Headphone

• US 9,167,335 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ito, Tomohiro, Ishiguro, Hiroaki, Oosato, Yuusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Phan
• Application Number:
  US14/031,703
• Publication Number:
  US 20140023222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 761 Days
• Field of Search: 381/370, 381/371, 381/374, 381/376, 381/378, 381/379
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/105 Earpiece supports, e.g. ear hooks for stereophonic headphones H04R5/0335
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1058 Manufacture or assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

There is provided a headphone including a headband having flexibility; a slider having flexibility with the headband attached at one end, and a headphone unit attached at the other end; a slide groove, arranged at an end of the headband or the one end of the slider, for guiding a circling movement of the slider with respect to the headband; and a slider guide, having rigidity higher than the headband and the slider, for holding the one end of the slider at the end of the headband so that one surface of the slider facing one surface of the headband circling moves with respect to the one surface of the headband while being engaged to the slide groove. A headphone that can be thinned while suppressing lowering of the attachment property is provided.

Claims

1. A headphone comprising:

a headband having flexibility;

a slider having flexibility with the headband attached at one end, and a headphone unit attached at the other end;

a slide groove, arranged at an end of the headband or the one end of the slider, for guiding a circling movement of the slider with respect to the headband; and

a slider guide, having rigidity higher than the headband and the slider, for holding the one end of the slider at a first end of the headband so that one surface of the slider facing one surface of the headband moves circularly with respect to the one surface of the headband while the slider guide is engaged to the slide groove, wherein the slider guide is movable with respect to the headband, wherein the slider guide is attached to the slider, the slider guide and slide groove being hidden from view when the headphone is viewed from the side, wherein the headband has a first side facing inwardly toward a wearer'"'"'s head when the headphone is worn, a second side facing outwardly away from the wearer'"'"'s head, the slider being located at one of the first or second sides of the headband, and wherein the slide groove and the slider guide cooperate to form a detent mechanism such that movement of the slider relative to the headband occurs in a step-wise manner.

2. The headphone according to claim 1, wherein the slide groove is formed with an engaged surface corresponding to the circling movement range of the slider;

the slider guide is arranged with an engagement portion for engaging the engaged surface by a biasing force; and

the slider guide relatively moves with respect to the slide groove according to the circling movement of the slider, and regulates the circling movement of the slider by an engagement resistance with the slide groove with the engagement portion engaged with the engaged surface.

3. The headphone according to claim 1, wherein the slider guide regulates the circling movement of the slider by a friction resistance with the slide groove while being engaged to the slide groove.

4. The headphone according to claim 1, wherein the slider guide holds the one end of the slider at the first end of the headband so that an outer peripheral surface of the slider facing an inner peripheral surface of the headband moves circularly with respect to the inner peripheral surface of the headband.

5. The headphone according to claim 1, wherein the headband and the slider have substantially the same cross-sectional shape.

6. The headphone according to claim 1, further comprising:

a housing, connected in a freely turning manner to an end of the headband by a uniaxial turning mechanism, for emitting sound; and

an ear pad attached on a side of the housing that is opposite to the side connected with the headband, wherein the ear pad has a thickness of greater than or equal to twice the housing.

7. The headphone according to claim 6, wherein the ear pad is formed to a size of covering an auricle of a wearer and with a cushion material filled in an interior, and is configured to contract according to a lateral pressure from the headband.

8. The headphone according to claim 6, wherein the ear pad is configured to absorb tilt of the housing with respect to an axial direction of the turning mechanism.

9. The headphone according to claim 1, wherein a radius of curvature of the slider is less than a radius of curvature of the headband.

10. The headphone according to claim 9, wherein a center of curvature of the slider is offset from a center of curvature of the headband.

11. The headphone according to claim 9, further comprising a spacer between the headband and the slider.

12. The headphone according to claim 9, further comprising a scratch-resistant sheet coupled to the one surface of the headband.

13. The headphone according to claim 9, wherein at least one sheet is arranged to cover a gap between the one surface of the slider and the one surface of the headband.

14. The headphone according to claim 1, wherein the slide groove includes a corrugated surface.

15. The headphone according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement projection coupled to the slider guide and biased outwardly from the slider guide toward the slide groove.

16. The headphone according to claim 1, wherein the slide groove has a stair-like cross-section.