Headphones

• US 8,325,962 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2008
• Issued: 12/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ishida, Hiroyuki, Tsunoda, Naotaka
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US12/243,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20090103762A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 381/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

There is provided headphones that include a pair of left and right earcups, an audio signal processing unit contained in the earcups, a headband connecting the left and right earcups respectively through a hanger, and a cord to supply a signal to the audio signal processing unit. In the headphones, a connection portion between the hanger and the headband is configured as an extension and contraction unit having a multistage structure including a small-diameter hollow member able to be taken in and out of a large-diameter hollow member, a part of the cord contained in the extension and contraction unit is spirally wound so as to be extended and contracted, nodes are placed respectively between the headband and the extension and contraction unit and between the hanger and the extension and contraction unit, and the respective nodes have a through-hole allowing penetration of the cord.

Claims

1. Headphones comprising:

a pair of left and right earcups;

an audio signal processing unit contained in each of the earcups;

a headband connecting the left and right earcups respectively through a hanger;

a first cord having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is configured to be connected to an external input terminal and the second end is connected to one of the audio signal processing units;

a second cord connected to each audio signal processing unit and extending through the headband, wherein the second cord has a multi-conductor structure including at least four signal wires, such that the second cord has a multi-layer structure with an external coating partitioned into a plurality of parts in a direction intersecting with an axis line direction, each part including a plurality of signal wires;

a connection portion between the hanger and the headband configured as an extension and contraction unit having a multistage structure including a small-diameter hollow member able to be taken in and out of a large-diameter hollow member,

wherein a portion of the second cord is contained in the extension and contraction unit and is spirally wound so as to be extended and contracted,

and wherein nodes are placed respectively between the headband and the extension and contraction unit and between the hanger and the extension and contraction unit, each of the respective nodes having a through-hole allowing penetration of the second cord.

2. The headphones according to claim 1, wherein the second cord has an external coating in a shape of a flat cable.

3. The headphones according to claim 1, wherein

the portion of the second cord contained in the extension and contraction unit is wound so that a short-axis direction in a cross section of the second cord corresponds to a diameter direction of a spiral.