible earhook in claim 1, wherein the proximal portion comprises a first outer peripheral portion of hard plastic material and a second inner peripheral portion of deformable material.

3. The flexible earhook of claim 1, wherein the tail portion comprises a soft plastic material.

4. The flexible earhook of claim 2, wherein the hook element comprises a soft plastic material on portions facing the wearer'"'"'s ear.

5. The flexible earhook of claim 1, wherein the said proximal curved portion includes a portion following a generally circular arc and wherein said distal portion follows a generally linear path.

6. The flexible earhook of claim 1, wherein the material capable of being contoured and thereafter maintaining its shape comprises a wire.

7. The flexible earhook of claim 1, wherein the hook element and the mounting element are connected by a swivel element.

8. The flexible earhook of claim 1, wherein the hook element comprises a wire covered by a soft plastic material.

9. The flexible earhook of claim 1, wherein the hook element and the mounting element are connected such that the flexible earhook can be used on either ear.

10. The flexible earhook of claim 1, wherein the hook element and the mounting element are connected by a substantially cylindrical portion on the mounting element and by a hollow, substantially cylindrical housing on the hook element, wherein the cylindrical portion has a radially extending flange.