Low spring-rate band

• US 10,945,076 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2019
• Issued: 03/09/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Degner, Brett W., Leclerc, Michael E., Narajowski, David H., Laurent, Kristopher P., Smith, William K., Stringer, Christopher J., De Iuliis, Daniele, Diebel, Markus, Tan, Sung-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan D
• Application Number:
  US16/362,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20190222936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/0335 Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests for monophonic headphones H04R1/105

Abstract

This disclosure includes several different features suitable for use in circumaural and supra-aural headphones designs. Designs that reduce the size of headphones and allow for small form-factor storage configurations are discussed. User convenience features that include synchronizing earpiece stem positions and automatically detecting the orientation of the headphones on a user'"'"'s head are also discussed. Various power-saving features, design features, sensor configurations and user comfort features are also discussed.

Claims

1. Headphones, comprising:

a first earpiece;

a second earpiece; and

a headband assembly coupled to both the first and second earpieces, the headband assembly comprising;

a spring extending along a length of the headband assembly and configured to bias the first earpiece toward the second earpiece, and

a range of motion limiter configured to maintain a minimum distance between the first earpiece and the second earpiece, the range of motion limiter comprising a plurality of knuckles coupled to an interior-facing surface of the headband assembly, wherein the knuckles cooperatively interact to maintain the minimum distance by preventing the headband assembly from exceeding a predetermined curvature.

2. The headphones as recited in claim 1, wherein the range of motion limiter comprises a compression band coupled to an interior-facing surface of the headband assembly.

3. The headphones as recited in claim 1, wherein the spring is a spring band.

4. The headphones as recited in claim 1, wherein the range of motion limiter prevents the spring from reaching a neutral state.

5. The headphones as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the knuckles comprise first and second opposing sides and a first side of a first knuckle of the plurality of knuckles is configured to engage with a second side of an adjacent second knuckle to prevent the headband assembly from exceeding the predetermined curvature.

6. The headphones as recited in claim 5, wherein the knuckles are protrusions extending from the headband assembly having rectangular cross sections.

7. Headphones, comprising:

a first earpiece;

a second earpiece; and

a headband assembly coupled to the first earpiece and the second earpiece, the headband assembly comprising;

a spring extending along a length of the headband assembly and configured to bias the first earpiece toward the second earpiece;

a cable having a first end coupled to a portion of the headband assembly proximate the first earpiece and a second end coupled to a portion of the headband assembly proximate the second earpiece; and

a plurality of wire guides configured to route the cable along the length of the headband assembly.

8. The headphones as recited in claim 7, wherein the spring is a low spring-rate band.

9. The headphones as recited in claim 7, wherein the headband assembly comprises a plurality of hollow linkages pivotally coupled together by pins, the plurality of hollow linkages defining an interior volume.

10. The headphones as recited in claim 9, wherein the cable extends through the interior volume defined by the plurality of hollow linkages.

11. The headphones as recited in claim 7, wherein the cable is configured to maintain a minimum distance between the first earpiece and the second earpiece.

12. The headphones as recited in claim 7, wherein the headband assembly further comprises a wire electrically coupling the first earpiece to the second earpiece.

13. The headphones as recited in claim 7, wherein a first end of the headband assembly comprises a first stem that extends through an opening defined by a lateral exterior surface of the first earpiece.

14. Headphones, comprising:

a first earpiece;

a second earpiece; and

a headband assembly coupling the first earpiece to the second earpiece, the headband assembly comprising;

a spring band extending along a length of the headband assembly and being configured to bias the first earpiece toward the second earpiece, and

a range of motion limiter disposed within the headband assembly that prevents the first earpiece from coming within a minimum distance of the second earpiece, the range of motion limiter comprising knuckles arranged along an interior facing surface of the spring band that are configured to contact adjacent knuckles to prevent the first earpiece and the second earpiece from coming within the minimum distance.

15. The headphones as recited in claim 14, wherein first and second knuckles comprise protrusions extending from the interior facing surface of the spring band.

16. The headphones as recited in claim 15, wherein the first and second knuckles comprise opposing first and second sides and the first side of the first knuckle is configured to engage with the second side of the second knuckle to prevent the first earpiece and the second earpiece from coming within the minimum distance.